Isaac Phillips: Failure not an option for Grossmont College student

February 21, 2019, 8:35 am

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Isaac Phillips and family. Nari Wilborn, left; mother Deborah Williams, center; Miriah Wilborn, right; Dhario Wilborn, in lap.

Isaac Phillips doesn’t believe in failure. Every time the 31-year-old Santee resident comes face to face with a life-changing challenge, he not only moves forward, he thrives.

Like when his career plans were put on hold after his brother was shot and Phillips and his mother took responsibility for raising his brother’s two youngest daughters and son. Phillips stood firm, enrolled at Grossmont College to build a better future for him and his family, and along the way became a scholar, a tutor, a peer mentor and an invaluable member of the campus Umoja community.

Or when, in late January, Phillips heard the sound of gunfire while getting into his car, sped away from the danger, clipped another vehicle and crashed into a tree. Less than a week after the accident that left him hospitalized with serious injuries to his back and legs, Phillips was back at Grossmont and learned he was accepted to Tuskegee University, scholarship included. Now he’s waiting to hear if he’s been accepted to Harvard.

“Things have a way of working out,” Phillips said. “You can’t focus on the negative.”

It’s that attitude that has left a long list of admirers at Grossmont College, where Phillips will graduate in June with an associate degree in communication and political science.

“Isaac and his mother take care of the three children in a tiny apartment, and they often juggle bills in order to feed the children,” said Gwenyth Mapes, a humanities professor who has served as Phillips’ mentor since he arrived at Grossmont College two years ago.
“I know that Isaac goes without food at times when the children need to be fed. Furthermore, for most of the time I have known Isaac, he and the family have not had transportation. Life is hard, but the love and commitment are strong. And through it all, Isaac has managed to make his own college career a priority. He is investing in his future, and his family’s, by focusing on his college work.”

Umoja counselor Jason Allen agreed.

“In addition to a robust work ethic and determined drive to do very well academically, Isaac Philips is an absolute delight to be around,” Allen said. “I’ve never been around him when he wasn’t upbeat, happy, energetic, and funny. Isaac seemingly goes through life cracking jokes and doing his best to get others to smile and laugh. He has been a strong student at Grossmont College and a solid role model within the UMOJA Program here at the college. I am extremely excited about his being accepted into the renowned Historically Black College & University Tuskegee University in Alabama. His future is bright and it was an honor working with him during his time spent at Grossmont College.”

Until recently, Phillips never envisioned himself as a college student. In fact, he is the first in his family to seek a higher education.

Born and raised in the Central Valley, Phillips worked at low-wage jobs most of his life while taking on an occasional gig as a camera operator or production assistant in Hollywood and landing a gig as an extra in Black Panther. He moved to San Diego approximately five years ago after falling in love with the region during a visit to Comic-Con.

His life took a turn after a bullet fired during a robbery left an older brother, Mario, a quadriplegic. His brother’s wife had earlier died from breast cancer, so Phillips and his mom soon began caring for his brother’s three youngest children – nieces Mariah and Nari and nephew Dahrio – and brought them to San Diego. Four older siblings were cared for by other relatives.

“There was no other option,” Phillips said. “We were not going to let these children become part of a system that is pretty much broken. They don’t have much, but they are with their family.”

Phillips, however, knew nothing about raising kids. He had never heard of pink eye. Christmas suddenly became a very popular holiday in his home, a cramped but tidy, two-bedroom apartment a stone’s throw from state Route 67.

“No one tells you how hard it is to be a parent,” Phillips said. “You learn when you’re thrust into it. It’s not easy, especially when you’re earning less than $20,000 a year. You just have to learn to sacrifice your own needs take care of someone else. It was a struggle, though. There were a lot of things they didn’t have that I wasn’t even aware of.”

Phillips turned to Grossmont College, a regional leader in offering avenues of social and economic mobility, for help. He registered for classes just a few months after he began caring for his nieces and nephew.

“It was really close,” he said of Grossmont. “I went to that website, RateMyProfessors, and found some pretty good reviews. And they were very accommodating to someone who hadn’t been in school for 15 years and who hadn’t been in college before.”

It hasn’t been easy, though, raising three children, working as many as three jobs at a time while attending school, studying and being involved in the campus community.

There’s only 24 hours in the day, but with a little bit of time travel and very little sleep, you’re able to get done what needs to get done,” joked Phillips, who is recovering from his injuries suffered in the January car crash and attending classes regularly, though he still walks with a limp. Meanwhile, he’s scraping by thanks to his jobs as a peer mentor and teacher’s assistant, a recent UMOJA scholarship, and some freelance work with a video and photography company.

As summer draws nearer, Phillips says he’s becoming more excited about attending Tuskegee University, a private, historically black university (HBCU) in Alabama established by Booker T. Washington and Lewis Adams. An older brother in Modesto will move into the Santee apartment and help raise the children while he’s in Alabama laying the foundation for a career in the film distribution and production industry, possibly getting into politics, and perhaps entering law school.

"He has so much potential to do anything he wants to do,” Mapes said.

Said Phillips: “If it wasn’t for Grossmont College, I wouldn't have the opportunities I have today. I am very grateful for everything that everybody here has done to help me succeed.”

 

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Five from East County college district receive national award for community college excellence

February 27, 2019, 2:24 pm

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Linda Bertolucci, Jennifer Fujimoto

Three instructors and two managers from the East County community college district are recipients of a national award recognizing excellence in community college teaching and leadership.

Cuyamaca College instructor Donald Jones, Grossmont College instructors Oralee Holder and Richard Uris, and District Services managers Linda Bertolucci and Jennifer Fujimoto were honored today at the 2019 Innovations Conference in New York City, which drew community college representatives from across the United States. 


The John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award is from the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit consortium of community colleges and their districts, and 160 corporate partners. Launched in 2012, the award is named for John E. and Suanne D. Roueche, leaders in the community college field and academic scholars who wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles about community college leadership.

“I could not be more proud of our outstanding team of community college standouts whose dedication and creative minds reflect the vision of the League for Innovation,” said Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, and former chief operating officer for the League. “Their tireless work to promote the success of our students and colleges is immensely valued and the recognition for their efforts is richly deserved.”

Linda Bertolucci
As a community college alum, Linda Bertolucci understands the life-changing impact that the two-year institutions have and finds fulfillment in her work as the senior director of Purchasing, Contracts and Ancillary Services in the district services office.

As the administrator overseeing the district’s purchasing and contracts and warehouse departments, as well as managing the bidding process for major construction projects at the colleges, Bertolucci keeps a laser focus on district expenditures and purchases. While her contact with students may be minimal, they are never far from her mind. 

The departments she oversees provide the materials, supplies, equipment and contracted services that benefit and provide students with a positive learning environment. The construction contracts for college facilities, classroom desks and chairs, the myriad of computer equipment and even the light bulbs, require Bertolucci’s imprimatur. 

“It puts it all into perspective when we visit a new building or a renovated classroom knowing that we were an important part in the project and we can then see it through the eyes of the students and employees and know we contributed to the betterment of the students,” she said.

The 14-year employee of the district, who attended El Camino College in Torrance as a paralegal student, started her career in 1987 as the purchasing supervisor at Sweetwater Union High School District. She then moved on to the Grossmont Union High School District, where she was the purchasing director for 16 years before she was hired by the college district.

“I am honored to receive this award, but I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my entire team for their hard work and dedication and making the district such a stellar place,” she said. 

Jennifer Fujimoto
As the senior director of Fiscal Services, it is Jennifer Fujimoto’s role to manage accounts payables and receivables, and to handle the accounting and internal reporting for students’ financial aid. 

Fujimoto’s office is in an annex building, away from the central campus where the classrooms and students are. But while she has no direct contact with students, her job tracking and disbursing financial aid touches the lives of many of the 30,000 attending Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges. 

With more than 25 years of experience in accounting, Fujimoto can spot an errant math calculation a mile away and it is her knack for numbers that motivated her to switch careers from hospitality management to bookkeeping in 2003.  She started her own bookkeeping business, and in 2011, was hired to manage accounting and office operations for the college district’s auxiliary.

In 2013, she became a financial analyst for the college district. She was promoted to her current post in 2016, when she helped implement two major projects to streamline fiscal operations: Workday, a cloud-based application for finance and human resources, and BankMobile, an electronic method to disburse students’ financial aid. 

A cum laude graduate of the University of Wisconsin, with a Bachelor of Science in business/hospitality, Fujimoto started a career in hotel management in 1989, eventually leaving the profession in 2002.

Playing a role in ensuring student success is important to Fujimoto, who said spending her days with people sharing that common goal is immensely satisfying.

“There are so many of us that work to make the college district a student-focused place,” she said. “I really want to express my appreciation for my staff, who were so instrumental in my receiving this award of excellence.”

Donald Jones

Don Jones

 
The past five years have been an exciting time for Jones, leading the transformation of Cuyamaca College’s Water and Wastewater Technology program into the Center for Water Studies, replete with a new state-of-the-art training facility and an outdoor field operations skills yard for students to develop hands-on skills. It is a fully functional water and wastewater system built above ground for easy access to the pipes, valves and tanks that students become adept at handling. 

 “With these unparalleled facilities, comprehensive curricula and experienced faculty, we feel that our Center for Water Studies is a flagship program, not only in the California Community College system, but in the western states,” Jones said.

It was 42 years ago that Jones began his career in the water industry, eventually running the San Diego Water Department’s safety and training program and becoming the safety and risk manager for the Vista Irrigation District in the mid-1990s until retiring in 2007. Over the years, he also continued his education, earning an associate degree from Grossmont College; a bachelor’s degree and graduate courses in Public Administration from San Diego State University, and a master’s degree in Human Resources and Organization from the University of San Francisco. 

Jones was also active on the education front, developing the Water and Wastewater Technology program at Mesa College during the late ‘70s. He has worked with the program at Cuyamaca College since 2003, where he helped secure more than $2 million in grant funding and partnered with local agencies to make the Cuyamaca program a key to training the next generation of water industry professionals. 

Oralee Holder

Oralee Holder
Holder is well known for her long history of campus leadership since she became a part-time instructor at Grossmont College in 1985. She joined the ranks of full-time faculty in 1990 and has served as Academic Senate president, and for the last 12 years, as chair of the English Department. Since 2013, Holder has worked to improve assessment and placement of thousands of students in English classes. 

After graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, the San Diego native earned her master’s degree in English from Southern Illinois University and her doctorate, also in English, from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

She was hired in 1979 at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., where she taught literature and composition until 1985, when a death in her family brought her back to San Diego for what she thought was a temporary leave of absence. Familyowev obligations made the move permanent, and although her university colleagues were somewhat skeptical that she would find teaching community college students a satisfying career shift, Holder said they could not have been more wrong.

“It was readily apparent that I could make a difference in the lives of our students at Grossmont College, many of whom had never imagined college in their futures and who would be facing innumerable obstacles to their success,” she said. “There was no college-going tradition in my family. Because I had doubted my own worthiness to be a student, let alone to flourish and succeed, I knew the fear and anxiety many of my students faced.”

Richard Unis

Richard Unis
A professional photographer, as well as an adjunct sociology instructor at Grossmont College for  12 years, Richard Unis understands the power of visual images to convey political or social messages. 

In 2008, he had students create a public art installation of 30,000 chopsticks inserted into lawns around the campus to represent the number of children who lose their lives each day to poverty-related diseases.  Last year, he launched the Stand with Students Project, a social media campaign for educators and others to post photos of themselves standing next to a white or blackboard with a handwritten message of inclusion for immigrant, refugee and DACA students. 

The New Jersey native, the oldest of four brothers and the first to go to college, earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College and a master’s in sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. The sociology department had a human rights component to it that led Unis to Geneva, where he and others in his class served as student representatives at the United Nations in 2005. That experience exposed him to global issues that he and his wife, a fellow sociologist, have documented as photographers. A collection of photos they took for a local non-profit promoting the need for adequate healthcare was displayed inside the Capitol Building just prior to the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act.

“What I like best about Grossmont is the students,” he said. “Our students are dedicated, well-intentioned and often bring perspective and experience into the classroom, which makes teaching sociology interesting and rewarding.”

Nhi Nguyen: Journey from Vietnam leads to Grossmont College

February 28, 2019, 8:14 am

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Nhi Nguyen

She has attended colleges and universities across the world, from law school in Vietnam to an MBA program at Marshall University in West Virginia and a student exchange program in Sweden. But Nhi Nguyen is sold on Grossmont College, where she’s now studying business administration. 

“I know it’s a community college and not a university, but it gives me much more than what I expected,” said Nguyen, 28. “In a small class size, you can easily talk to your professor, plus a lot of professors here are also teaching at a university, so what’s the difference? If you’re taking general education or lower division courses in a particular subject, and you’re learning from the same instructors, it makes sense to go to a community college, which is a lot more economical.”

 Nguyen, who has long aspired to work at one of the Big Four accounting firms, took a detour to Grossmont College after a combination of financial challenges her parents were facing in Vietnam and the added cost that came with her younger brother’s decision to pursue a college degree.  

She left Marshall University in 2018 and moved to an aunt’s home in La Mesa determined to enroll at a community college to save money. Her experience with Grossmont College left her impressed. 

“Choosing the right college is an important decision,” Nguyen said. “When I reached out to Grossmont, they emailed me right away, they called me back, they took an interest in me. Grossmont provided great support to this student, so I thought this school could help me to achieve my education and career goals.” 

It’s the latest stop on a journey that began in her hometown of Quang Ngai in central Vietnam. After graduating from high school, Nguyen earned a degree from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, spending several weeks along the way at a student exchange program in Lund, Sweden, studying international business transactions.  

Law degree in hand, she headed to Marshall University for its Master of Business Administration program. One year later, however, her plans changed when her younger brother set out on his higher education journey, and both ended up moving in with an aunt near Helix High School in La Mesa.  

She said her decision to enroll at Grossmont College was one of the best she’s made.  

“The business administration program at Grossmont is very similar to what I was studying in the master’s program at Marshall,” Nguyen said. 

Her academic achievements and determination recently secured Nguyen the Betty D. Krueger Memorial Scholarship, awarded in memory of Betty D. Krueger, a teacher and school librarian who valued education.  

Nguyen, who works part time at the Grossmont College Admissions and Records office, volunteers on campus and has been certified to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help low-income families file their returns. Her outreach and care for others is catching the attention of others. 

“Nhi is a phenomenal student worker and exemplifies the ideals we try to instill in our students,” said Wayne Branker, Nguyen’s Admissions and Records supervisor. “She has made a tremendous impact on our office and has been a terrific resource for students and helping them navigate their way through college. I know Nhi is a diligent student and takes her studies seriously. What I have come to appreciate most is her inquisitive nature. Nhi asks a lot of questions and as a result has surpassed her peers in her knowledge of the policies and procedures here in A&R. She is also incredibly warm and kind, which makes students feel comfortable coming to her with their issues to solve.” 

Now taking an interest in computer science, Nguyen is aiming to graduate in the spring of 2021, transfer to San Diego State University, and earn an advanced degree in business administration.  

“Grossmont is a great path for my journey, and I’m so thankful for many opportunities the college has given me,” Nguyen said.

 

Emily Kongsima: Finding a future at Grossmont College

March 3, 2019, 10:44 am

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Emily Kongsima

You can’t beat free. That’s the lesson from San Diego resident Emily Kongsima, who was working at various restaurant jobs when she discovered Grossmont College’s Office Professional Training program, a program providing the skills needed for work as an office assistant, administrative assistant or office manager.

Best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime.

“I didn’t have any money at all to go to school, but it was a free program,” said Kongsima. “You can’t get much better than that.”

After acing her classes, tutoring others, volunteering where she could and completing the program this past summer, Kongsima secured a Retiree Network Scholarship from the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges, money that will come in handy when she pursues associate and bachelor’s degrees in business administration.

Kongsima, 29, was honored with other scholarship recipients during a January 12 awards ceremony at Cuyamaca College. Meanwhile, her newfound expertise in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access, financial accounting and business communication have made her infinitely more marketable as she begins a job search after taking a break from work to care for her ill mother.

“Before I enrolled at Grossmont, I felt as if I was confined to only entry level jobs,” Kongsima said. “I now not only have five years of experience with a property management company, but I also have a certificate from the Office Professional Training program and a wealth of new skills.” 

A native San Diegan, Kongsima began working as a receptionist with a property management firm, Collins Management Co., after high school. Her responsibilities grew over the years, along with her interest in accounting, while working with the accounts payable department. The past several years, however, Kongsima was working at local restaurants, and she began to feel as though her career would be confined to entry-level jobs.

Her life changed less than a year ago, when Kongsima came across a newspaper advertisement promoting Grossmont College’s Office Professional Training program.

“I called the college and looked into it and it sounded pretty awesome so I signed up. I’m glad I did,” she said. 

The Office Professional Training program began more than 30 years ago through the federal Job Training Partnership Act. Courses in the one-semester program range from banking and accounting to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel to job-search strategies and resume writing. Students earn a certificate of completion and up to 20 community college credits, and most have found careers in office management, financial services and insurance, among other fields.

Kongsima enrolled in the spring of 2018. Office Professional Training Coordinator Donna Dixon said Kongsima embodies the best of what the program is about.

“Emily was a diligent communicator who spoke regularly with OPT instructors and staff about her needs and progress,” Dixon said. “She was friendly to her classmates and she worked hard to accomplish her goal of graduating from the Office Professional Training accounting track.”The program is intense. “It was only six months, but I was waking up at 4 a.m. to study, then I’d go to school, take classes all day, come home, study some more, go to sleep, and do it all over again,” Kongsima said. “But it was worth it. I highly recommend it to anyone.” 

Women's History Month events at Cuyamaca, Grossmont colleges

March 6, 2019, 10:01 am

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In recognition of Women’s History Month, designated by Congress in 1987, both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have a number of events planned that are free and open to the public:


Cuyamaca College

• A Heritage Book Club talk led by Cuyamaca College English Professor Lauren Halsted from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in Room I-208 of the Student Center. The discussion will center on an essay, “We Should All be Feminists,” by celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
• Cuyamaca College will continue on March 13 and 20 an art activity launched earlier in the month presented by the Associated Student Government, “Why Feminism Matters,” at the Student Center Quad from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Students will join student government in making signs about why feminism matters to them. Students will also have the opportunity to share their message on social media and display them around campus. 
• A Presentation on Women's Health led by Cuyamaca College Health Services supervisor Lori Senini on March 18 at noon in I-207 of the Student Center will provide information on women’s health, tips on self-screening, and community resources for access to affordable or reduced-cost health services.
• A College Hour talk, “Orange is the New Jim Crow," will be presented by Laila Aziz with Pillars of the Community, a Muslim-led nonprofit community service organization in San Diego, on March 20 at 9 a.m. in I-209 of the Student Center. The talk will focus on the experiences of women in the correctional system and how to promote restorative justice. Aziz is part of Reclaiming the Community, one of several groups in San Diego working to restore the vote for more than 160,000 prisoners and parolees in the state.
• “Latinx Scholars and Their Transfer Experience” is a panel presentation from noon to 1:15 p.m. Friday, March 22, in the Student Center, I-207, by Cuyamaca College alums Kendra Saucedo, Rosa Martinez, and Dalia Valencia as they describe their experience in higher education through an intersectional lens.

Grossmont College

• At Grossmont College, a Women of Color in Leadership panel hosted by the student club Sistahood will be featured 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, March 6. The speakers are Tanis Stark, director of Intercultural Relations and Cross Cultural Center at San Diego State University; Marsha Gable, vice president of Student Services at Grossmont College; Arianne Miller, assistant professor in SDSU’s Department of Counseling and School Psychology; and Symone McDaniels, assistant professor in the School of Learning Resources at Mesa College.
• At “Don’t Mess with the Hood” from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, a representative from Planned Parenthood will give a presentation on the stigmas surrounding and services provided by this leading provider of affordable healthcare.
• “Better Together” from 9:30 a.m.-noon Monday, March 18, features Danielle Blum, a purpose coach, author and the founder and CEO of World Nativ a platform promoting entrepreneurship and personal development.
• “Inspiring Women Overcoming Obstacles” is a panel of speakers, including Chancellor Cindy L. Miles, presenting from 3-4:30 p.m. Monday, March 18.

Grossmont College events are all at Griffin Center in the Grossmont College Student Center, Building 60.
Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive. Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in the community of Rancho San Diego.  

Faculty, staff at Cuyamaca, Grossmont colleges lauded with top teaching, leadership awards

March 7, 2019, 1:12 pm

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Two faculty members at Cuyamaca College and a team of professionals at Grossmont College are among the academic year’s rock stars at the two East County campuses.

Rachel Jacob-Almeida, a full-time sociology professor, and Peggie Daley, a part-time English as a Second Language professor, recently received the 2019  Award for Teaching Excellence, a recognition by students who nominate faculty members.
“Our students deserve the best and that is what they receive from our colleges,” said Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “These award winners are unparalleled in their intentional and untiring efforts on behalf of our students.”

Rachel Jacob-Almeida



Students who describe the full-time sociology instructor include adjectives like “inspirational” and “awesome” and she is praised for her caring, approachable presence. The four-year Cuyamaca College instructor is now chair of the History, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department.

“She really knows how to encourage us to critically think about serious issues,” one student said. “I also really appreciate how she never shouts down an opposing opinion and actually talks through the different sides of an argument.”

On the second day of spring semester classes, Jacob-Almeida faced a packed class of more than 35 students and adeptly called on them by name with nary a seating chart in sight. Students were eager to contribute to class discussions and her responses to their questions reflected a genuine interest in their thinking processes.

“I make my classes as interactive as possible,” said Jacob-Almeida.  “For the past few semesters, I have been doing a little exercise where I memorize all their names on the first day of class by having each student introduce themselves and to say something unique about their names. Then I would go around the class repeating all of their names. Students have tended to be surprised at how well I do.”

A lifelong interest in social issues like racism, sexism and other forms of inequality sparked her decision to pursue a career in academia. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s and pending doctorate, both in sociology, from the University of California, San Diego. She began her teaching career as a teaching assistant at UCSD, then taught as an adjunct at the University of San Diego and Grossmont, Cuyamaca and Palomar colleges from 2011 until she was hired as full-time faculty at Cuyamaca College in 2014.

“I love that Cuyamaca College is small but growing, while also being focused on equity,” said Jacob-Almeida, whose mother, Teresa Jacob, taught psychology at Grossmont College from 1989 till her retirement in 2012. “I like that among so much of the faculty and administration there is constant discussion about what equity is and real efforts to implement the steps to close equity gaps. What this means is that there is a true focus on who our students are and what our students need, and this is precisely how a community college should be.”

Peggie Daley

“Prof. Peggie is the best ever teacher I have met,” one student wrote in his nomination. “She is always there to give a hand and help her students. She encourages us to learn.”

Effervescent and ever-cheerful, Daley hovers around the clusters of desks fashioned to get students engaged in discussions. Like a hummingbird sipping nectar, she pauses at each table, delighting in her students’ enthusiasm verbalizing that day’s lessons. Stop, listen, comment and nod approvingly. Then off to the next circle of desks to pollinate more minds.

“She has a major effect on students by her performance as well as the communication they have with their classmates,” reads another student nomination.

A part-time ESL instructor with the East Region Adult Education program since 2012 and a part-time ESL acceleration instructor at Cuyamaca College since 2014, Daley is in her element in the classroom.

“The drive and determination of ESL students really appeal to me,” Daley said

She was one of the college’s first instructors to turn remedial ESL instruction on its head by offering accelerated classes. Instead of the often unsuccessful attempts at remedial classes, students at Cuyamaca College are placed in transfer-level courses and given additional support.

The results have been so impressive that the college was honored last year with the Dr. John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award. Last month, the California Acceleration Project awarded Cuyamaca College first ever Golden State Honey Badger award for its acceleration work. Other colleges are now replicating Cuyamaca’s initiatives.

Daley’s introduction to the teaching profession came relatively late in life. She first earned a bachelor’s in social work from San Diego State University in 1983, and a master’s degree in Human Services: Health and Wellness from Liberty University in 2013. She then worked as an administrative officer at San Diego Christian College and performed missionary service in the Philippines, Hong Kong and the Bahamas, teaching Sunday school and English to children.

When the recession hit in 2008 and Daley lost her job at San Diego Christian College, she took a friend’s advice to substitute teach. Her first assignment was in an ESL class and she discovered a new passion.

“I am humbly thankful to be on the ground floor of something great at Cuyamaca,” said Daley, who is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education from Liberty University. “I sometime pinch myself as reassurance that this not a dream. I truly enjoy exercising the wonderful gift of teaching on a magnificent campus. My students left their countries and came to a foreign land in hopes of safety and a better life for themselves and their children. They have to overcome many barriers, but they do not give up.”

Grossmont College President’s Leadership Award

Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh , Bryan Lam, Monica Blando, Bernadette Black, Rochelle Weiser and Elaine Adlam.

At Grossmont College, six members of a committee received the President’s Leadership Award for their many hours of work studying ways to streamline and improve college governance. The six classified, or non-instructional, staff who developed the new plan approved by President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh were Monica Blando, Admissions and Records Senior Assistant; Cindy Emerson, administrative assistant in College Planning and Institutional Effectiveness;  Bernadette Black, administrative assistant to the president;  Rochelle Weiser, administrative assistant in the Professional Development office; Elaine Adlam, Health Services nurse; and Bryan Lam, student services specialist in International Counseling.

“We recognize that it has been a longstanding tradition that this award has been given to a single person, but we are grateful to be sharing the stage together today,” Blando said as the group was presented the college’s highest honor recognizing distinguished service. “Together we have worked intensely on the governance reorganization. We started off like many, not believing that change was possible, but we worked together and through tough conversations, we learned to trust in the process. Along the way, we realized that we were being heard by administrators, faculty and students and that we truly had a seat and voice at the table. Through this, we grew as individuals, as leaders, and as a group.”

Joseph Barr: journey from Jerusalem leads to Grossmont College

March 10, 2019, 8:30 am

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Joseph Barr

Joseph Barr was looking for a new beginning. He found it at Grossmont College. 

As he works toward an associate degree in economics, Barr is an academic standout . He’s planning to transfer to San Diego State University, and is determined to secure a master’s degree – if not a doctorate - before embarking in a career in finance advocating for the underserved. 

“Grossmont College has provided me with a great present and a promising future,” said Barr, 33. “I truly enjoy coming to school. I feel like I’m doing something meaningful. I feel like I’m doing something important.” 

His achievements were recognized with an Osher scholarship from the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges during a January awards ceremony. 

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Barr grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family – his father is a Rabbi at a Yeshiva, or a Jewish academy of Talmudic learning – and attended religious school that focused on Torah and Talmud at the expense of subjects such as mathematics and science.  

“Any book that wasn’t written by an ultra-Orthodox Jew was forbidden in our house,” said Barr. “I always felt like I was missing something. I was prohibited from doing a lot of stuff.” 

Barr’s yearning for something new reached its crescendo in 2010. His epiphany came while traveling to the Red Sea during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot that commemorates the Exodus. “My parents were American, so I was an American citizen and I had an American passport. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I decided it was time to go.” 

He returned home, sold all of his belongings, bought a plane ticket and flew nearly 16 hours to Los Angeles with just $200 in his pocket, a packed suitcase and a backpack. Despite not knowing anyone, Barr landed a steady stream of retail jobs for several Israeli companies. It was a hard life.  

“I remember one time I was in Los Angeles, my car broke down on the 101 freeway, I didn’t have any money to buy a burger, and I didn’t have any money in the bank,” he said. “Something had to change.”

Indeed it did. He found a better-paying job in construction, saved everything he could, then set off for a months-long backpacking trip to South America that included meeting his future wife – who later earned a master’s degree at the University of San Diego School of Law – in  Brazil.  

He also picked up several languages along his journeys, including Portuguese and Spanish in South America. He’s also taking Arabic courses at Grossmont, while improving his English.  

Remembering the words of a Fullerton rabbi who became a close friend, Barr resolved to further his education after returning to the United States. “Rabbi (Haim) Asa told me, ‘You need to go to a community college. You’re going to do really well, you’re going to move on to a university and you’re going to become very successful. And when you get there, I want you to help other people, like I helped you.’” 

“Sadly enough, he passed away almost 5 year ago and never saw me going back to school,” Barr said. “I’m going to honor his words.” 

He’s doing that through Grossmont College. Barr’s determination has left an impact on his professors. 

“Joseph Barr is tenaciously committed to learning and to excellence,” said English instructor Ryan Griffith. “Seldom in my career have I worked with a student of his intelligence, curiosity, and work ethic.  He will do great things.”  

Nemie Capacia, co-chair of the Mathematics Department, is similarly impressed. 

“He emailed me even before the start of the semester for a copy of my syllabus and the title of the book so he can purchase it and work ahead,” Capacia said. “He was one of my students that semester who frequented my office during office hours to ask questions about homework or to clarify things that were covered in the class. He was very inquisitive and made sure he not only understood the mathematical processes on how problems are solved, but the how and why behind a mathematical concept. He was very determined to excel in my class and he did.” 

Likewise, the support Barr has received in helping him reach his goal is leaving a lasting impression on him. 

“This is the first time I felt like I belonged to a community since I moved to the United States,” he said. 

 

Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival returns to Cuyamaca College

March 12, 2019, 12:31 pm

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Plants will be on sale at Cuyamaca College's nursery

Butterfly releases, thousands of landscape and garden plants for sale, museum tours and more are on tap when the Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival returns to the Cuyamaca College campus for its 26th year on April 27.
 Several thousand visitors from throughout the region and beyond are expected to visit the college, which houses The Water Conservation Garden and the Heritage of the Americas Museum, and all three have planned an array of family friendly events. The Cuyamaca College Ornamental Horticulture Department will hold its largest plant sale of the year and Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego will provide free, narrated rides to and from the garden, the museum and the college.
 Making this year’s festival especially noteworthy: Cuyamaca College is celebrating its 40th anniversary and The Water Conservation is celebrating its 20th. Both will be hosting displays recalling their histories.
 “The Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival is among the most popular events in San Diego’s East County region, and for good reason,” said Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes. “Not only is the plant sale a major fundraiser for our award-winning Ornamental Horticulture Department, this festival also allows our college, The Water Conservation Garden and the Heritage of the Americas Museum to showcase an impressive array of innovative programs we offer to the community.”
 The annual event has its roots in the annual Spring Garden Festival plant sale benefitting the Ornamental Horticulture program. It combined forces with the annual Butterfly Festival at The Water Conservation Garden in 2017.
 Among the festival highlights this year:
           At Cuyamaca College:

•  The Ornamental Horticulture Department is holding its biggest plant sale of the year at the southwest section of the Grand Lawn.
• Tree climbing activities to benefit the Ornamental Horticulture Department’s “Tree Hugger Scholarship,” which is available for students planning a career in arboriculture.
• Exhibits and presentations from academic programs and support services.
• Information on the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise program that provides a free year of tuition for first-time, full-time students.
• Food trucks and vendors.

          At The Water Conservation Garden:

•  Butterfly Pavilion tours and butterfly releases.
• Story Time with Ms. Metamorphosis.
• Docent-led tours of the Garden.
• Landscape design consultations – call (619) 660-0154, ext. 10, to register.
• A Pollinator Party with Ms. Smarty Plants.

           At the Heritage of the Americas Museum:

•  A fine art show.
• Docent-led tours of the museum.
• A Five Choices Dream Drawing for prizes ranging from framed art to archaeology artifacts. Proceeds will benefit the museum’s educational programs that serve more than 5,000 schoolchildren visiting the center annually.
• Demonstrations and presentations.
• Children’s reading time.

 The Spring Garden & Butterfly Festival is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking and admission is free.
 Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, 92019. For more information, contact the Ornamental Horticulture Department at (619) 660-4262, or The Water Conservation Garden at (619) 660-0614 (ext. 14), or visit the festival website at SpringGardenFestival.com.

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Critically Acclaimed Piano Quartet to Perform at Cuyamaca College on March 18

March 12, 2019, 1:58 pm

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One of the world’s leading piano quartets is set to perform masterpieces by Gustav Mahler, Gabriel Fauré and Franz Schubert at Cuyamaca College’s Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre on Monday, March 18, when the Fauré Quartet takes the stage for the latest ECHO Chamber Music Series concert.

Comprising pianist Dirk Mommertz, violinist Erika Geldsetzer, violist Sascha Frömbling and cellist Konstantin Heidrich, the Fauré Quartet has earned a reputation as visionaries challenging tradition. After meeting during their studies in 1995 in Karlsruhe for the 150^thanniversary of Gabriel Fauré, members realized this combination could yield new insights into an undiscovered repertoire. They have since made several critically acclaimed recordings with works by Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, not to mention pop songs written by Peter Gabriel and Steely Dan. The quartet showcases its nonconventional approach with international tours, appearing at the world’s leading chamber music venues, such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires and Wigmore Hall London.

The Fauré Quartetperforms at the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre in the Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Center. General admission tickets are $15 each, $10 if purchased in advance online, and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased by visiting EchoChamberMusic.orgor by calling (619) 660-4288.

The ECHO Chamber Music Series is underwritten by Sam Ersan, a vice chairman of the San Diego Symphony Board of Directors, who has helped transform the chamber music landscape in San Diego County through his support of numerous classical musical organizations. Ersan is a major funder of the Mainly Mozart Festival, the force behind the Sam B. Ersan Chamber Music Fund at UC San Diego and the founder of the Camera Lucida piano quartet and the Myriad Trio. ECHO is an acronym for the East County Harmonics Organization.

Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego, 92109. 

Abdi Hussein: Cuyamaca College Student Determined to Help his Community

March 17, 2019, 1:24 pm

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Abdi Hussein

Abdi Hussein wants to protect his community. Cuyamaca College is helping him reach his goal. 

Determined to pursue a career improving preventative health care in the Somali community, Hussein, 21, graduates this spring with an associate degree in university studies, behavioral and social sciences. He is waiting to hear from back from several Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) before deciding where to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public health.  

Meanwhile, he’s busy seeking every opportunity to learn more about his calling. 

In January, Hussein attended the 4th Annual Making Medical Equal Conference at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and a UCSD Medical Education for Diverse Students symposium aimed at expanding pathways to healthcare careers for students from underrepresented populations.  

And before he transfers next fall, Hussein hopes to land an internship with the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), an initiative funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that offers hands-on experience in health care settings, classes on career development, seminars covering health policy, and more. 

“All of these experiences are giving me the tools and a stronger understanding to succeed in my healthcare goals so I can take all that I have learned and pour it back into my community – both ethnically, my neighborhood, and Greater San Diego,” Hussein said. 

An ethnic Somali born in Yemen, Hussein moved with his family to the United States when he was 4 years old. After stops in Maine and Tennessee, the family settled in 2011 in Lemon Grove. At Helix Charter High School, Hussein ran track, was elected senior class president, graduated in 2016 and enrolled at San Diego State University to study kinesiology.  

One year later, Hussein decided it was time to take a step back. 

“It was too big,” he said of SDSU. “Classrooms had, like, several hundred people. It was disorienting.” 

Hussein said he felt lost beyond the classroom until he arrived at Cuyamaca College in the fall of 2018 determined to follow a pathway to a career focusing on preventative health. He also resolved to resurrect his passion for track and field, primarily as an avenue to secure a scholarship to an HBCU campus.  

“I wanted to be fully focused, and when I first came here, I didn’t know anybody, which allowed me to concentrate on my school work and track,” said Hussein, who is pulling down A’s and B’s in his classes. “Everything is aligning,” Hussein said. I feel good.” 

He’s also turning heads on the track, where he runs the 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 4-by-400 meters relay events, despite not running since he was a junior in high school. 

“He is a very dedicated student of the sport, and that dedication will take him far,” said track coach Tim Seaman. “His ability to drive toward a goal is remarkable. He had four years off of athletics, he comes here, and he is running at a very high level.” 

In his first  800-meter race, at Cerritos College, Hussein set a personal best mark of 2 minutes flat. He followed that up at Long Beach State University against Division I competition and won his meet again, this time with a time of 1:58. 

“Abdi is a leader on the team and a mentor to the other athletes,” Seaman said. 

Hussein speaks just as highly of Cuyamaca College. 

“Cuyamaca College provides you with as many resources as you need to do what you want to do,” he said. “The STEM Center is one of my favorite places here. If you’re a STEM major, you have access to tutors, STEM professors, and a lot of space to help you out. It’s invaluable.”

 

Middle Eastern Culture Celebrated at Cuyamaca College

March 25, 2019, 4:11 pm

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Middle Eastern Heritage Month comes to Cuyamaca College in April with a menu of cultural events highlighted by an all-day Syriac House Exhibition and an afternoon theatrical performance of storytelling and music reminiscent of a historic Baghdad coffee house.

“Cuyamaca College has a very diverse Middle Eastern community in terms of ethnicity, nationality and religion and we are using this opportunity to highlight the community’s rich cultures and traditions,” said Aklas Sheai, an Arabic language instructor who is organizing many of the month’s events.

All are free and open to the public. Included in the April lineup:

• The Syriac House Exhibition on April 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Center. Art, antiques and collectibles will be on display. Presented by the Middle Eastern Students Club and sponsored by Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, Engagement & Equity, Associated Student Government and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Syriac Catholic Church.

• Cuyamaca College’s World Languages Department hosts a leadership presentation for Middle Eastern immigrants on April 8 at 12:30 p.m. in Room I-207 of the Student Center.
• Art instructor and former university professor Qusay Al Zubaidi will display his postmodern creations on April 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room I-207 of the Student Center. Presented by the Middle Eastern Students Club and sponsored by Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, Engagement & Equity and Associated Student Government.
• A discussion titled Arabic Culture & Arab-American Contributions to American Society is scheduled for April 11 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Room I-207 of the Student Center. Presented by Hanaa Kassas, who teaches at both Cuyamaca College and San Diego State University.
• An April 15 College Hour, Chaldean Culture & Traditions, with live music, dancing and traditional food, at 1 p.m. on the Grand Lawn. Presented by the Middle Eastern Students Club and sponsored by Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, Engagement & Equity and Associated Student Government.
• The World Languages Department presents singer Mariam Mouawad, who attended the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and now serves as an Arabic teaching assistant at San Diego State University. Mouawad will be performing April 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre.
• Khan Jghan, scheduled for April 24 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre. Khan Jghan is said to have been the first coffee house in Baghdad in the early 20th century, and it would grow into a popular local gathering place, a place that hosted a storyteller named Al-Qasakhoon, who was considered a celebrity because of his ability to entertain people for hours and guide them with words of wisdom. Khan Jghan will include musicians, storytelling, and more in a setting reminiscent of the historic coffee house. This event is presented by Aklas Sheai and is sponsored by the Middle Eastern Students Club, Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, Engagement & Equity and Associated Student Government.
• A screening of The Arab Americans on April 29 at 12:30 p.m. in the Digital Theatre. This 2017 film details the contributions made by immigrants from the Middle East, North Africa and the Arabian peninsula have made in the United States. Presented by the Middle Eastern Students Club and followed by a discussion, this event is sponsored by Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, Engagement & Equity and Associated Student Government.

The month also includes a reading from the book Orientalism by Edward Said from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday in the Student Center Quad. Leading the Heritage Book Club readings starting on April 3 is sociology instructor Rachel Jacob Almeida. In the 1978 book, the author defines Orientalism as the West's patronizing representations of the East. 

East San Diego County has the second-largest Iraqi population in the country, behind only the greater Detroit area, and Cuyamaca College has been holding special spring events celebrating Arabic culture for years. Previous celebrations included “Henna and Music” and an elaborate, five-act production of “Scheherazade: Tell Me a Story,” an original take on the Middle Eastern fable of Scheherazade and the Arabian Nights.

Margen Dishmon: Former foster youth flourishing at Grossmont College

March 26, 2019, 4:40 pm

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Margen Dishmon

The odds were stacked against Margen Dishmon. A foster youth since the grandparents who were raising her passed away when she was a young teen, Dishmon found herself being shuttled through shelters and bouncing between foster homes. It didn’t take long to fall behind in her schooling. Her plans for the future were opaque at best.

“I missed so much of my education,” Dishmon said. “It really messed me up.”

How times have changed. Now 23, Dishmon graduates in June from Grossmont College with an associate degree in business administration. She already has been accepted to Cal State San Marcos, Cal State Los Angeles and San Francisco State University, and she is waiting to hear back from San Diego State University before deciding where to secure a bachelor’s degree in finance en route to a career running an organization helping foster youth find their way.

Her achievements have left an impression on many.

“Margen grew up in foster care, and she had very little support for college,” said Brian Woolsey, a Grossmont College counselor who works closely with current and former foster youth. “She faced both housing and food insecurity while at Grossmont, but she took advantage of the resources the college has, got involved with the nonprofit Just in Time for Foster Youth and worked hard to keep herself afloat financially – and to earn the grades to get into a good university. She is an amazing example of a student who set a goal and pursued it.”

Dishmon is among 75 former foster youth enrolled in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, and she credits Grossmont College for keeping her on her path. “There are so many support services here,” she said. “You’d really have to try hard to not succeed.”

Dishmon sought help from Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS); she is active with the California Youth Connection, a program advocating for current foster youth; she is part of Guardian Scholars, an initiative providing a bevy of services to former foster youth; she attends weekly meetings of NextUp, a state-funded effort providing academic, career and personal counseling, grants, meal vouchers, transit passes and more to foster youth as they transition to independent living; and she volunteers with Just in Time for Foster Youth, which aids individuals such as Dishmon as they find their way as adults.

Dishmon’s commitment to excellence, meanwhile, has resulted in several scholarships from the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.

Her road to Grossmont had more than its share of detours. Dishmon was living with her grandparents until they both passed away when Dishmon was 13. After a brief stay with an aunt in Chico, she moved to Santa Barbara and was placed in the foster care system.

“I lived in a lot of places in Santa Barbara,” Dishmon said, rattling off the names of group homes, shelter homes, and foster families. Her foster families, however, encouraged her to go to college. And when she graduated from high school, she did just that, enrolling at Santa Barbara City College.

Dishmon wasn’t prepared and started college at the lowest levels of math and English. “This left me with doubt that I would ever finish,” Dishmon said. “I was certain that it would take me forever to graduate.”

Her path changed when she took a class in finance, a class Dishmon said was the most difficult she has ever enrolled in. She also found a subject that she loved. She soon homed in on San Diego State University as her goal, but with the competition to get accepted there as a transfer student so high, Dishmon resolved to move to San Diego and attend Grossmont College.

“Grossmont has a great track record when it comes to transferring to San Diego State, and you really have to be from a community college in San Diego to have a good chance of getting in,” Dishmon said. “So here I am.”

She has not been disappointed. “The classes here are small and the teachers are hands-on. The business program is awesome, and the business professors are amazing. A lot of them have run their own business, so their coming from a real-world perspective.”

Dishmon aspires to lead a nonprofit serving current or former foster youth, and she would especially be interested in operating one that provides access to scholarships. “Scholarship funding really helped me out as a former foster youth, and I want to give back,” Dishmon said. “I want to help others who are dealing with the same challenges I was.”

 

Grossmont College taking the lead to cut high textbook costs

April 1, 2019, 9:04 am

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Dave Dillon and librarians David Feare and Melanie Quinn.

Grossmont College Counselor and Professor Dave Dillon will pick up a national textbook excellence award in Philadelphia in June, but it is his passion for providing free textbooks to all students that gives him the greatest satisfaction.

This academic year, students at the campus are saving nearly $1.3 million, thanks to the efforts of Dillon and other faculty members supporting the college’s push to sharply reduce textbook costs.

A full-time faculty member since 2007, Dillon began exploring textbook alternatives after hearing repeated student complaints about escalating prices for books. When he noticed that students were taking fewer classes or even resorting to taking cellphone photos of pages from classmates’ books, he decided it was time to confront the issue.

By 2013, the average cost of textbooks and supplies, at $1,500, exceeded the $1,334 for tuition at Grossmont College. Dillon said the cost of textbooks rose more than 800 percent between 1978 and 2010.

“I had to ask if there is anything I can do to have an impact on students’ well-being.” Dillon said. “If students are facing the choice between buying a textbook and food, I have a lot of empathy for students who are purchasing food or making sure they have shelter over purchasing textbooks.”

The remedy is known as open educational resources, or OER, a process in which textbooks, tests, videos and other teaching tools are made available through the public domain or an open license provided by the nonprofit organization Creative Commons that permits their free use and modification.

OER has been around for years, but its use was sporadic among educators until 2016 with the launch of the California Zero Textbook Cost program. Twenty-six community colleges, including Grossmont College, were awarded grants to institute associate transfer degrees and career technical education certificates acquired entirely with free textbooks. Grossmont now offers a pathway for students to complete an associate degree for transfer in geography and in sociology with zero textbook costs.

President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh praised Dillon’s efforts to promote OER textbooks, saying that relieving students of financial burdens can make a difference in their successful completion of courses.

“We are committed to student success by reducing high textbook costs while still presenting high-quality content,” he said.

Dillon championed the adoption of alternative instructional materials at Grossmont College using the OER digital platform and the cost savings to students has been dramatic. Joined by anthropology instructor Lara Braff and librarian Nadra Farina-Hess, an OER workgroup was created.  In 2016, just six faculty members used OER, cutting textbook costs for 1,600 students. By 2018, 46 faculty had converted to OER, benefitting 8,000 students. For the current semester, there are about 100 OER instructors and 285 classes -- nearly 15 percent of the total -- identified as having no textbook costs.

The projected cost savings for students during the current academic year is an astounding $1,293,000.

Dillon concedes that certain disciplines, such as math, economics, business and the natural sciences, pose challenges to faculty for OER conversion because OER ancillaries and online homework are not as well developed.

“We are not there yet, but we’re getting there,” said Dillon, former chair of the college’s OER work group and statewide regional coordinator of the Open Educational Resources Initiative. He also serves on an OER task force of the statewide Academic Senate.

Textbooks comprise about 40 percent of the total cost of attending community colleges. Dillon said that with a major statewide survey showing homelessness and food insecurity among students as growing problems, colleges must be proactive in countering the ever-rising cost of textbooks. He said another book he wrote in 2014 initially sold for $29 with a traditional copyright and went up to $42 a year later.

Edwin Hernandez Armenta, Grossmont College’s student trustee, and Carlos Espinoza, a student government representative, are the first students selected for a new OER internship in which they advocate on students’ behalf for free textbooks. The pair also received grant funding to continue their advocacy from the non-profit Michelson 20MM Foundation, which promotes the development of free intellectual property educational materials.   Like many, they have been hard hit by textbook costs.

“It’s hard to pay for books while attending college,” Armenta said. “I’ve had to look for various resources available from EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services). Sometimes there hasn’t been enough voucher money to cover the costs.”

Espinoza said that there have been times when he’s had to share a textbook with a classmate, “or ‘I’d borrow it from the library for two or three hours to get by.”

Last June, three OER digital textbooks containing material Dillon compiled for his counseling classes were published. The texts are being used by 13 California and three community colleges in other states. One 456-page title, “Blueprint for Success in College and Career,” has been selected among 17 chosen for the Textbook Excellence Award by the national Textbook and Academic Authors Association. It is the first time an OER textbook has won.

For students who want a printed version of the book, thanks to OER, a hard copy can be purchased for less than $13 at the college bookstore and online.

In addition to the obvious cost-savings benefit, students are more successful in Dillon’s classes since free textbooks became available. Research found that the percentage of students who completed Dillon’s courses climbed from 72 percent to 91 percent compared to the years when he used traditional textbooks.

Dillon attributes the improvement to students being able to get their books on the first day, rather than the two weeks many students had waited to purchase books because of financial aid delays or add/drop deadlines.

“With statistics showing that 50-60 percent of students are not purchasing textbooks due to cost, I would expect these kinds of increases in success and retention because now all students have access to the learning material,” Dillon said. “OER solves an equity issue.”

Grossmont College student Kevin Bennett: Navy veteran committed to life of service

April 3, 2019, 8:33 am

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Kevin Bennett

Kevin Bennett has spent his entire adult life serving others. Navy veteran. Two decades as a volunteer firefighter. Now he’s  enrolled Grossmont College’s award-winning Cardiovascular Technology Program as he prepares for a career aimed at saving lives.

“It’s a great program, a great program,” said Bennett, 45. “And it’s really well put together.  I’m not going to lie to you, though. It is very rigorous, as it should be. I’m in class four days a week and I’m in labs the other day. And that doesn’t count the hours and hours of study when I get home. But the instructors are amazing and the education I’m getting is second to none.”Bennett’s road to Grossmont College has been a long one. He was born and raised in Farmington, N.M., some 40 or so miles southeast of where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet at the Four Corners area of the United States. He enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school, Bennett quipped, “because it wasn’t Farmington.”

Assigned to the amphibious assault ship Peleliu, Bennett spent four years in the service as a communications technician, including a tour off the coast of Somalia in 1994 . Later, during a freak accident while pulling a cable near the top of a boiler on the San Diego-based ship, Bennett fell backward and tore up his shoulder, an injury that led to surgery and rehabilitation, and rendered him unable to lift anything for months. 

When he left the Navy in 1996, Bennett married, bought a modest home in the San Diego desert community of Shelter Valley, went to work as an electrician and began serving as a volunteer firefighter, working his way up to chief of the Shelter Valley Volunteer Fire Department before it became part of the San Diego County Fire Department and then the California Department of Forestry. As a volunteer firefighter, he used vacation time from work to battle the deadly Cedar and Witch fires in 2003 and 2007, respectively. 

For years, he had been taking one community college class each semester, with plans to later enroll in a community college nursing program. Those plans changed after he learned about Grossmont College’s Cardiovascular Technology program and was encouraged by a program graduate to enroll. 

Launched in 1972, the Grossmont College Cardiovascular Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and it was the first accredited program of its kind in the nation. More than 2,000 students have graduated over the years and are now working at medical centers and hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente, Scripps Health, and Sharp Grossmont, in addition to doctor’s offices and clinics around the region. Virtually every student who has taken required national certification exams after they graduate have passed the tests and secured their credential.Bennett was accepted in fall 2018 after his home-schooled oldest son moved on to college. Now he makes a daily, 70-mile round-trip commute from his home in Escondido to Grossmont College.

“Kevin is committed to this program and his studies, and he’s one of those students you love to have in class because he's ‘present’ and focused,” said Program Director Liz Barrow. “He is also a great example of our adult reentry students looking to train for a new career – healthcare being an industry that appreciates what a mature person brings to the workplace.  Kevin is respectful, kind, collegial, and responsible, and I look forward to Kevin's continuing experience in the CVT program, including his first clinical assignment this summer.  His success will be hard-earned and rewarding.  And the most exciting thing is he will be entering a career that is satisfying in that there are always challenges and you get to help others.”  The curriculum is not for the lazy. The two-year program requires four regular semesters and a six-week summer session between the first and second years of study. And that doesn’t include the prerequisite courses, courses that cover chemistry, human anatomy, physiology and more.

Bennett was among the dozens of students from Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges who were honored at a recent scholarship awards ceremony organized by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.

“It may not sound like a lot, but $250 here and $500 there really helps, it really makes a difference, and we are very appreciative,” said Bennett, who was among the 15 million Americans who found themselves unemployed during the Great Recession and who has put off any unnecessary purchases while living a modest life with his wife and children. “These scholarships are helping people succeed.”

Bennett’s goal upon graduating in the summer of 2020? Working as a cardiovascular technician at an area veterans’ hospital, performing echo tests and using ultrasound to discover heart conditions and diagnose vascular problems.  “I want to be there for veterans like me, let them know that I have gone through some of the same challenges they may be going through, and make sure they understand I’m there to take care of them.”

 

 

 

 

April 19 concert at Cuyamaca College features internationally renowned chamber musicians

April 9, 2019, 1:07 pm

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Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich and pianist Orion Weiss, who is among the most sought-after soloists in his generation of young American musicians, team up for an evening of masterworks by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy and Ysaye on Friday, April 19, at Cuyamaca College’s Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre.

The 35-year-old Hadelich, who was named Instrumentalist of the Year in 2018 by Musical America, returns to the region after headlining a trio of concerts at the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in February, and he is widely considered to be one of today’s top violinists. Weiss, too, has performed with the San Diego Symphony, in addition to the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic, among other major orchestras. 

Augustin Hadelich & Orion Weiss: Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Ysaye, is the latest performance in the ongoing ECHO Chamber Music Series at Cuyamaca College. ECHO is an acronym for the East County Harmonics Organization, and the series is underwritten by Sam Ersan, a vice chairman of the San Diego Symphony Board of Directors who has helped transform the chamber music landscape in San Diego County. Ersan is a major funder of the Mainly Mozart Festival, the force behind the Sam B. Ersan Chamber Music Fund at UC San Diego and the founder of the Camera Lucida piano quartet and the Myriad Trio. 

The ECHO Chamber Music Series, launched in spring 2018, has established Cuyamaca College as the premier destination for chamber music in San Diego’s East County. 

Hadelich is the winner of a 2016 Grammy Award – “Best Classical Instrumental Solo” – for his recording of Dutilleux’s Violin Concerto, L’Arbre des songeswith the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlot (Seattle Symphony MEDIA). He has performed with every major orchestra in the U.S. as well as with a growing number of orchestras in Europe and Asia. Highlights of the 2018-2019 season include his debut with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra Munich and engagements with Belgian National Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orquesta Nacional de España, and the symphony orchestras of Bournemouth, City of Birmingham, New Zealand, São Paulo, and Singapore. Showcasing a wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire, Hadelich is consistently cited for his phenomenal technique, soulful approach, and beauty of tone.

Weiss was named the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year in 2010. His impressive list of awards includes the Gilmore Young Artist Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Gina Bachauer Scholarship at the Juilliard School and the Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship. Weiss is a 2004 graduate of the Julliard School, where he studied with Emanuel Ax, and he captured the 2005 William Petschek Recital Award at Juilliard and made his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall that April. He also made his European debut in a recital at the Musée du Louvre in Paris in 2005 and toured Israel with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman. 

The April 19 concert is the penultimate performance in the 2018-19 ECHO Chamber Music Series season. The season concludes May 22 when  Weiss accompanies Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu for an evening of Mozart piano and violin sonatas.

General admission tickets are $15 each but can be purchased in advance online for just $10 by visiting EchoChamberMusic.org. Student tickets are $5 each.

Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego, 92109.

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Grossmont College theater students taking Shakespeare on the road

April 12, 2019, 2:09 pm

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Grossmont College theater students hit the road in vintage truck.

Shakespeare from the back of a ‘70s Ford pickup?

Thanks to a generous grant from the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges, it’ll be theater on four wheels instead of theater in the round for Grossmont College Theatre Arts students who just began a monthlong tour in a borrowed vintage truck.

The truck serves as both transportation and a set for the 30-minute traveling show, a partnership between the college and the San Diego organization Write Out Loud to promote reading and to introduce theater to teens throughout the region. Ten Grossmont College students will spend their Fridays and Saturdays through April 27 rolling up in the truck at schools, libraries, bookstores and at the Shakespeare Birthday festival at the Old Globe. 


Dubbed the “Shakespeare in Exile” tour, the Theatre Arts program is working in conjunction with Write Out Loud, a project that enlists actors to give dramatic readings as part of an effort to bring back an appreciation for books. “Shakespeare in Exile” is based on Emily St. John Mandel’s award-winning novel, “Station Eleven,” which focuses on a touring theater company intent on keeping art and humanity alive by performing the works of Shakespeare in a post-apocalyptic world. The tour has included stops at Grossmont Middle College High School and Southwest High School, where students have been reading the novel as a class assignment.

Acting in a variety of locations will teach Grossmont College theater students to read different audiences and to adjust their performances to best suit the venue, said Grossmont College instructor, local actor and production director Kevin Hafso-Koppman. Hafso-Koppman also adapted the script, which focuses on banishment and stitches together scenes from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “As You Like It,” “Coriolanus,” “Richard II,” “King Lear” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” 

Symonne Still

Student Symonne Still said the outdoor performances teach actors to project their voices since they will not be using microphones and will be competing with ambient sound. 

“I am excited to be a part of this,” said Still, a Steele Canyon High School graduate who started college as a science major, but switched to Theatre Arts because of a lifelong love of theater and her desire to act. “It’s a cool way to introduce kids to Shakespeare.”

Ryan Manikowski

Fellow student Ryan Manikowski said Grossmont’s Theatre Arts program has been superb because the instructors are part of the local acting community. He was accepted out of high school into the prestigious theater program at California Institute of the Arts near Los Angeles, but left after a year because of the exorbitant tuition and not feeling connected with the instructors. 

 “Here at Grossmont, the Theatre Arts instructors take a lot of interest in all of the students and I’ve found value in that,” he said. “My goals are to continue my education and acting and eventually, teaching in a program like Grossmont’s.”

Theatre Arts instructors like Brian Rickel are always looking for opportunities for students to develop their craft and to make connections so vital in the acting profession.

“Partnering with Write Out Loud through the Foundation’s innovation grant has been a great opportunity for us to showcase our students around the entire city,” Rickel said. “The high school outreach within the tour is also terrific, since that’s been a part of our mission for many, many years.”

 “Station Eleven” is one of 35 books approved for grant funding as an NEA Big Read, an annual grant of the National Endowment for the Arts’ community reading program. Write Out Loud received a $15,000 grant to purchase books and to sponsor events such as theatrical performances, panel discussions and artistic competitions.  

With funding from the NEA, the County of San Diego and individual donors, Write Out Loud distributed 4,700 books at schools and libraries throughout the county, including those selected for the “Shakespeare in Exile” tour. According to Write Out Loud artistic director and co-founder Veronica Murphy, this marks the program’s first partnership with a community college. Grossmont College was selected because Rickel and other Grossmont College Theater Arts faculty have performed over the years for Write Out Loud.

Shakespeare in Exile Tour
April 5: 9:30 and 11:50 a.m., Grossmont Middle College High School at Grossmont College	April 13: 10 a.m., Scripps Miramar Library
April 6: 10:45 a.m., University City Library	April 20: 11:15 a.m., Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration at the Copley Plaza at the Old Globe
April 6: 12:15 p.m., Book Catapult in South Park	April 20: 1 p.m., Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Clairemont
April 12: 9:40, 10:45 and 11:50 a.m., Southwest High	April 27: 10 a.m., Mystic Mocha in Hillcrest

To help the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges continue its support of programs like this, please consider a donation. For information, go to www.foundation.gcccd.edu/how-to-donate/

Grossmont College is “Transforming Lives Through Education” and has served the diverse educational needs of San Diego’s East County since 1961. With more than 150 certificate and associate degree programs, Grossmont GrossCollege provides workforce training, career development and transferable college-level coursework to its nearly 19,000 students. For more information, visit Grossmont.edu.

Grossmont College Literary Arts Festival stacked with authors, events

April 15, 2019, 5:32 pm

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Christa Parravani closes Grossmont College's LAF on April 25.

An April 22 panel presentation by a trio of local writers on the modern era of agent-free self-publishing, and later in the evening, student readings and performances of original work kick off Grossmont College’s 23rd annual Literary Arts Festival.

The weeklong festival organized by the English Department’s Creative Writing program highlights poetry, memoirs, literature, student writings and more, and also is an opportunity to hear writers from across the country talk about their inspirations and struggles putting pen to paper.

The festival is free and open to the public and concludes April 25. All events will be held in Griffin Gate in Bldg. 60. 

“Our Literary Arts Festival offers the chance to engage living authors and literature in ways rarely made possible at a community college,” festival co-coordinator Karl Sherlock said.

• Self-published Author Panel at 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Monday, April 22, features Ronald Preston Clark, a RISE San Diego Urban Leadership fellow. Clark is the author of the coming-of-age story, “Vinnie: A Love Letter.” Grossmont College alumna Vera Sanchez is author of the memoir, “Prison Letters: Walking with Honor.” Also a product of Grossmont College’s Creative Writing program is San Diego poet Felicia Williams, author of the poetry chapbook, “Autology,” and editor of the popular local indie magazine, “Madwoman.”
• “New Voices” student reading at 7 - 8:15 p.m., Monday, April 22, that will feature exceptional creative writing students reading and performing their works.
• Author Marilyn Chin reads from her newest collection from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Tuesday, April 23. A San Diego State University professor emerita, Chin is the author of five collections of poetry on themes of Asian-American feminism and bicultural identity.
• Russian-born poet Ilya Kaminsky, who is deaf, reads from his new collection, “Deaf Republic,” with poems awarded the coveted Pushcart Prize, from 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, April 23.
• Third Annual Student Poetry Slam Competition hosted by local writer, musician, DJ and performance poet Gill Sotu at 2 - 3:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 24. Grossmont College student poets will compete for the bragging rights of being crowned Grand Slam champions. 
• Author and advocacy journalist John Gibler reads from his fourth creative non-fiction title, “Torn from the World: A Guerilla’s Escape from a Secret Prison in Mexico,” from 7-8:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 24. Writing and living in Mexico, Gibler’s works have been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and the New Yorker. Gibler’s narrative-based writing humanizes the Mexican struggle on many levels. This event is made possible by a grant from the World Arts and Cultures Committee of Grossmont College. 
• “Why Literature Matters” student/faculty panel at 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Thursday, April 25, where students and faculty will discuss the potential of literature to inspire change and cultivate humanity.
• Authors Anthony Swofford and Christa Parravani and 2019 Student Writing Contest Awards at 7 - 9 p.m., Thursday, April 25, are the finale events for the 23rd Annual Literary Arts Festival. Swofford is the author of the 2004 bestseller, “Jarhead,” which was adapted to a hit film in 2005 by director Sam Mendes. He is joined at the reading by his wife, Christa Parravani, an internationally exhibited photographer whose title, “Her: A Memoir,” is a raw and captivating account of her identical twin’s rape and subsequent death from a drug overdose. Before the readings, the winning entries of the Student Writing Contest will be recognized and the first-place prize winner will read from the winning manuscript.

Since 1996, the Literary Arts Festival has brought a diverse range of established and respected writers to Grossmont College. In addition to providing the East County community with the experience of meeting and listening to nationally renowned authors, it also provides creative writing students an opportunity to showcase their work. More information is available online about the Literary Arts Festival.

Grossmont College is “Transforming Lives Through Education” and has served the diverse educational needs of San Diego’s East County since 1961. With more than 150 certificate and associate degree programs, Grossmont College provides workforce training, career development and transferable college-level coursework to its nearly 19,000 students. For more information, visit www.Grossmont.edu

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Music Talents on Stage May 4 at Cuyamaca College's Coyote Music Festival

April 16, 2019, 1:18 pm

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A performer at the 2018 Coyote Music Festival

Some of the region’s top young musical talents converge May 4 at Cuyamaca College when the 11th Annual Coyote Music Festival returns to the Rancho San Diego campus’s Grand Lawn.
 The free family-friendly festival features groups with styles ranging from dream pop to alternative folk and R&B playing on two stages from noon to 4 p.m. Food trucks and vendors will be on hand, too.
 The entirely student-run event culminates a semester-long Music Industry Seminar class that covers everything involved in staging a music festival, including marketing, promotions, production, booking, staging and sound engineering.
 “We’re giving our students real-world experience in producing a music festival that promotes local artists while also bringing the community together,” said marketing instructor Annie Zuckerman, who noted that Cuyamaca College is the only community college in the county offering a transfer program that combines music with marketing and production.

Here is the schedule and the performers:

•  Eight West started garage-jamming in 2018 and consists of: Derek Bertram, bass; Blake Bixel, guitar/vocals; Tomis James, guitar/vocals; Kevin Egan, keys; and Cody Rex, drums. They share common goals of creating catchy tunes and playing hip-shaking grooves while paying homage to rhythm and blues, funk, psychedelic rock and hip hop. Eight West takes the stage at noon.
• Junipero, a Tijuana-based, dream pop duo featuring Janelle Saucedo and Joan on both the guitar and vocals. This duo, which got together in 2017 and played at last year’s Coyote Music Festival, recently performed in Mexico City and the nearby cities of Pueblo and Pachuca. Junipero takes the stage at 12:40 p.m.
• Alex Lievanos, who grew up in Spring Valley and released is debut EP “Nights Like These” as a teen. The multi-instrumentalist’s started playing piano when he was 3, and his single, “Living in Wonder,” has earned praise for his composition, vocal technique and mixing. His style includes both indie pop and surf rock, and venues at which he has performed include the Berklee Performance Center at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Alex Lievanos takes the stage at 1:20 p.m.
• Kahlil Nash, a product of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts whose versatile style includes funk, rock and R&B. Nash has performed at a vast array of prominent venues and events, including a two-year residency at the Hard Rock Café in San Diego and shows at the House of Blues. Kahlil Nash takes the stage at 2:40 p.m.
• BJ Jezbera, a singer/songwriter from Chula Vista whose diverse influences from alternate styles has led to catchy pop-punk, alternative-folk tunes such as “Red Cups” and “Homesick.” Jezbera is an artist on San Diego label Mannequin Vanity Records. Jezbera has performed at the San Diego County Fair, SD Gypsyfest and the Arte Pad Festival, among other venues. BJ Jezbera takes the stage at 2 p.m.
• Dan DiMonte Trio, led by Chicago native Dan DiMonte, who enjoys a dual career as a performing artist and a traveling nurse. Over the past several years, DiMonte has worked at hospitals in four states and released five albums on his indie label, “Funky Night Nurse Sounds and Sights.” DiMonte is an exceptionally talented musician who plays trumpet, guitar, keyboards, bass and percussion and he and his trio recently played several dates in Arizona. The Dan DiMonte Trio takes the stage at 3:20 p.m.

“I think it’s really cool that the college has a business and promotions aspect to its music program, and I want to do everything I can to support that program and help people who are interested in getting the experience needed to get into this kind of business,” said DiMonte, whose trio recently completed a cross-country tour.
 Lievanos, who earned an associate degree in music industry studies from Cuyamaca College last fall and who played at the 2018 Coyote Music Festival, said he’s looking forward to this year’s event. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “The entire festival is run by students, they do a great job of marketing, they have all the gear set up and ready for, and there’s usually a lot of people going to the show, so it’s a great community event.”
 Parking is free. Festival goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
 “I’m looking forward to having a good time and helping to create a great experience for everyone involved,” said musician Khalil Nash.
 Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego, 92019.

College district wins multiple statewide PR awards

April 17, 2019, 4:06 pm

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The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District received six 2019 PRO Awards Thursday from the Community College Public Relations Organization, a professional development organization that seeks to promote excellence in California's community college public relations and related professions. 

Each year, CCPRO recognizes the marketing and communications efforts of the 115 California community colleges with the PRO awards. This year, almost 350 entries were submitted from across the state.

The college district’s awards presented at CCPRO’s annual conference held this year in San Diego were:

•   First place for 2017-2018 Annual Report, Division A. “Two Colleges, One Community” is a 28-page report to the community highlighting the August 2017-June 2018 year at the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. 
• First place for Brochure Series, Division A: “Career Education at Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges” was series of brochures profiling career technical programs at the two colleges.
• First place for News Release: “Grossmont College broadcast student wins international award for radio documentary on disabled veterans.” This year marked the fourth time in five years that the college district won first place for news releases.
• Second place for News Release: “Grossmont College Police Academy cadet seeks to become rookie cop at age 73.” 
• Second place Charles Cropsey Photography Award: “Breaking Boundaries” reflected the drama and grace of students performing in Grossmont College’s annual dance concert. 
• Third place Charles Cropsey Photography Award: The camaraderie of a group of students at Grossmont College was captured during a candid moment. 

Benjamin Hart: Overcoming homelessness to shine at Cuyamaca College

April 23, 2019, 2:26 pm

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Benjamin Hart

Benjamin Hart has a grade point average pushing 4.0, is on the Cuyamaca College Vice President’s List, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and was recently named to the All-California Community College Academic Team as among the top students in the state. Now, Hart has his sights set on transferring to UC San Diego, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and opening his own business.

It has been, Hart says, a stunning turnaround for someone who spent more than a decade living on the streets as part of San Diego’s homeless population.

“I’m a pretty determined person,” said Hart, 34. “If you put one foot in front of the other in the right direction, eventually you’re going to get to where you want to go.”

Hart embodies how Cuyamaca College can help students transform their lives and create a future secure for themselves and their families."Ben has overcome major life and death obstacles that many of us can relate to and struggle with,” said Cindy Morrin, an associate professor of counseling and Phi Theta Kappa advisor. “His story is an example for everyone.”

Hart said he never gave going to college a thought in his younger days, dropping out of Mission Bay High School and leaving to live with his father in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned his GED but accomplished little else. 

Drugs and alcohol were a bigger priority. Several years later and tired of Texas, Hart returned to San Diego and found himself living in an alley behind a gas station in Normal Heights, digging for food in trash cans, spending on alcohol whatever earnings he made moving furniture. 

Hitting bottom, Hart checked into a detox program and spent a year in a residential treatment facility. Finally sober, his life was turning around. He found a job with the Alpha Project serving the homeless in San Diego. Before long, he had worked his way into being a case manager. Working with another nonprofit, People Assisting The Homeless (PATH), Hart connected the chronically homeless to services aimed at keeping them off the street and maintaining sobriety.

He moved on after realizing there was little room for advancement because he lacked a formal education. His journey changed course while working as a service writer assistant at a Normal Heights auto shop. The shop’s owner encouraged Hart to  enroll in Cuyamaca College’s automotive technology program, a program the owner, Mike Magers, had completed some 30 years prior.

Hart dove in. During his first semester in fall 2017, he enrolled in 16 units while working more than 50 hours each week to support his wife and their then three – now four – children. 

Hart was driven.

“If you’re looking for an automotive technology program, you can’t go wrong by coming to Cuyamaca College,” he said. “They have great teachers and super intelligent people. I have yet to have a bad experience.”

Indeed, with just one year of automotive technology classes under his belt, Hart was hired as a full-time automotive technician. Before long, he was offered an even better job just blocks from Cuyamaca College. Meanwhile, he has acquired two Automotive Service Excellence certifications, and he plans to obtain his Master Technician status in the near future. 

Along the way, he hooked up with Phi Theta Kappa. Hart is on track to graduate with an associate degree in automotive technology in 2020 and is looking to own and operate his own automotive repair business while earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. 

The secret to his success? “It’s simple,” Hart said. “All you have to do is show up, go to class, listen to the teacher, do the work, and read the material. I mean, that’s pretty much it. They’re giving it all to you. You just have to be willing to take it.”