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Regina White: Finding a career saving lives thanks to Grossmont College

July 15, 2019, 7:30 am
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Regina White was tired of struggling to make ends meet waiting tables and working in low-wage sales jobs. So she came to Grossmont College to find a new career.

Regina White
Good thing. Thanks to Grossmont’s Cardiovascular Technology program, Garcia is flourishing as a cardiovascular tech at the Balboa Naval Center’s cardiac catherization lab. 

“Being a CV tech is one of those careers that flies under the radar when looking at the medical field, but it’s fascinating work and it pays very good money,” White said. “And when it comes to training CV techs, Grossmont College is the gold standard.”

In fact, Grossmont College has graduated more than 2,000 cardiovascular technologists since launching its program in 1972. The passing rate for graduates who take a credentialing exam is 100 percent, and close to 90 percent of students in recent years are working in a field that –  according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics – pays an average wage of more than $72,000 annually in San Diego County.

White initially enrolled in the Telemetry/Electrocardiographic Technician program when she came to Grossmont College in fall 2013 shortly before turning 44 years old. Her plans changed when an instructor screened a video of a patient undergoing a cardiac catheterization.  “I was mesmerized by what this one guy in scrubs was doing and I kept asking the instructor about it. He said it was a cardiovascular tech. I was like, ‘that’s what I want to do.’”

Cardiovascular technologists work side by side with physicians in performing tests to diagnose and treat patients with cardiovascular disease. The profession comprises three basic areas of expertise: invasive cardiology, noninvasive cardiology, and vascular cardiology. After completing her year-long Telemetry/Electrocardiographic curriculum, White enrolled in the two-year Cardiovascular Technology program. Because she was a credentialed telemetry tech, she worked full time on the weekends, a job that exposed her regularly to what cardiovascular technologists did.

White graduated with an associate degree in 2016 in cardiovascular technology. She embarked on her new career almost immediately, first working in the open-heart operating room at Grossmont Hospital for a year before moving to Paradise Valley Hospital and then the Naval hospital in Balboa Park, where she has been since 2018. 

She’s also been a part-time instructor in the telemetry program at Grossmont since 2018.

“I work two jobs, I love them both, and I have them both because of Grossmont College,” White said.

 
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Grossmont College rolling out mobile learning lab

July 22, 2019, 3:51 pm
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Four East County students chosen as ambassadors for statewide community college wellness program

July 30, 2019, 1:03 pm
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Four students from Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are among 20 from community colleges across the state selected for the California Community Colleges Student Wellness Ambassador Program for the 2019-2020 academic school year. 
Grossmont College's Helena Ayersman

Helena Ayersman and Jordan Arechiga from Grossmont College and Hiba Jbouri and Warren Preston from Cuyamaca College will be heading next month to Sacramento for training on mental health and wellness issues to serve as advocates and to provide peer outreach at their colleges. They were selected from about 250 applicants. 

The function of the ambassadors is to connect students with resources and support, raise mental health awareness and help reduce the stigma. Under the guidance of a faculty adviser on campus, the ambassadors will also plan health and wellness events or activities. In addition to two days of training in Sacramento and online training throughout the year, the student ambassadors will receive a $1,000 stipend for their service. 


“I am so excited to have been chosen,” said Ayersman, who is pursuing a degree in child development.
Helena Ayersman at Grossmont's Health Services office.

 She graduated in the spring with a degree in sociology and was set to transfer to a university out of state, but upon learning she had been selected as a student wellness ambassador, she decided to stay at Grossmont and seek another associate degree.

“This student ambassador position will open more doors for me in the future,” she said. “It will be a great learning experience.”

The California Community Colleges Student Wellness Ambassador Program is a component of the California Community Colleges Health & Wellness program launched in 2011 as one of several prevention and early intervention initiatives funded by the voter-approved Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act. The newest crop of student ambassadors represent the second cohort of students participating in the project.
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Juan Soto: An opportunity provided by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise

August 7, 2019, 12:42 pm
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The Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise offers free tuition to first-time students attending college full-time. For many students, the Promise offered them a path to college. Here is the story of one Promise student. 


Juan Soto
A student at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, Juan Soto dreams of transferring to a University of California or California State University campus, earning a bachelor’s degree in music theory and launching a career as an educator working with public schools to develop strong music programs. 

Those dreams would be dead if it weren’t for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca College Promise, a program providing a free year of tuition for first-time, full-time students at either college. 

“It would have been hard going to college without the Promise,” Soto said. “Even if I would have been able to go, I would have been taking cell phone pictures of the pages in a textbook, because I wouldn’t be able to afford them.” 

Instead, Soto is the first in his family to go to college.  A percussionist who also plays the keyboards, Soto is well on his way toward reaching his dream; he performs with the Cuyamaca College Concert Band and has immersed himself in music theory and more. 

“The music programs at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca are great,” he said. “And the people are here to help you.” 

One of four children, Soto is living with his single mom who works a pair of low-paying jobs to make ends meet. When he heard about the Promise while attending Monte Vista High School, Soto said it made the decision to attend college a big ‘no-duh’ and eliminated the need of having to work full time, which would have diverted from his studies. 

“The Promise gave me an opportunity - an opportunity to go to college,” Soto said.
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Cuyamaca College receives national recognition for developmental education reforms

August 8, 2019, 4:14 pm
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Cuyamaca College Math Instructor Terrie Nichols
 works with students. 
Cuyamaca College’s efforts to transform the way that students are taught math, English and English as a Second Language have been recognized by a national organization that promotes Latino success in higher education. 

The Rancho San Diego college was the only California community college selected as a finalist for the 2019 Examples of Excelencia, a national recognition for programs advancing opportunity for Latinx students in higher education. 

Sixteen finalists were selected from a field of more than 166 nominated programs from 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Winners in four categories will be selected by Excelencia in Education at their annual Celebración de Excelencia event on October 24 in Washington, DC. 

“Cuyamaca College opened the door to education’s promise for all students – including disproportionately impacted Latinx students,” said Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes.


Cuyamaca College was the first community college in California to scale its developmental reform efforts. The college eliminated remedial courses in math, English, and English as a Second Language, adopted changes to course placement policies, and provided support to students who needed it when placed into a transfer-level course. 

As a result of those steps, Latinx students increased successful completion of transfer-level English from 38% to 66%, and in transfer-level math from 15% to 65%. Completion rates in math for all first-time students increased from 23% to 67%, and in English from 38% to 79%.

This is the second award that Cuyamaca College’s innovative effort has received. In July 2018, Cuyamaca College was one of two California community colleges to receive the Dr. John W. Rice Diversity & Equity Award. The award, given by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, honors community colleges that have made the greatest contribution toward student, faculty or staff diversity and equity. 

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Ornamental Horticulture renovation project to break ground

August 12, 2019, 8:00 am
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Orrnamental Horticulture Bldg. M renovation
A groundbreaking to be held Aug. 22 marks the start of a $16.7 million project that will renovate indoor and outdoor classrooms and facilities, and add new greenhouses for Cuyamaca College’s signature Ornamental Horticulture program.
The groundbreaking ceremony is set for 9 a.m. at the college’s Building M site. To attend, RSVP to community.cuyamaca@gcccd.edu . 
An outmoded greenhouse will be replaced.
“This Proposition V-funded project is a milestone for the campus because of the significance of the program and its link to the history of Cuyamaca College,” President Julianna Barnes said in reference to the $398 million construction bond measure passed by East County voters in 2012 to improve and add facilities at Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges.  “Ornamental Horticulture has a storied past at our college and it is long overdue for a renovation. With the modernizing of facilities and the new greenhouses in particular, students have a lot to be excited about.” 




Renderings of two new greenhouses for the OH program.
As one of the original programs started at Cuyamaca College in 1980, Ornamental Horticulture is a cornerstone program that’s produced thousands of graduates who have gone on to jobs such as landscape architects, turf managers, and even a host of TV landscaping shows – Sara Bendrick of  two TV DIY network series, “I Hate my Yard,” and “Lawn & Order.”
The two-year program offers nine degrees and certificates in arboriculture, floral design, golf course and sports turf management; irrigation technology; landscape design; landscape technology; nursery technology;  sustainable urban landscapes; and basic ornamental horticulture.
With the renovation slated for completion in fall 2020, the program’s students will see updated facilities, well-equipped greenhouses, an outdoor instructional area, expanded retail space and much-needed storage space. About 10,000 square feet of usable space will be added with the renovation.
 The project includes gutting and renovating Building M to accommodate a design lab, a wet lab and lab prep room on one end and a classroom on the other. Two new greenhouses will replace an aging, smaller one. A separate retail shop will be added and equipped with a cooler large enough to store flowers and delicate arrangements created in the floral design program.
Renovating the aging facility will mean major upgrades to the program, program coordinator Leah Rottke said.
“The main advantage of the renovation is that we will be able to provide students an experience that closely reflects the industry,” Rottke said.
A retail nursery helps raise funds for the OH program.
Rottke noted that the existing greenhouse is outmoded and has an east to west orientation instead of north to south to benefit most from the sun’s exposure. The new greenhouses will have environmental control features to improve plant life and an irrigation system connected to a central computer that will more accurately measure water usage and forecast needs.
“We are a career technical education discipline and we strive to help students get jobs, so it is very important that we are able to replicate what’s currently used in industry,” she said.
Rottke said the new greenhouses and retail space will be a big boost to the program’s retail nursery.  Proceeds from nursery sales fund scholarships and pay for class trips outside of the region such as the Huntington Botanical Garden and Living Desert Gardens in Palm Desert.
The program makes about 25% of its annual plant sales at the popular Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival, now in its 27th year. About 30,000 plants, including vegetables, herbs, California native plants, a vast array of annuals and perennial flowering plants, as well as trees and shrubs, are sold annually.
The program will also be able to bring back its poinsettia sales, thanks to the new greenhouses. The sales were halted two years ago because the program lacked the space to grow the holiday perennial.
Other Prop V projects
In addition to the Ornamental Horticulture Complex and Building M Renovation, Cuyamaca College’s other major Prop V projects include a Student Services and Administration Building and improvements to the Student Center and Veteran Services Center. Major projects for Grossmont College include a Performing and Visual Arts Center, scheduled to be completed this fall, and a Science, Math and Career Tech Complex.
Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92019.
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Grossmont College Theatre Arts launches 2019-20 season

August 30, 2019, 9:21 am
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Tony Award-winning Clybourne Park, the Clifford Odets classic Golden Boy and the first full-length play written by actor/comedian/musician Steve Martin – Picasso at the Lapin Agile– are among the productions set for the 2019-20 Stagehouse Theatre season at Grossmont College.

  The new season opens Oct. 3 with Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. 
“The Grossmont College Theatre Arts Program is among the leading programs of its kind in the region, and a lot of time, energy and dedication is going into making the upcoming season among the most entertaining ever,” said Theatre Arts Department Chair Beth Duggan. 
          On this year’s calendar are: 

Picasso at the Lapin Agile
By Steve Martin. Directed by Beth Dugan.
Oct. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.
The year is 1904. Albert Einstein, a 25-year-old patent clerk, waits for his date at the Lapin Agile, a Parisian watering hole, when 23-year-old Pablo Picasso drops in to meet a recent conquest who is hoping for a return engagement. Einstein is a year away from transforming physics with his theory of relativity and Picasso will soon set the art world afire with Cubism. But at this moment, they are drawn to each other by a mutual sense of self confidence and curiosity. Kept company over the course of their evening by an amusingly incontinent barfly, a gullible yet lovable bartender, a wise waitress, and a surprise visitor from beyond, the two geniuses’ conversation bounces like excited molecules and sweeps like bold brush strokes over art, science, love, existence, and the unknown. A witty and absurdist comedy from comic virtuoso Steve Martin, Picasso at the Lapin Agile tackles big ideas with an imagined meeting of two creative minds on the cusp of greatness.  

Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King
By Elizabeth Wong. Directed by Brian Rickel.
Oct. 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
Based on the beloved and enduring Chinese folk tale of Sun Wukong, Elizabeth Wong spins a marvelous tale of the mischievous superhero, the Monkey King. Imagination is the center of this modern adaptation in which our hero is kicked out of school, does battle with one-horned ogre and can somersault on the future on his many adventures. Filled with hip-hop, a bit of Chinese Opera, dancing, battles and heroic adventure, The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King highlights the importance of leadership, responsibility and forgiveness. 

Eurydice 
By Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Matt Thompson.
Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m.
Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of her heroine, Eurydice. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice journeys to the underworld, where she reunites with her father, the Lord of Death, and struggles to hold onto the fading memory of her lost love in the world above. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice is a fresh and touching interpretation of one of humanity's timeless love stories.  

Inside the Actor’s Process: Love Scenes
Coordinated by Ben Cole.
Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
In a world that feels saturated with negativity, a showcase of the best parts of life is long overdue, even if sometimes the characters in these love stories betray mixed motives, less-than-stellar ideals, and imperfect behavior. This behind-the-scenes look at how the theatrical artist engages with love stories includes vignettes featuring contemporary lovers, classic lovers, and everything in-between. What makes love scenes so magnetic? The times may change, but more than anything else, our need to find someone to connect with never does. 

Clybourne Park
By Bruce Norris. Directed by Jeannette Thomas
March 12, 13, 14, 19,20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m.; March 14 and 21 at 2 p.m.
Spanning 50 years, this insightful, satirical drama from playwright Bruce Norris is a witty exploration of race relations, the ‘ownership’ of neighborhoods and the breakdown of communication in American society. Borrowing a character from Lorraine Hansberry's classic play A Raisin in the Sun, the play opens in 1959 with Bev and Russ selling their house to the first African-American family in the neighborhood, causing discomfort among some of their white neighbors. Act Two turns the tables by jumping to 2009, where the same house is now being purchased by a white couple who, oblivious to the wishes of their African-American neighbors, plan to tear it down and rebuild it. Winner of both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Clybourne Park holds the mirror up to nature and, as the best plays often do, challenges who we are at our core. 

Golden Boy
By Clifford Odets. Directed by Brian Rickel.
May 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.; May 16 and 23 at 2 p.m.
Golden Boy tells the story of a young man named Joe, whose cockeyed notions of the world cause society to laugh at him. A musician at heart, he longs for success in another way. Discovering his talent as a prizefighter, Joe excels at a career that threatens his love for music, and ultimately his life. But when a terrible tragedy unfolds during his final fight, Joe's spirit is crushed and the money and fame he has acquired soon mean nothing to him. Not even those who give him courage to face defeat can lift this young man out of his despair. Will love be enough to save him? Even that is uncertain.Considered Clifford Odets’ preeminent theatrical endeavor, Golden Boy proves itself at turns shocking, funny, tragic, and breathtaking, truly earning its praise as a classic of American theater. 

          The Stagehouse Theatre at Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon, 92020. Season and individual tickets are on sale now. A $50 season ticket package includes all six productions, priority seating, free parking and lost ticket insurance. Individual tickets range $10 - $15 per production. 

          For those wishing to purchase tickets in person, construction of the new performing and visual arts center is taking place adjacent to the Stagehouse Theatre; that has resulted in the Theatre Arts Department office moving to a portable building (22-A) at the southeast corner of Lot 1. 

          For information on tickets, please visit www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure or call (619) 644-7267 or (619) 644-7234.



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Cuyamaca College ECHO Chamber Music Series features top musicians

September 3, 2019, 9:00 am
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The ECHO Chamber Music Series, now in its third year, is taking its 2019-2020 season at Cuyamaca College’s Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Theatre to new heights with 14 concerts featuring performers such as Jason Vieaux, Bach Collegium, the Dalí Quartet, and members of the San Diego Symphony and other internationally acclaimed musicians who have performed across the globe.


The season kicks off Sept. 28,with members of the San Diego Symphony performing works from the Elbe to the Moldau. The concert will feature San Diego Symphony principal oboist Sarah Skuster; the Symphony’s English horn player Andrea Overturf; Symphony bassoonist Ryan Simmons; Symphony violinist Julia Pautz; Symphony’s principal bassist Jeremy Kurtz-Harris; Symphony violist Ethan Pernela; and UC San Diego lecturer and harpsichordist extraordinaire Takae Ohnishi.

The ECHO Chamber Music Series (ECHO is an acronym for East County Harmonics Organization) 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 classical musical organizations, including the San Diego Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, The Colburn School, the Philharmonic Society and Mainly Mozart. Ersan also is the founder of the Camera Lucida piano quartet and the Myriad Trio, both of whom will perform this season.

 The Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre, named in honor of Samuel M. Ciccati, former president, philanthropist and generous supporter of Cuyamaca College, is the only music venue in East County appropriately designed for musical performances of this caliber. Each year, Cuyamaca College presents concerts in a variety of genres that are open to the public for a nominal ticket price as part of a commitment to serving the East County community.

“Rarely will you find a concert series of this magnitude and star power anywhere but a leading concert hall, let alone a community college,” said Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes. “We are honored to present among the finest lineups of chamber music in San Diego County and we are grateful to Mr. Ersan for his generous and continuing support.”
 All performances will be held at the Samuel. Ciccati Theatre at Cuyamaca College at 7:30 p.m. Among them:
  • Oct. 11 -- The Bach Collegium San Diego opens its season at the Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Theatre Oct. 11 performing “Café Zimmerman.” The name is drawn from the historic Café Zimmerman in Leipzig, Germany, where members of Bach’s orchestra spent time and found inspiration.  Performing one cantata (soprano Clara Rottsolk), and four Brandenberg Concertos, featuring at least six members of the Bach Collegium.
  • Nov. 7 -- Paris-based Modigliani Quartet will perform works by Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms. The group comprises Amaury Coeytaux, who plays a 1773 violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini; Loic Rio, who plays a 1780 Guadagnini violin; P Laurent Marfaing, who plays a 1660 viola by Luigi Mariani; and Francois Kieffer, who plays a 1706 cello by Matteo Goffriller.
  • Nov. 20 -- The Horszowski Trio, which includes Grammy-nominated violinist Jesse Mills, cellist Raman Ramakrishnan and pianist Rieko Aizawa, performs works by Antonin Dvorak, Elliott Carter and Dmitri Shostakovich.
  • Dec. 8 -- Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux, described by NPR as perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation, performs in a program title “From Spain to the New World” and includes pieces such as Sonata in A Major by Domenico Scarlatti, Variations on a Theme of Handel, Op. 107, by Mauro Giuliani, and In a Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington.
  • Jan. 15, 2020 -- The Dalí Quartet – with Venezuelan violist Adriana Linares, first violinist Domenic Salerni, violinist Carlos Rubio and cellist Jesus A. Morales Matos – brings its signature mix of Latin American, classical and Romantic repertoire for a concert named “From Barcelona to Vienna.” Selections include pieces by Beethoven, Giacomo Puccini and Hugo Phillip Jacob Wolf.
  • Feb. 11, 2020 -- “Colburn Onstage: Young Artists from the Colburn School” is a performance from students of The Colburn School, originally established as a preparatory arm of the USC Thornton School of Music. The program includes works by Beethoven, Giovanni Bottesini and Antonin Dvorak.
  • Feb. 24, 2020 -- Reiko Uchida and Che-Yen Chen perform works by Mozart and  Rachmaninoff. Uchida is a pianist who has performed extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician throughout the United States; violist Che-Yen Chen is a founding member of the Formosa Quartet and first-prize winner of the 2006 London International String Quartet Competition.
  • Mar. 13, 2020 -- “The Clarinet Through Time: Sheryl & Frank Renk and Friends” features San Diego Symphony Principal Clarinetist Sheryl Renk, San Diego Chamber Orchestra Principal Clarinetist (and San Diego Symphony clarinetist) Frank Renk, San Diego Symphony Viola Principal Chair Chi-Yuan Chen, and pianist Tina Chong performing pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, and Franz Krommer.
  • April 7, 2020 -- The Great Wall Quartet featuring violinist Wei Lu; violinist Qi Zhou; violist Chi-Yuan Chen, who holds the Karen and Warren Kessler Chair as Principal Viola of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra; and Cellist Yao Zhao’s, tenured Principal Cello for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, perform  with Jessie Chang“From Vienna to Paris” featuring works by Beethoven and Ernest Chausson.
  • April 23, 2020 -- Pianist Orion Weiss and violinist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu return to the ECHO Chamber Music Series for a program titled “Mozart: Volume III” featuring a selection of Mozart sonatas for piano and violin.
  • May 5, 2020 -- San Diego Symphony violinist Julia Pautz and cellist Xian Zhuo of the San Diego Symphony will be joined by pianist Tina Chong to perform works by Mozart, Beethoven and Frederick Chopin.
  • May 19, 2020 -- Camera Lucida takes the stage for a concert titled “Debussy, Mendelssohn, Beethoven.” Camera Lucida includes cellist Charles Curtis, Che-Yen Chen of the Formosa Quartet, San Diego Symphony violinist Jeff Thayer, pianist Reiko Uchida, and clarinetist Anthony McGill.
  • Jun. 4, 2020 -- The season concludes with the Myriad Trio, performing an encore of “A Paris Postcard.” The trio’s award-winning musicians include Che-Yen Chen, a professor of viola at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music; Demarre McGill, principal flutist at the Seattle Symphony; and Julie Smith Phillips, principal harpist at the San Diego Symphony.
More information about each concert can be found and tickets can be purchased at EchoChamberMusic.org, or by calling (619) 660-4288. 


Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in the Rancho San Diego community of El Cajon, 92109.

         


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Public invited to accreditation open forums to be held at Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges

September 11, 2019, 8:21 am
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The community is invited to attend open forums being held October 1 and 2 at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges to learn more about the administration of the colleges, the programs and goals of the respective schools, and to provide feedback about the needs of the community.

At Grossmont College, the forums will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1 and from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2. Both forums will be held in the 2nd floor lobby of Building 34, the Health and Sciences Center.

At Cuyamaca College, the forums will be held from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1 and on Wednesday, October 2 from 11 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will be held in I-207 on the second floor of the Student Center.

The forums are being held as part of site visits September 30 through October 3 by a team of peers who will make a recommendation to the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) on reaffirmation of the colleges’ accreditation. The commission is expected to determine the colleges’ reaccreditation at its January meeting.

“The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board and administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community supporters at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have worked hard to ensure that the colleges are maximizing opportunities for all of our students to be successful in achieving their academic and personal goals,” said District Chancellor Cindy L. Miles. “We are proud of the colleges and the work that is being done to continuously improve and meet the ACCJC standards of good practice.”

The purpose of accreditation is to assure students and the community that institutions of higher education maintain a high level of quality and support continuous improvement. In order to be accredited, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges participate in a multi-tiered process designed to help the colleges assess and improve their overall effectiveness. As accredited institutions, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are able to administer federal financial aid programs and credits earned at the colleges can be transferred to other institutions of higher education.

Grossmont College’s institutional self-evaluation report and Cuyamaca College’s institutional self-evaluation report are available for review on the college websites.


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Grossmont College student Caitlin Radigan is overcoming the odds

September 13, 2019, 4:33 pm
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Caitlin Radigan 

Caitlin Radigan has overcome the kind of challenges she wouldn’t wish on anybody. An adolescence lost to drug abuse. Eight-hundred and ninety-one days in Juvenile Hall. Sexual assault as a young child. Foster care and group homes.

But the 26-year-old single mother has persevered. She is on track to graduate from Grossmont College in the spring of 2020 with an associate degree for transfer in business administration and plans to enroll at San Diego State University next fall.She was awarded the Albert and June Van Zanten Foster Youth Scholarship for fall 2019 by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. 

Radigan credits Grossmont College’s bevy of support with helping her reach her goals.

“No matter what your situation, whether you’re a parent, low-income or don’t know what you want to do, you will be provided with a team of people who will get you to where you need to go,” Radigan said. “Grossmont College will make it happen.”

Those Radigan has come into contact with at Grossmont College are just as impressed with her.

“Caitlin is a positive, motivated, determined and resilient young woman who has demonstrated this through her academic perseverance and as a single mother,” said Counselor Maite Valladolid-Guzman. “She also has a beautiful 2-year-old daughter who she brings into our appointments and workshops periodically. They truly brighten up our office every time they come and visit us.”

Born in San Diego and now residing in Spring Valley, Radigan lived a vagabond’s life as a child, attending eight elementary schools. “I grew up all over the western United States,” she said. “Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, California. It was a very unstable upbringing. I wouldn’t even be able to able to say ‘goodbye’ to my friends. I’d come home from school and see all our stuff packed up and my mom would say, ‘OK, we’re moving.’”

A one-time pupil in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program in San Diego, Radigan dropped out of school in the eighth grade after she began hanging out with people who were more interested in feeding their desires. Over time, she was sent to live in group homes. She became addicted to drugs. “There was a time when I believed my life was a purposeless mistake,” she said.

Her future began to turn while she was incarcerated as a teen. Sitting in Juvenile Hall with nothing but time on her hands, Radigan studied for and passed her GED exam, then enrolled in a pair of online Cuyamaca College courses. After she was released from custody, Radigan took a class at Grossmont College, but soon fell back into her old habits.

“It wasn’t until I was pregnant with my now 2-year-old that I decided to come back to school and change my life,” Radigan said.

That was in 2017. Radigan was 24 years old and determined. Raising an infant daughter by herself, Radigan enrolled at Grossmont College, and to her surprise did well on a placement test. Almost as soon as she set on campus, she had found a system of support that had eluded her in the past - from the classified professionals who helped her fill out her financial aid form to the student hourly who took her on a tour of the college to the counselors who arranged for her to receive free meal tickets.

Radigan started by taking two online classes in each of her first two semesters, but she now goes to school full time, works full time caring for disabled veterans, and is raising her daughter as a single parent. She also surfs when she can. Her commitment and academic achievement – she’s a solid “B” student – has secured scholarships from The Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges and Soroptimist International.

“Summer, fall, intersession, spring, I haven’t missed a semester since I got here,” Radigan said.

Her future plans?

“The future is uncertain for me as far as what I want to do for a career,” Radigan said. “But what I do know is I want to stay in school as long as I can. If that leads to a Ph.D., I’d love to do that. Being in college has brought me great joy and satisfaction. Education is the way that I am changing my life from where it was to being a better, more responsible citizen and being an example for my daughter.”

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Top faculty lauded at Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges

September 23, 2019, 4:03 pm
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Irene Palacios received Grossmont College's faculty award.
From the cotton fields of Arizona to a boyhood spent in Uganda, the four Grossmont and Cuyamaca College instructors honored by their colleagues this fall traversed unpredictable paths leading them to the two East County colleges.

What the honorees have in common is their exemplary service and contributions to the colleges, where each was introduced at convocation as the year’s standout faculty. Grossmont College math instructor Irene Palacios was lauded with the full-time Distinguished Faculty Award, and Computer Science and Information Systems instructor Julie Hansen was selected as the adjunct winner of the same award. At Cuyamaca College, English as a Second Language instructor Manuel Mancillas-Gomez was the winner of the Outstanding Faculty Award for full-time faculty, and English instructor Robert Stafford was selected as the adjunct winner.

“I always look forward to the announcement of winning faculty,” said Chancellor Cindy L. Miles. “Without exception, they represent the best qualities of commitment and caring in their interaction with students. They take great pride in the progress students make and they find satisfaction in knowing that as educators, they make a difference.”

Irene Palacios

This math instructor epitomizes Grossmont College’s motto of “changing lives through education” because she has witnessed the transformation many times in her 19 years at the campus, and because of her own story.

“My personal journey is just one example of a life profoundly changed by access to higher education,” she said.

Palacios and her mother emigrated from Mexico to the United States when she was 2 to live with her mother’s parents in Arizona. Palacios’ grandfather was a migrant fieldworker, following seasonal work in Arizona and California.

As a child, Palacios worked the cotton fields during the summers, waking up at 4 a.m. and laboring in 110-degree heat. By 15, she was working a graveyard shift as a restaurant server.

In school, Palacios said she was bullied by classmates and punished by her teachers for speaking Spanish. She found her refuge in math. “Math class became my escape – it was my happy place,” she said.

Although a scholar in high school, she never thought of continuing her education until a biology instructor told her matter-of-factly that she was going to college. As her high school valedictorian, she was able to attend Arizona State University for free.  A support program for first-year students from underserved communities was key to her success and she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in math from ASU and a master’s degree in statistics from Colorado State University.

The support she received in her own education led Palacios to begin working in 2016 with Grossmont College’s Via Rapida First Year Experience program, creating peer mentoring and embedded tutoring programs.

Palacios’ other contributions to the college include designing and creating the college’s first online statistics course and becoming the college’s de facto guru for online education. She is also credited with bolstering the Math Student Center as its coordinator, efforts that have brought her other plaudits, including Innovator of the Year last spring, and the Division Teaching Excellence Award in 2011

“Irene Palacios is a rare individual and a committed professional, dedicated to Grossmont College and to her students in her capacity as a mathematics instructor,” said Janet Gelb, the college’s distance education coordinator.

Palacios marvels how education transformed her life and strives every day to pay it forward by helping students progress.

“I never thought I would be fortunate enough to work at a college that honors diversity and inclusion as much as Grossmont College, she said.

Julie Hansen

With an accounting background in the corporate world and jobs that have taken her around the globe, Hansen made a mid-career switch to begin teaching. In addition to an introductory Computer Science and Information Systems course in information technology at Grossmont College, she teaches accounting at Miramar and Mesa colleges and San Diego State University.

A CrossFit athlete, Hansen’s equally high-energy approach to teaching is popular and her creativity in engaging students and introducing data analytics to Grossmont’s CSIS program have garnered praise.

She developed a “Shark Tank” experience in which students are grouped into teams to pitch proposals to a group of judges at the end of the semester.

“After seeing results of what Julie accomplishes, now all the other faculty want to do this,” said Clifton Quinn, department chair. “She is energetic, positive, helpful, and absolutely shows that she very sincerely cares about her students and co-workers.”

Colleagues who nominated Hansen for the adjunct Distinguished Faculty Award said her innovative ideas like creating applications and assessment tools to gauge students’ progress have contributed greatly to the CSIS program. Hansen’s early efforts helping the department’s transition from print to digital textbooks and teaching material brought her recognition as a trailblazer.

She represents Grossmont College in the San Diego Community College Computer Consortium, an active networking and information-sharing venue for technology instructors throughout the region.

Manuel Mancillas-GomezBorn in Tijuana, Mancillas-Gomez moved as a teenager with his parents and five siblings to Otay Mesa, but continued attending high school in Mexico. The day after he took his last high school final exam, Mancillas-Gomez registered at UCLA for the 1967 summer quarter.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in anthropology and Latin American Studies from UCLA and his master’s degree in teaching English from Grand Canyon University, he is now an English As a Second Language instructor at Cuyamaca College. He worked for eight years as an adjunct instructor before getting a fulltime contract in 2014.

Mancillas-Gomez draws on the memories of his own challenges as a product of Mexican schools transitioning to UCLA as he helps the mostly Iraqi students he sees in his classes. Cuyamaca College’s pedagogical shift to accelerated learning in which students are no longer delayed by remedial classes in math, English and ESL also appeal to Mancillas-Gomez’s well-honed sense of justice.

As one of the key designers of the new accelerated English as a Second Language program at Cuyamaca, Mancillas-Gomez devotes hours outside the classroom to promote what he regards as equity for students across the state. He travels monthly to Sacramento to serve on committees addressing reforms to remedial education.

 “I believe it is a highly transformative model in which we are not only teaching skills, but also empowering students for success,” he said. “I see many colleges in the state where these changes are sadly not happening because of the lack of the strong leadership such as we have at Cuyamaca College. Transformative processes work best when multiple agents collaborate and have a dedicated conviction for change.”

 Robert Stafford

The son of educators, Stafford said teaching wasn’t in his plans early in life. But from his boyhood years spent in Uganda, where his parents taught for the State Department, the teacher’s life was engrained in him and he witnessed the satisfaction that imparting knowledge can bring.

“Really teaching somebody something they need is a joyful experience that few other others can match,” said Stafford, who first worked at Cuyamaca College in the mid-‘80s as a tutor for students with learning disabilities.

While a student at San Diego State University, he continued tutoring at the college and eventually became the interim coordinator of the Tutoring/Assessment Center.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in writing from San Diego State University, he returned to Cuyamaca College in 2006 as an adjunct English instructor.

“Robert Stafford has really gone above and beyond his role as an adjunct faculty and has become an integral figure on our campus who wholeheartedly engages in activities outside his regular teaching duties to make our students, his department and college better,” Academic Senate President Kim Dudzik said.

In addition to serving on the Academic Senate, Stafford has served as one of a trio of leaders heading Cuyamaca College’s accreditation cycle. He was also recognized for his work on equity grants and for serving as the faculty advisor to the LGBT Youth Group.

Stafford initially came to Cuyamaca College to work under Sam Turner, the first chair of the English Department, who continued to support and mentor him as he explored career options.

“He sent me off into the world with an invitation back to teach when I was ready,” Stafford said. “I have gone off from time to time, but this is a place and job that I love so staying away is difficult.”

Stafford said the people and the data-driven aspects of Cuyamaca College are what he appreciates most.

“We’re getting at the real reasons students succeed and fail, and we’re building in interventions to help students stay in school and succeed,” he said. “This is huge and it’s having a huge impact on student success.”





 
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Grossmont College instructor gets international award for textbook

September 25, 2019, 3:36 pm
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Dave Dillon shares book with student Hollyann Miller
Grossmont College Counselor and Professor Dave Dillon whose open-education textbook won a national textbook excellence award in Philadelphia in June has garnered global recognition.

The international, non-profit Open Education Consortium has selected “Blueprint for Success in College and Career” for an Open Education Award for Excellence. Its 17 winners represent 10 countries from North and South America, Latin America, the European Union and Asia.

The Open Education Consortium is a network of organizations that seek to eliminate barriers worldwide to high-quality education. Open Educational Resources, including Dillon’s award-winning book, are regarded as a way to reduce high textbook costs by acquiring educational material available online through the public domain or an open license and adapting the information for classroom use.

“The philosophy of open educational resources is very much in tune with our mission to promote equitable success for all students at Grossmont College,” said President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh. “OER has been a tremendous help to our students to tackle the problem of increasingly unaffordable textbooks and Professor Dillon’s international recognitions affirm that we are supporting excellent work that is moving us in the right direction.”

“Blueprint for Success” is one of three OER textbooks that Dillon succeeded in getting published that are used by more than a dozen community colleges in and out of the state. They are openly licensed works that he compiled to use in his counseling classes.

“I am appreciative of the original authors to openly license their work and for the many volunteers who edited, reviewed, and supported the project,” he said, adding that the support he received from colleagues and administrators was instrumental to the effort’s success. “I am thankful for my colleagues who share recognition of textbook affordability challenges for our students and value open pedagogy.”

Dillon is credited with promoting OER at Grossmont College, and joined by faculty members Lara Braff and Nadra Farina-Hess, launched a movement converting faculty to the OER digital platform. With the option of acquiring OER textbooks free online or at a much reduced cost in print, the projected savings to students for the current academic year is nearly $1.3 million.

“Blueprint for Success in College and Career” is the first OER textbook awarded the prestigious Textbook Excellence Award by the national Textbook and Academic Authors Association, an achievement that brought the book to the attention of the international Open Education Consortium.

The Consortium annually presents Awards for Excellence for Open Resources Tools and Practices and selected Dillon’s book in the Open Textbook category.

The winners are invited to receive their awards at the Open Education Global Conference Nov. 26-28 at Politecnico di Milano, a scientific-technological university in Milan, Italy.


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Taxpayers group finds district's bond program to be perfectly transparent

October 2, 2019, 9:08 am
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A rendering of the Grossmont College Performing and Visual
Arts Center 

Once again, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Proposition V bond program has received a perfect score for its transparency in providing information to the public.

The East County college district received an A+ perfect rating by theSan Diego County Taxpayers Educational Foundation, which evaluated 23 school and college districts that have active bond programs. Eleven other districts also received clean scores.

The foundation praised the college district as one that is providing “proper and timely dissemination of information” and urged other school districts starting new bond programs to look to Grossmont-Cuyamaca’s model for transparency. 

The foundation’s review of the district’s Proposition R and V websitefound that it provided key information to the public such as annual reports, oversight committee agendas and information, a project list, and project descriptions and progress updates. Financial information such as a budget overview, itemized project expenditures, and audit reports were also available, the study determined.

“We’re keenly aware of our responsibility to demonstrate to the community that we are spending taxpayer money wisely,” said Sue Rearic, the district’s vice chancellor of business services. “This positive review reflects our commitment and accountability to the public about the transformative projects underway at our campuses.” 

Proposition V, a $398 million bond measure, was approved by East County voters in 2012. Bond funds have enabled the district to continue the work on the college campuses that began after the 2002 passage of Prop. R, which resulted in the construction or renovation of 13 major facilities.

The major projects being built with Prop. V funds include a new Grossmont College Performing and Visual Arts Center, including a 390-seat theater, which is set to open in early 2020. A groundbreaking was held last month for a renovated Ornamental Horticulture complex at Cuyamaca College, with new classrooms and greenhouses, set to be completed in fall 2020.

Other major projects include a new Science, Math and Career Technology Complex at Grossmont College and a new Student Services and Administration Building at Cuyamaca College. 

The district’s bond spending is monitored by the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, which was established to assure accountability for use of public funds. The committee members are East County residents who have expertise in construction-related fields such as architecture, construction management, and accounting, as well as representatives of businesses, student and taxpayer organizations.

The taxpayer foundation’s transparency findings mirror reviews of the district’s finances by independent auditors, who have given the highest opinion possible of the district’s fiscal practices for the past 15 years.         

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Grossmont alum to speak about the Slants and his band's high court victory to keep its name

October 4, 2019, 3:34 pm
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There’s more to the story of The Slants than meets the eye.

That’s the message that former Grossmont College student Simon Tam, frontman for the Asian-American rock band The Slants, wants to convey when he returns to his academic home of 1999-2000 on Wednesday, Oct. 16, to give a reading and multi-media presentation of his memoir,” Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court.” Scheduled for 11:30-12:15 p.m. in Griffin Gate as part of the English Department’s Fall Reading Series, the event is free and open to the public. 


Students in English instructor Daniela Sow’s class are reading the memoir and eagerly awaiting his return to the campus.

“They can’t wait for his visit,” said Sow, co-coordinator of the Creative Writing program, which sponsors the Fall Reading Series, along with the English Department.

The book chronicles Tam's formative years, his music career and the 2017 landmark Supreme Court free speech victory that catapulted his band into the public realm. The years-long David-and-Goliath drama ensued  after he took the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to court in 2010 for nixing his trademark application for the band’s name. 

The patent office cited a law prohibiting any trademark that could disparage or bring contempt upon any individuals and said the band’s name was a slur on persons of Asian descent. The band has always infused its performances with discussions about social justice and inequality and argued that the name was not a racist epithet, but instead reflected the musicians’ Asian-American consciousness. 

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of The Slants, saying the disparagement citation violates the First Amendment clause protecting free speech. 

The high court’s ruling garnered international headlines because of its potential impact on the Washington Redskins football team’s similar trademark fight over its controversial name - a point not lost on Tam. He said he was disappointed that the media was transfixed by the NFL connection and downplayed the back story relating to the Slants. The 38-year-old Chinese-American hopes his book refocuses the significance of the Supreme Court ruling to the band, and readers see the musicians’ reclamation of The Slants’ name as an example of empowerment. 

“I'll talk about my personal journey fighting for my band's name when I speak at Grossmont, but it's really a vehicle to help others understand how they can incorporate their values into their life passions and to help inspire others to create social change through arts and activism,” said Tam, an artist-activist and entrepreneur who grew up in San Diego County as a child of immigrant restaurant owners. When his family moved to Spring Valley, the bassist, who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, graduated from Monte Vista High School and enrolled in Grossmont College’s audio engineering program. Tam continued his schooling at UC Riverside and eventually earned an MBA from Marylhurst University, a private university near Portland, Oregon.

These days, Tam’s life is a blur of speaking engagements, writing, performing and starting up The Slants Foundation, which aims to provide "resources, scholarships and mentorship to Asian Americans looking to incorporate activism into their art."

“We’re building a network of musicians, filmmakers, playwrights, dancers, visual artists, and more to build a community that is dedicated to representation and providing unique perspectives to social issues – their own ‘slant’ on creating social change,” Tam said.

The English Department and Creative Writing program’s Fall Reading Series continues Nov. 16 with a Creative Write-a-thon, a daylong fundraising event with fun and creative writing activities from 9 a.m.-4 pm. and on Dec. 9 with New Voices, a student reading, from 7-8:30 p.m. Both events are in Griffin Gate, Bldg. 60.

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Grossmont College Career Expo a big draw

October 7, 2019, 4:18 pm
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The Grossmont College Career Expo is sliding into middle age.

From recessions to boom years, one of oldest and largest community college job fairs in the county has seen it all, and with the support of the college and business communities, continues its successful run with the 41st Annual Career Expo set for Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Main Quad.. It is free and open to the public.

About 80 potential employers are expected for the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. event. Several college programs will also be represented to make the event both a job fair and an opportunity to explore careers.

“With the jobless rate remaining low, employers are often challenged to find dependable workers and career fairs like ours are a valuable resource to tap,” said Renee Nasori, the college’s Career Center coordinator and chair of the Career Expo. “The Grossmont College Career Expo has a long tradition because of its wide breadth of opportunities to explore career options of many varieties.”
 Public school districts such as the Cajon Valley Union School District and Santee School District, as well as private institutions like Altus Schools, Momentum Tutoring and Harmonium Inc., are looking to hire. Not-for-profit organizations like Able-Disabled Advocacy  that provides employment and training services to individuals with all types of disabilities, Easterseals and the Home of Guiding Hands that provide programs and services for people with disabilities will also be at the expo.

Law enforcement is also well represented with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and police departments for the cities of San Diego and National City as well as a private security company, Allied Universal, will also attend.

The Armed Forces will be present, including the Marines, US. Army Reserve, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The financial services sector will be represented, in addition to healthcare providers such as Sharp HealthCare, Cambrian Homecare, Bella Vista Health Center and First Promise Care Services.

With the 2020 census rapidly approaching, the U.S. Census is looking to hire thousands of census takers, field supervisors and recruiting assistants. And with California joining in the action on Super Tuesday -- the 2020 presidential primary in March – the County Registrar of Voters is gearing up by recruiting thousands of poll workers and hundreds to assist in other departments, including customer service, warehousing and administrative support.

To help job-seekers make the most of the career expo, the career center located in Building 60, Room 140, will offer several workshops on soft skills during the week of Oct. 7. Call (619) 644-7615 for details. Tips are also available online to benefit most from the job fair experience.

Some employers will interview on the spot, so applicants are encouraged to dress professionally and to bring copies of their resumes.

Nasori said the event’s primary goal is to link students and community members to job and career opportunities, but it is also a networking opportunity for college administrators and faculty to stay current on workforce needs, as well as internship and community service learning opportunities for students.

Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon.


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Alex Zesati: Grossmont College alum finding a passion and a career

October 8, 2019, 2:06 pm
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Alex Zesati
Alex Zesati had long thought about working in the medical field; he just wasn’t certain what he wanted to focus on – at least not until he found his calling at Grossmont College. Today, thanks to the training, support and encouragement he experienced at the El Cajon campus, Zesati is building a career helping to save lives as a respiratory therapist at Rady Children’s Hospital.
“This is probably one of the best programs of its kind anywhere,” Zesati said of the college’s Respiratory Therapy Program. “It’s recognized by doctors, nurses and other respiratory therapists. And you’re never alone; there is always someone willing to help you out.”
Zesati, 25, is one of more than 1,000 respiratory therapists who have graduated from the Grossmont College program since its inception 50 years ago this fall, and today’s graduates are finding starting wages that can reach more than $20 per hour in the region. Average annual wages surpass $79,000 for experienced therapists, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Walk into any local hospital or medical center, and you’ll find a respiratory therapist trained at Grossmont College, said Rebecca Handley, the program’s director of clinical education. “We’ve had a big impact on San Diego County,” she said.
Born and raised in Fresno, Zesati said he was looking for a change when two uncles and an aunt who lived in the area and had attended Grossmont College suggested he enroll at the school. Zesati researched the school, liked what he saw, and signed up as a kinesiology major with plans on becoming a physical therapist.
His plans changed when he heard about the Respiratory Therapy Program. “The more I learned about it, the more it appealed to me,” he said.
Indeed, the Grossmont College program is the only public, not-for-profit, respiratory therapy program in San Diego County, and its cost, approximately $5,000 spread over two years, is a fraction of what privately-owned and managed schools in the region are charging.
Students graduate with 576 hours of hands-on, clinical experience at local hospitals and medical centers, said program coordinator Peggy Wells, who noted instructors are industry professionals who bring years of experience into the classroom. The connections instructors have built have led to mock interviews with hiring managers and jobs straight out of college.“They definitely use their relationships to better the program,” Zesati said. 
Zesati’s clinical experience took him to Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Sharp Memorial Hospital, Veterans Administration Medical Center, UC San Diego Medical Center and Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego. He landed a job as a respiratory technician at Sharp Grossmont while completing his clinical assignment at the La Mesa medical center, and he was hired as a respiratory therapist at Rady Children’s Hospital this past summer. 
“It’s fun and rewarding work,” he said of his Rady Children’s Hospital position as a floor therapist. “These kids come in here, they’re not doing well, they’re sick, they may be crying, they’re in pain, and you’re working with them to get better. And when you see them get better, you see them recovering, you see their breathing improve, you see them happy and smiling again, it’s a great job.” 
Zesati’s long-term plans? “Keep striving to become a better therapist, maybe become a clinical instructor, and keep learning so I can feel comfortable regardless of the situation.”




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Grossmont College forum featuring BlueTech industry leaders

October 9, 2019, 11:40 am
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BlueTech flyerAs Silicon Valley is to high tech, San Diego is to BlueTech.

So say leaders representing the region’s maritime, ocean and water industries who will gather Friday, Oct. 11, at Grossmont College for a panel discussion and networking session focusing on what they call the blue economy.

As defined by the Maritime Alliance, the blue economy is “the sum of all economic activity having to do with oceans, seas, harbors, ports and coastal zones.”

BlueTech is an emerging sector that includes science-based jobs in maritime, ocean, and water industries, said Renee Nasori, the college’s Career Services supervisor.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Grossmont students and community members to learn about the blue economy and employment opportunities, as well as network with industry experts,” Nasori said.

Register for the event at www. bluetechgrossmont.eventbrite.com



The free event from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Griffin Gate in the Student Center is open to the public and is part of the college’s Career Week activities highlighted by a career expo Thursday that will draw more than 80 companies and businesses.

Participating in the BlueTech forum will be:
  • Venezia Zandrelli, senior lead engineer, Clear Blue Sea, a local non-profit fighting ocean plastic pollution
  • Dave Abrams, CEO, of one of the largest maritime training centers on the West Coast, Training Resources Maritime Institute,
  • Emilio Vargas, CEO, Intellecy, a San Diego company producing smart home products
  • Corey Umstead, operations manager, Pacific Maritime Group, whose staff works with the Coast Guard to keep the shoreline free of pollutants.
  • Dean Wakeham, president, XST, Inc., consultants in maritime technology
Kate Gallagher, economic development manager for San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, is moderating the panel that kicks off with Melissa Fischel, with TMA BlueTech , which promotes BlueTech and blue jobs.

According to a 2012 San Diego Maritime Industry report sponsored by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the San Diego Regional EDC and the Maritime Alliance (now TMA BlueTech), the maritime industry brings in more than $14 billion a year and supports more than 46,000 jobs in San Diego.

Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon.



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Grossmont College Respiratory Therapy program celebrating 50 years of excellence

October 14, 2019, 9:40 am
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Neil Armstrong had become the first man to set foot on the moon just one month earlier, the minimum wage was just $1.60 per hour, and 50 years ago this fall, Grossmont College launched its renowned Respiratory Therapy program with an initial cohort of 20 students.
Respiratory therapy students 
 More than 1,000 respiratory therapists have graduated from the Grossmont College program since its inception in 1969, all of whom leave the El Cajon campus with 576 hours of hands-on, clinical experience at an array of local medical centers.
 “In any hospital you go to in San Diego County, you’re going to find a graduate of the Grossmont College Respiratory Therapy program,” said Program Coordinator Peggy Wells.
 “We’ve had a big impact in San Diego County,” said Rebecca Handley, Grossmont’s director of clinical education.
 With National Respiratory Care Week beginning October 20, Grossmont College has a lot to celebrate. The El Cajon campus offers the only public, not-for-profit Respiratory Therapy program in San Diego County, and its cost of approximately $5,000 is a fraction of what private schools in the region are charging.
The low cost and high standards are what drew Diana Berriel, who enrolled in August 2016 at the age of 36. She graduated two years later and was hired at Sharp Memorial Hospital three months later as a floor therapist whose responsibilities include assisting physicians in inserting a breathing tube through a patient’s mouth and into the airway, operating BiPAP machines for patients in respiratory distress, attending all code blue events and administering nebulizer treatments.
 “I feel like I’m part of a team that is saving people’s lives and helping them get better,” Berriel said.
 The job outlook is excellent, too. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in the field to grow by 21 percent during the 10-year period ending in 2028. The average annual wage in San Diego County, meanwhile, was just short of $80,000 as of May 2018.
Alex Zesati
Alex Zesati, 25, landed a job as a respiratory technician at Sharp Grossmont Hospital while completing his clinical assignment at the La Mesa medical center, and he was hired as a respiratory therapist at Rady Children’s Hospital this past summer.
 “This is probably one of the best programs of its kind anywhere,” Zesati said. “It’s recognized by doctors, nurses and other respiratory therapists. And you’re never alone; there is always someone willing to help you out.”
 The Grossmont College program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care and graduate licensure is granted by the Respiratory Care Board of California. The percentage of students passing the state licensure exam is nearly double that of nearby private colleges.
 “What sets the program apart is that it emphasizes anatomy and physiology, so you leave with a solid understanding of what is going on with the human body in relation to the respiratory system,” Berriel said.

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Two finalists named for East County college district's chancellorship

October 17, 2019, 10:18 am
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Dr. LynnCeresino Neault
Dr. David Potash
Two finalists have been named for the position of chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. 
 
The finalists announced by the Governing Board Tuesday are Lynn Ceresino Neault, vice chancellor of Student Services at the San Diego Community College District, and David Potash, president of Wilbur Wright College, a community college on the northwest side of Chicago,


Chancellor Cindy Miles will retire from the district at the end of the year after 11 years at the district’s helm.

Open forums for the campus communities and the public will be held where the candidates will be introduced and undergo question-and-answer sessions. Attendees are invited to fill out feedback forms, which will be forwarded to the Governing Board.

The public forums for Neault are set for Monday, Nov. 4, from 10-11 a.m. in the second-floor atrium of the Health and Sciences Complex, Building 34, at Grossmont College, and from 3:15-4:15 p.m. in the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre in the B Building at Cuyamaca College.  The public forums for Potash are set for Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the second-floor atrium of Building 34 at Grossmont College, and from 2:45-3:45 p.m. at the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre at Cuyamaca College.

Both candidates are veteran administrators in higher education. 

Neault has served nine years at her current post as vice chancellor and in a number of prior roles with the San Diego Community College District, where she began working as a graduate student in 1983 as an administrative analyst in Institutional Research. From 2013-2015, she served as interim president of San Diego City College. During her time as an administrator with the district, Neault has also served as director, associate director and coordinator of Student Services. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s in public administration, and a doctorate. in education – all from San Diego State University. 

Neault’s state-level advocacy efforts include membership on the California Community Colleges’ Consultation Council, the Intersegmental Transfer Task Force, and the SB 1440 (Associate Degree for Transfer) State Oversight Committee. She was president of the California Chief Student Services Officers Association executive board in 2008, continuing her service on the board until 2011. 

Potash brings more than 20 years of higher education administrative experience. He was appointed president of Wilbur Wright College, one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, in 2013. From 2008-2013, he served as chief academic officer and as a professor of American history at Curry College, a four-year institution in Milton, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he served for 10 years in the City University of New York system, three years as associate provost/vice president of Academic Affairs at Hunter College and for seven years as the executive director of Academic Services, then associate provost at Baruch College, where he also was an adjunct faculty in the history department. 

He began his career in higher education in 1986 as a budget coordinator at New York University, where he worked for eight years, including a year as an adjunct professor in expository writing before leaving as an associate director of the Draper Program in Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Potash earned his bachelor’s in English and philosophy from Rice University in Houston, Texas, his master’s in history from NYU and his Ph.D., also in history, from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. 

He lists current affiliations with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U); Educause, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Democracy Commitment, a national organization dedicated to advancing democracy in America’s community colleges.
 He is an advisory board member of the Community Colleges for Democracy Leadership, and was on the ETS (Educational Testing Service) National Community College Advisory Council from 2015-2018. 

Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon; Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in Rancho San Diego.
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Grossmont College Alum Diana Berriel finds new career in respiratory therapy

October 21, 2019, 9:27 am
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Diana Berriel
Diana Berriel’s career path changed when her father, diagnosed with lung cancer, was undergoing treatment at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego. “I just started talking to a respiratory therapist there, and I know it sounds cliché, but it was like a light bulb went off in my head,” Berriel said. “So I went back home and started researching the profession and found it was the perfect career.” 
The mother of four children, Berriel was 38 when she resolved to enroll at Grossmont College’s Respiratory Therapy Program, the only public program of its kind in the county. Three years later, the Spring Valley resident is now quickly progressing in a new line of work where she helps save lives almost daily. 
Berriel is one of more than 1,000 respiratory therapists who have graduated from the Grossmont College program since its inception 50 years ago this fall. Walk into any local hospital or medical center, and you’ll find a respiratory therapist trained at Grossmont College, said Rebecca Handley, the program’s director of clinical education. “We’ve had a big impact on San Diego County,” she said. 
Berriel is a believer. “What sets the program apart is that it emphasizes anatomy and physiology, so you leave with a solid understanding of what is going on with the human body in relation to the respiratory system,” she said. 
Berriel had been working at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego as an assistant in the transplant office, all the while enrolling at a community college class here and there with an eye on a possible career as a nurse. But time was passing by. She had a family to raise. And a nursing career was looking less likely by the day. 
Asked what appealed to her about becoming a respiratory therapist, Berriel was quick to respond: “It’s all about direct patient care. And, you know, breathing is really important.” 
Berriel looked at several schools, but others were private and pricey. At approximately $5,000 spread over two years, the Grossmont College program is a fraction of what privately owned and managed schools in the region are charging. 
She enrolled in August of 2016. 
“From the very beginning, Diana’s dedication to the program was evident,” said Program Coordinator Peggy Wells. “There were several obstacles that could have prevented her from completing the program, but these obstacles just seemed to make her stronger and more determined.  She was engaged, always eager to learn, prepared for all of her courses, and would assist others whenever needed. She continued to balance work, family, volunteer work, clinical hours, and externships with professionalism, compassion and gratitude towards everyone she encountered.” 
Former Grossmont College instructor Kathryn Johnson had similar sentiments. 
“Diana was one of those students you don’t soon forget,” Johnson said. “It was clear from the beginning that she was passionate about her career choice and was determined to succeed, working hard to overcome any obstacles she encountered. Her dedication was evidenced by her calm and compassionate care for her patients.” 
Berriel graduated in June of 2018. She was hired at Sharp Memorial Hospital three months later and began working as a respiratory therapist Oct. 22 that year. As a floor therapist, Berriel’s responsibilities include assisting physicians in inserting a breathing tube through a patient’s mouth and into the airway, operating BiPAP machines for patients in respiratory distress, attending all code blue events and administering nebulizer treatments. 
“I feel like I’m part of a team that is saving people’s lives and helping them get better,” Berriel said. 
Long-term goals include further training in intensive care unit services and perhaps patient education. 
Berriel’s message to others contemplating a career change? 
“It’s never too late to go back to school. It’s never too late to try something new. Yeah, there are going to be challenges, but here I am, with a full-time position, making a decent salary and making a difference.”






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