Re: Fresh

2020 scholarship recipients

More than 500 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students who received scholarships totaling almost $450,000 this academic year were celebrated at a breakfast held Saturday by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.

The event featured compelling stories from students about how the scholarships help them focus on school and moving tales from donors about the reasons they established a scholarship.

Scholarships were awarded to 537 students from the two East County colleges in the 2019-20 academic year.

“For our students, getting a scholarship makes the difference in whether they can go to college and pursue their dreams,” said Sally Cox, CEO of the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.

Lynn Ceresino Neault, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, the scholarships they are receiving are a way of showing support for students in their efforts to attain an education.

“Today someone believes in you and has invested in your future,” Neault told the students. “Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the weapon to change the world.’ You have the opportunity to change the world.

Cuyamaca College student Johana Ibarra, who received a California Coast Credit Union scholarship, said she will no longer have sleepless nights worrying about paying for books and school supplies.

“Receiving this scholarship is like taking tons of weight off my shoulders,” she said.

Ibarra, who came with her family to the United States from Mexico when she was 7 years old, said she wants to become an elementary school teacher to provide a better experience for her future students than the lack of support she received.

“I will continue to fight for my dreams and the dreams of my parents,” Ibarra said.

A new scholarship this year is the Brian Jennings “Building Bridges” scholarship, honoring Grossmont College Political Science Professor Brian Jennings, who was killed in a bicycle accident April 17, 2018. More than $25,000 has been donated to the scholarship fund, creating an endowment that will allow a scholarship to be awarded to a Grossmont College student and a Cuyamaca College student in perpetuity.

Nancy Jennings

Brian’s wife, Cuyamaca College Speech Instructor Nancy Jennings, noted the significance of the date of the event.

“Today would have been Brian’s 60^th birthday, and I can think of no better way to celebrate,” Jennings said.

Jennings said her late husband lived life to the fullest, with interests that included camping, hiking, kayaking, bicycling and amateur astronomy. As a professor at Grossmont College since 2005, she said he was dedicated to his students beyond their attendance in his classes.

“He encouraged students to pursue their dreams,” Jennings said.

More than 80 students honored at the event received Osher scholarships, the result of a statewide community college scholarship fund established by the Bernard Osher Foundation in 2011. Osher, a Bay Area philanthropist, committed $50 million to the fund and challenged colleges to raise money to establish the scholarships. Through the money raised by the colleges, the scholarships will be awarded in perpetuity to Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students.

Currently, the foundation is working on the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Promise Plus Campaign to raise $4 million that will create an endowment to support 200 annual scholarships in perpetuity. More than $2 million has already been raised.

Promise Plus Scholarships were created by the foundation to provide critically-needed scholarships to students at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges. The focus of these scholarships are first-time, full-time college students; adults returning to college to improve their workforce skills; students transferring from Adult School; and students facing a financial emergency. Priority will be given to students with financial need.

A young participant at the 2019 Cuyamaca College powwow

Native American history and culture will be celebrated when tribes from throughout the West congregate at Cuyamaca College’s 6th Annual Powwow on Saturday, Feb. 1. Up to 2,500 people from throughout the region are expected to attend the free event that is open to the public.

The powwow begins at 9:30 a.m. with a traditional blessing, followed by the Ashaa Takook Bird Singers at 10 a.m., gourd dancing at 11 a.m. and Grand Entry at noon. The celebration continues until 8 p.m. and vendors will be selling Native American arts and crafts, fry bread and Indian tacos. Admission is free.

“The Cuyamaca College Powwow has been vital in dispelling any misconceptions or misinterpretations about Native American history and culture,” said Michael Ryan, president of the Cuyamaca College Native American Student Alliance that is sponsoring the event in partnership with the Student Affairs Office, Equity Engagement and the Associated Student Government. “We’re here to bring a better understanding about the culture and community in a setting that everyone can enjoy.”

The setting couldn’t be better. Cuyamaca College is situated on 165 rolling acres in the heart of Rancho San Diego and the powwow takes place on an expansive lawn in front of the Communication Arts Center. The lawn is just on the other side of a campus road from several student parking areas, and parking is free.

Randy Edmonds, from the Kiowa and Caddo nations of Oklahoma, will serve as master of ceremonies. Victor Chavez, who was born on the Isleta Pueblo Reservation in El Paso, Texas, is the arena director. Among the numerous other participants are Nate Logan, head man; Sequoia Salas-Galvan; head woman; Ivan Sam, head gourd dancer; and Richard DeCrane, staff carrier. The Green River Singers comprise the Host Northern Drum and Hale & Co. from the Diné (Navajo) Nation is the Host Southern Drum.

Cuyamaca College has a long history of supporting Native-American students and Native-American studies. Its name comes from the Kumeyaay phrase “Ekwiiyemak” – which means “behind the clouds,” “above the rains,” and “the place where the rains come from the heavens” – and the campus sits on traditional Kumeyaay territory. In addition, Cuyamaca College became among the first community colleges in California to offer a degree program focusing on the language, culture, and history of a specific Native-American tribe when it unveiled its associate of arts degree program in Kumeyaay Studies in 2015.

The fiscal practices of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District have once again received the highest possible rating from independent auditors, marking a 16-year streak of financial transparency.

The accounting firm CWDL audited the 2018-19 fiscal year for the district and the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. It conducted a separate audit of funds from Proposition V, the $398 million bond measure approved by East County voters in 2012.

John Dominguez, a partner with CWDL, told the district’s Governing Board Tuesday evening that all of the audits resulted in unmodified opinions, meaning the financial information reviewed was accurate and complete, and done in accordance with accepted accounting principles.

Chancellor Lynn Neault said the audits provide an independent accounting of the district’s ledgers and are used by financial institutions and government agencies for bond ratings or oversight purposes.

“Our district is extremely conscientious in accounting for the taxpayer dollars that allow us to provide an education for Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students,” Neault said. “These clean audits demonstrate our commitment to carefully managing our district’s finances.”

The auditors noted that their financial review of Proposition V funds was conducted to ensure that expenditures were made in accordance with the project list approved by voters in 2012, and that bond funds were not used for the district’s general operations.

“The results of our tests indicated that, in all significant respects, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has properly accounted for the expenditures held in the Building Fund (Proposition V) and that such expenditures were made for authorized Bond projects,” the auditors wrote.

A rendering of the Grossmont College
Visual and Performing Arts Center

Key projects planned for construction using Proposition V bond funds include Grossmont College’s new Visual and Performing Arts Center, scheduled for completion this spring, and a new Student Services Building at Cuyamaca College, which is set to begin construction this summer.

Construction plans at the two colleges recently got a boost with news that both Grossmont and Cuyamaca College were included in a list of 24 community colleges slated to receive funding from a $27.6 million fund included in Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget. The list includes Grossmont College’s Liberal Arts/Business/CSIS building and Cuyamaca College’s Instructional F Building. State resources will fund 50% of the total projected cost of the facilities, with Proposition V funding the remaining cost.

Food, movies, dance and cultural and educational presentations are on tap in February at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges for Black History Month.

With the exception of fundraisers – a barbecue at Grossmont College and a night of jazz and comedy at Cuyamaca College – all other events are free. The public is welcome to all events.

Also known as National African-American History Month, Black History Month grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans in 1926, with the month of February selected because the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were in that month. In the late ‘60s, Negro History Week was transformed into Black History Month due to the civil rights movement, and in 1976 Black History Month was officially recognized by the federal government.

Grossmont College activities include:
•    Feb. 3: Black History Month kickoff from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Main Quad featuring African drums and a barbecue fundraiser.
•    Feb. 4: A panel discussion with local sports business professionals on careers in athletics, 3-5 p.m. in the Career Center in Building 60
•    Feb. 6: A mental health and wellness discussion from 5-7 p.m. in Griffin Gate, Building 60.
•    Mondays and Wednesdays Feb. 5-26: “Jazz Kitchen with Soul Food Specials” featuring performances by the college’s Jazz Studies Department in the student center, Building 60, from 11 a.m.-noon, along with soul food at the Griffin Grill.
•    Feb. 10: “5th Element Hip-hop Exhibit” featuring 150 artifacts from the 40-year history of hip-hop music and culture. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., location to be determined.
•    Feb. 11: The Sistahood Club presents a free screening of “BlacKkKlansman” from 6-8 p.m. in Griffin Gate.
•    Feb. 11: African American Literature Read-in, public readings of works by black and African American writers, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Main Quad.
•    Feb. 19: Black and African Hair Braiders Presentation 5-7 p.m. at Griffin Gate
•    Feb. 25: Law Enforcement and Legal Careers, a panel discussion of people of color in law enforcement and the legal profession, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Griffin Gate.
•    Feb. 26: Black Line Dancing and Steps: Learn new dance moves and celebrate the end of Black History Month 6:30-8:30 p.m. Griffin Gate.

Cuyamaca College events include:

•    Feb. 7: College Hour: “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Program” from 11 a.m.-
noon in I-207 in the Student Center featuring a spoken-word artist Yaa Faraji and Lalia Aziz from the Pillars of the Community, a non-profit group dedicated to helping those affected by the criminal justice system. The group focuses on compassion, respect, and advocacy for the disenfranchised through education, organization and action.
•    Feb. 13: Free film screening of "Black Panther" 12:30-2:30 p.m. in I-207
•    Feb. 21: Enjoy an evening of laughter and live music with the Cuyamaca College Umoja Scholars community at a scholarship fundraiser, "Jazz and Jokes," 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre. Hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Daran Howard, the night’s entertainment features jazz artist Donnie Troy and comedy by Gilbert Esquivel and Chicago-based Xavier “XL” Lamont. A VIP reception for $25 from 6:30-7:30 includes the price of admission, which is $5 for students and $10 for general admission. Tickets are available online at jazzandjokes.com.

Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive. Cuyamaca College is at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in the community of Rancho San Diego. For more information about the colleges, go to www.gcccd.edu

Students at Cuyamaca College

Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have received notice of reaffirmation of their accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

The commission notified the colleges Monday of the decision made at its meeting earlier this month. Regional accreditation is crucial for an institution of higher education because it provides quality assurance to the public, allows students to transfer credits to other colleges and universities, and allows the institution to be eligible for federal financial aid.

Chancellor Lynn Neault said both colleges should take pride in their longstanding track record of reaffirmed accreditations, a review process that takes place every seven years. Grossmont College’s history dates back to its opening in 1961, while Cuyamaca College began serving students in 1978.

“The commission recognized the outstanding work the colleges are doing to provide high academic standards and promote student success,” Neault said. “It is undeniable that our employees are doing exemplary work to make our colleges high-quality and welcoming institutions for all students who come to us for their education.”

Following evaluation visits by peer review teams in late September, both colleges were commended for their exemplary commitment to student equity and closing achievement gaps for students from underserved communities.

The commission commended Cuyamaca College for its use of data to improve student learning and achievement.

“The college’s commitment to equity and the effective use of data permeates throughout the institution and has led to numerous examples of continuous innovation, dialogue, and improvement,” the commission said.

Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes said the commission’s praise is welcome recognition of the college’s efforts to help students succeed.

“The commendation is a particular point of pride that speaks to the equity-minded efforts that Cuyamaca College values so deeply and drives the work that we do each day,” she said.

Cuyamaca College has been a leader in accelerated remediation for basic skills courses, which removes obstacles to students who need to complete English, math and English as a Second Language courses. It was recognized by the state Chancellor’s Office in 2018, when it received the Dr. John Rice Diversity and Equity Award, and received national recognition in 2019 as a finalist for Examples of Excelencia recognition for promoting Latino success in higher education.

Grossmont College was commended for its “equity-focused mission statement,” and for

Students at Grossmont College

ensuring that college programs, services and practices are aligned with the college mission.

“The college’s deep commitment to equity is manifested in their efforts to infuse equity in everything they do, and a part of everyone’s responsibility,” the commission said.
Grossmont College President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh praised the campus community for finding new ways to unify and to help students achieve their goals.

“It is a great point of pride that our peer review team issued a commendation to our college for its commitment to equity,” he said.

Grossmont College was named as one of 150 community colleges in the nation that are eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement among community colleges. For the second year in a row, the college was also recognized as a 2019 Champion of Higher Education by the Campaign for College Opportunity for its work to significantly increase the number of students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer.

The reaffirmation of accreditation is for 18 months, pending improvements in the areas of employee evaluations, and at Grossmont College, additional improvements to online instruction and reporting of student learning outcomes. Student learning outcomes is an assessment process to determine if students are learning what they are expected to learn.

Grossmont College in El Cajon, with about 16,000 students, has been serving East County since 1961, while Cuyamaca College, with about 9,000 students at its Rancho San Diego campus, has been serving the area since 1978. Both colleges are part of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges evaluates all associate degree-producing colleges, both private and public, in the western region, including California, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. It is the accrediting agency for all 115 community colleges in California.

Lorenzo Vilches

How highly does Lorenzo Vilches regard Cuyamaca College? Enough to endure an 80-mile commute taking than two hours daily from his home in Borrego Springs to the Rancho San Diego campus.

“You do what you have to do,” said Vilches, 23, who is building an educational pathway leading toward a career in the design, development and manufacture of race cars. “I’ve been lucky enough to meet with and learn from some very good professors. The ability that students have here to approach the faculty, get to know them and learn from them is invaluable.”

Vilches earned an associate degree in June 2019 in automotive technology and is now tackling a second degree in engineering. He’s already taking the automotive technology skills he’s learned at Cuyamaca College with him to his job at a repair shop, where he is helping with everything from changing tires to replacing transmissions. But he isn’t done yet; Vilches is planning to transfer to a four-year college or university after securing his second associate degree.

A first-generation college student with a 3.7 GPA, Vilches was one of 500 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students who received a scholarship from the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges this academic year.

“Lorenzo is the kind of student that makes me love teaching,” said physics instructor Miriam Simpson. “What makes Lorenzo stand out is his ability to know his own abilities and limits and make realistic decisions about how to succeed.”

Vilches opted to attend Cuyamaca College on the advice of an auto shop instructor at Borrego Springs High School who noted several of his former students had landed good jobs after enrolling in the college’s award-winning Auto Technology program. Cuyamaca College offers a General Motors-sponsored ASEP degree program, which trains students in all systems of GM vehicles, and a Ford-sponsored ASSET degree program, which trains students in all systems of the manufacturer’s vehicles. One of only three in the state, the college’s Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Education Training) is recognized as one of the best training programs in the world.

Vilches was also lured by the school’s engineering program, which offers the first two years of a typical four-year program leading to the bachelor's degree in engineering.

“I have always had a fascination with understanding how components work together in an assembly,” Vilches said. “Whether it is a lighting circuit that is composed of a battery, current-carrying conductors, a light bulb and a resistor; or whether it is an internal combustion engine with multiple sensors and emission systems keeping explosions/combustion in an acceptable range to propel a vehicle from one point to another. It is that fascination with first understanding how something works and then refining it in multiple dimensions or being able to find a solution for a task by replacing an old design with something completely different that gives me satisfaction.”

Living in Borrego Springs and going to classes at Cuyamaca College posed a challenge. His first year and a half, he lived with a brother in Ramona and commuted from there. After he was able to save up enough money, Vilches moved to an apartment in La Mesa. But with money getting tight and expenses becoming more of a burden, he was forced to move back in with his parents more than a year ago.

Said Vilches: “It’s not been easy, it has not been without challenges or without stumbles, but it has been rewarding, it’s allowed me to continue to grow, and simply, it’s well worth it.”

Cuyamaca College President
Julianna Barnes

Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes has been selected by the Aspen Institute to join the 2020-21 inaugural class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship program.

The new initiative is designed to support community college presidents in the early years of their tenure to accelerate transformational change on behalf of students. Barnes is one of 25 college leaders selected from more than 100 applicants for the Aspen Fellowship, which is funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and run by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

The leaders, all of whom are in their first five years at their post, begin their seven-month fellowship in June. Their institutions span 15 states and vary widely, from a rural college with fewer than 2,000 students to a statewide system that educates more than 150,000.

“I am truly honored to be selected for this prestigious program that will benefit our students and, in turn, our community,” Barnes said. “The Aspen Presidential Fellowship’s focus on student success and equity resonates with the mission and vision of Cuyamaca College which is a higher education leader. I cannot wait to learn all I can to make certain the college remains on the cutting edge in meeting student needs.”

Barnes began her tenure as Cuyamaca College president in October 2015. Under her leadership, Cuyamaca College instituted reforms that have markedly increased the number of students completing transfer-level math and English classes. The college was honored with the Dr. John W. Rice Diversity & Equity Award from the California Community Colleges and recognized nationally by Excelencia in Education.

Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, said that kind of leadership is critical. “We know more than ever before about how community colleges can improve outcomes for students, both in and after college,” he said. “And the urgency for them to do so only increases – especially for students of color and low-income students. These fellows have shown they are fully, urgently committed to excellence and equity, and we look forward to working alongside them.”

JPMorgan Chase is funding the Aspen Presidential Fellowship as part of New Skills at Work, a five-year, $350 million investment to support community colleges and other pathways to great careers and economic mobility.

“By preparing students and workers for in-demand jobs and meeting the training needs of businesses, community colleges are critical institutions for their regions’ prosperity and development,” said Jennie Sparandara, head of workforce initiatives, JPMorgan Chase. “JPMorgan Chase is proud to partner with the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program to build the next generation of diverse community college leaders.”

The program for new presidents complements the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, which has been serving aspiring presidents since 2016. Of the nearly 160 fellows who have taken part in the Rising Presidents Fellowship, 41 are now community college presidents.

Grossmont College was recognized as No. 52 in the country for the number of associate degrees awarded to minorities in a recent study produced by Diverse, a news magazine dedicated to diversity in higher education.

“This recognition shows that our collective energies toward high, rising and equitable success among all groups, which was recently commended by our accrediting agency, are working for our students,” said Grossmont College President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, Ed.D. “Our classified professionals, faculty and administrators have come together to change the way we work inside and outside of the classroom so that all students have the opportunity for success – and our students are rising to the occasion by earning their associate degrees and certificates.”

The data shows that Grossmont College awarded 1,395 degrees to minority students in 2017 - 18, a 30 percent increase over the preceding year. Minority students are those students who self-identified as African American, Asian American, Hispanic, Native American or Two or More Races. For comparison, during the 2017 – 18 academic year, Grossmont College awarded a then-record 4,200-plus degrees to nearly 1,800 students, the most of any community college in San Diego and Imperial counties.

With nearly 1,000 community colleges in the country, the ranking places Grossmont College among the top 5 percent in degree production for minority students. Grossmont College was one of four community colleges in the region to be recognized by Diverse.

The recognition is yet another distinction for the East County community college, all of which point to Grossmont being the region’s equity college. In November 2019, the college was recognized for the second time in a row by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among American’s community colleges. Additionally, in October 2019, the college was named a 2019 Champion of Higher Education also for the second year in a row by the Campaign for College Opportunity for its work to significantly increase the number of students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer, an associate’s degree that guarantees transfer to a California State University institution.

About Grossmont College

Grossmont College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, 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 more than 16,000 students each semester. For more information, visit Grossmont.edu.

A rendering of the Grossmont College
Visual and Performing Arts Center

The bond-funded construction projects that are transforming the Grossmont and Cuyamaca College campuses are highlighted in a citizens’ oversight committee annual report released this week.

The 2019 Annual Report by the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee reviews progress in the past year on the construction work that was funded by Prop. V, the $398 million bond measure approved by East County voters in 2012.

The major projects underway include:

A new Visual and Performing Arts Center at Grossmont College, which includes a 390-seat theater with a professional performance stage, orchestra pit and balcony for student performances that will be open to the community. Construction is set to be completed in spring 2020.
A renovated Student Center at Cuyamaca College, including an expanded veterans’ resource center and improved facilities for the career center, bookstore, and convenience store.
A renovated Science, Math, and Career Technology Complex at Grossmont College, which will house the Administration of Justice and Earth Science programs, a fingerprinting lab for the Forensic Technology program, computer labs and classrooms. The first phase of the project was completed in January 2020.
A renovated Ornamental Horticulture facility at Cuyamaca College, which will provide classrooms, new greenhouses, a retail area and outdoor instructional spaces. The work is expected to be completed in fall 2020.

The report also notes that the projects employed more than 2,400 workers, with about one-fourth East County residents and 82% San Diego County residents. Those workers received more than $13.8 million in wages and benefits.

“These new facilities will better serve our students and the community,” said Lynn Neault, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “Our ongoing construction projects will also continue to offer employment opportunities to hundreds of workers in East County and beyond.”

The 11-member Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee is charged with ensuring that revenues from Prop. V are spent on campus construction as promised to East County voters. The committee includes community members with expertise in construction and finance, as well as representatives from business and taxpayer organizations, the colleges’ student body, a senior citizens’ organization, the district’s foundation, and the colleges’ advisory committee.

Committee chair Dave Gauthier noted that the San Diego County Taxpayers Educational Foundation gave the oversight committee a perfect score for its transparency and accessibility of information on its website. 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 the district’s model for transparency. The website is located at http://propsrv.gcccd.edu/Pages/Home.aspx.

A separate audit analyzing the district’s fiscal practices received the highest possible rating from independent auditors, marking a 16-year streak of financial transparency. The audits of the district, the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges and the Proposition V funds resulted in unmodified opinions, meaning the financial information reviewed was accurate and complete, and done in accordance with accepted accounting principles.

Daniela Sow

Three instructors at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have been awarded top honors for their commitment to students at the East County campuses.

Grossmont College English Instructor Daniela Sow received the President’s Leadership Award, one of the highest honors recognizing distinguished service to the college. At Cuyamaca College, Steve Weinert, a psychology instructor who founded a fledgling research lab at the Rancho San Diego campus, received the 2020 Award for Teaching Excellence. Rachel Farris, whose students speak fondly of her nurturing approach to teaching accounting, was the part-time faculty recipient of the same award.

The three faculty members were lauded at their colleges’ convocations marking the start of spring semester.

“We take pride in the excellence of our instructors and their tireless dedication to our students,” said Lynn Neault, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “This semester’s winning faculty reflect two important components of excellence – a love of teaching and the desire to make a difference in the lives of students.”

Daniela Sow
As an American of Filipina-Romanian descent, Daniela Sow is invariably asked, “What are you?” She can relate to multi-ethnic students’ wanting to assimilate, but also seeking to acknowledge their heritage.

“They want to feel a sense of belonging and pride in their multi-ethnic identities, so I have done a lot of work over the years to bring mixed race authors and filmmakers to the college,” Sow said.

With a small planning committee of staff, faculty and students, she developed Grossmont College’s first Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month events in May. She also helped bring speakers to the college to bring awareness to ethnicity and multiculturalism.

“These efforts reflect my belief that representation matters – visibility of any ethnic group matters,” said Sow, a New York City native who lived as a child in the Philippines.

As co-coordinator of the English department’s Creative Writing program, Sow also oversees the Fall Reading Series and the Spring Literary Arts Festival, two traditions at Grossmont College dating back to the late 1990s.

A full-time English instructor at Grossmont College since 2016 and an adjunct faculty member for four years prior, Sow’s unflagging energy and contributions to the college were praised by President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh as he presented her the President’s Leadership Award.

“Through all of her work, she has proven herself a leader in engaging students and the community inside and outside of the classroom,” he said.

The UC Santa Barbara alum earned her bachelor’s degree in literature and her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from San Diego State University.

Steve Weinert

“Being a teacher, serving our community college students, is my ultimate joy,” she said.

Steve Weinert
The student comments that helped Cuyamaca College psychology instructor Steve Weinert win the Teaching Excellence Award say it all:

“He is an amazing professor who really wants you to learn. He will take the time to help you understand the material and works to make it relatable to you. Great teacher, and hands down one of the best classes I have ever taken.”

Another student writes: “He is one of my favorite professors at Cuyamaca. He genuinely keeps me engaged in class, and never fails to make whatever being taught interesting.”

From the 400 nominations from students, the Academic Senate review committee narrowed the field down to the top 15 and after visiting classrooms, selected one winner each among full-time faculty and adjunct instructors.

“My philosophy of education is very simple,” said Weinert, who began teaching as a part-time instructor at the college in 1994 and became full-time in 2001. “Always be kind. Learning is a reward, not a punishment. Having the ability to learn something is a joy, and having resources around that you need can make learning anything possible.”

Weinert received both this bachelor’s and master’s in psychology from San Diego State University, then earned a high school teaching credential from Chapman University. The Vermont native taught freshman science, psychology and biology and was also the head track coach at Ramona High School for three years prior to becoming a full-time instructor at Cuyamaca College.

Active over the years in numerous college committees, Weinert’s other contributions to the campus include his founding of a research lab where he enlists students to help them learn how to collect and analyze data.

Weinert is planning future projects such as a distracted driving experiment in which an Xbox is used to simulate realistic driving situations and students engage in multitasking while behind the wheel. So far, the research lab has helped a trio of students transfer to UC San Diego and SDSU, where they are continuing their lab work.

Rachel Farris

“I love learning new things about my students and their backgrounds,” he said. “Each semester I get to meet a new batch of personalities and perspectives. It is just amazing.”

Rachel Farris

As a cost accountant for GroundMetrics, a San Diego company specializing in electromagnetic sensor system technologies, Rachel Farris is able to bring real-world experience to the accounting classes she teaches at Cuyamaca College.

It is a huge plus for students, judging from the student nominations submitted on her behalf for the Teaching Excellence Award for adjunct faculty.

“Rachel Farris is a superb instructor who offers real-world insight into the subject of financial accounting that helps reinforce ideas taught in class,” one student wrote. “Her experience as an accountant has helped bring life to the content we learn in class.”

Students also have high praise for her ability to engage the class and keep what could easily be mind-numbing material interesting.

“As dry as the subject of accounting can be, Professor Farris made it fun for the class,” reads a student review. “This professor engages the class, which is hard to do in class about numbers. Her passion for teaching is evident when you observe how her students are totally engaged in her class.”

An adjunct instructor at Cuyamaca College from 2005-2009 and again from 2012 to the present, Farris said the teaching award is especially meaningful because it is a recognition from students.

Born and raised in rural Illinois, Farris earned her bachelor’s in finance/business administration from Illinois State University, her Master of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma and her MBA in management accounting from National University. She never considered a teaching career until she took a job as a tutor at Concordia University in Wisconsin and subsequently was offered a teaching position.

“It opened a whole new world for me, one I found I enjoyed greatly,” Farris said. “I’m honored that my students speak highly of me – that really means a lot to me.”

Crime lab demonstrations, free food, folklorico dancers, a VIP panel, a drone giveaway and more are on tap for Grossmont College’s Dia de Familia, a free community event promoting careers and programs tied to public service and non-profits.

The 4-8 p.m., March 5 event sponsored by the college’s s Via Rapida FYE program will be at the Main Quad, targeting the Latinx and East County communities. More than 200 attendees are expected, organizers say.

“This is one of our major events of the year focusing on high school students, adult re-entry students, current Grossmont College students and their families, but anyone interested in a public service career is certainly welcome,” said Gabriela Soto, an outreach specialist for Via Rapida FYE and chief organizer of Dia de Familia.

Federally funded by a grant for Hispanic Serving Institutions, Via Rapida’s First Year Experience program is designed for Hispanic, low-income students, but is open to all first-time college students needing academic or social support. The program currently serves approximately 500 students and is expected to double next year as it continues to develop , thanks to outreach efforts such as Dia de Familia, Soto said, With summer orientations for incoming freshmen, as well as close monitoring to help students stay on track, the FYE program has helped increase retention rates for first-time college students.

This is the third year for Dia de Familia, which annually highlights a different career theme. Past themes have been allied health and business/entrepreneurship. Careers represented this year will include public safety and law enforcement; as well as city management, disability and immigrant services. The event will showcase academic programs including forensic technology, the college’s Corrections Academy and Administration of Justice.

Law enforcement agencies including the San Diego, Chula Vista and National City police departments, and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will be represented. Non-profits will also have a presence, including the International Rescue Committee, the San Diego Humane Society, Jewish Family Services and the San Diego chapter of MANA, a national organization promoting Latina empowerment.

The evening’s schedule includes:
•    4-6 p.m.: forensics demonstration and tour, free tacos, engagement activities and expo
•    5-5:15 p.m.: Baile Folklorico performance
•    5:45 p.m.: Grossmont College Corrections Academy march demonstration
•    6:15-7 p.m.: Speakers panel with U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, La Mesa Police Chief Walter Vasquez; National City Police Sgt. Estela Cordero; San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Agustin Peña and a representative of the San Diego County Public Defender’s office. Panelists will talk about their backgrounds and provide career and educational advice.
•    7-8 p.m. Students’ panel of four AOJ students
Grossmont College is at 8800 Grossmont College Drive. Free parking will be available in Lot 7.

Four celebrated instructors at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges who last fall picked up top awards at their campuses added another jewel to their crowns on Wednesday as recipients of a national award recognizing exceptional teaching and leadership by community college faculty and staff.

Receiving the League for Innovation Excellence Awards March 4 at a conference in Seattle were math instructor Irene Palacios and Computer Science and Information Systems instructor Julie Hansen from Grossmont College, and from Cuyamaca College, English as a Second Language instructor Manuel Mancillas-Gomez and English instructor Robert Stafford. The four are the only honorees from San Diego County.

The League for Innovation in the Community College is a network of 1,500 colleges and associated businesses in North America and beyond. The Innovations Conference is the premier event for community college professionals dedicated to teaching, learning, leadership and management. The conference is capped by a special tribute to Excellence Award recipients which includes a medallion presentation ceremony.

For Palacios and Hansen, the Excellence Award follows the Distinguished Faculty awards they received last fall, with Palacios winning the top accolade for full-time faculty and Hansen receiving the award as a superlative part-time instructor. Mancillas-Gomez was lauded at Cuyamaca College as the Outstanding Faculty Award recipient for full-time faculty while Stafford was selected as the adjunct faculty awardee.

“These four faculty members epitomize excellence in teaching,” said Chancellor Lynn Neault. “The Innovation Excellence Award is validation that our students are receiving the award-winning education our colleges are known for.”

Irene Palacios
This math instructor embodies 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. Palacios worked the cotton fields during the summers, waking up at 4 a.m. and laboring in 110-degree heat.

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

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. Colleagues say 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.

Manuel Mancillas-Gomez
Born in Tijuana and educated through high school in Mexico, Mancillas-Gomez’s introduction to U.S. schooling came in 1967 at UCLA.

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 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.

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.

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 having a huge impact on student success.”

Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges temporarily shifting to onlione classesGrossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are cancelling in-person classes during the week of March 16-20 in response to the coronavirus outbreak, temporarily shifting to online instruction as a precautionary measure.

The East County colleges join several other colleges and universities throughout the state that are taking similar steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and San Diego County Public Health Services assure that the risk to the general public remains low, the colleges are taking the action to ensure the health and safety of students and employees at the campuses.

“We are taking these extraordinary measures out of an abundance of caution,” said Chancellor Lynn Neault. “We are doing everything we can to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees and the public, while ensuring that our student can complete their classes.”

All college and district operations will continue as normally scheduled during this period and non-instructional employees are expected to be on site during their regular work hours. Support staff will be available to assist students, and designated open computer labs will be available on campus for students who otherwise don’t have access to computers. Social distancing will be practiced as an additional precaution.

All student events for the next two weeks are cancelled, and intercollegiate athletics games are cancelled through March 29. Staff and student travel on district business outside of the state and country has been cancelled, and in-state travel is being reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Linda Cartwright, president of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board, said the board supports the steps being taken.

“We recognize the challenges imposed by these measures, and we regret any difficulties to students or faculty, but the health and safety of our campus communities is our utmost responsibility,” she said.

Classes are scheduled to resume on March 30 following the March 23-27 spring break, but college and district officials will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation to determine if additional measures need to be taken.

For the latest updates, go to the District’s COVID-19 web page.

As the coronavirus situation remains in a state of flux, effective today, March 16, 2020, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are now closed to students and the public until further notice.

All instructional activities, office hours and labs will take place online or through another remote delivery to the fullest extent possible. Students are advised to follow directives provided by their instructors and to regularly check the college website and emails to keep apprised by the latest developments.

The one exception is students in their final week of eight-week classes. Those classes are still in session, with everyone practicing social distancing by retaining at least a 6-foot separation.

The district’s Governing Board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, was also cancelled.

Employees at the campuses were advised to prepare themselves to work remotely as feasible. Those in high-risk categories have been instructed to leave their workplaces today to begin working remotely. The high- risk groups include all employees who are sick or experiencing symptoms, individuals who may have come in contact with others who could have been exposed, and those over the age of 65.

“We understand how difficult the coronavirus outbreak has been for everyone and the disruption this pandemic has caused in people’s lives” said Chancellor Lynn Ceresino Neault. “We are doing our best to respond quickly but carefully to this evolving situation.”

The district’s COVID-19 web page has the latest updates.

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board has approved an emergency declaration in response to the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The declaration provides Chancellor Lynn Neault with the authority to close the colleges and district offices if necessary; move to online instruction and telecommuting work arrangements, and within limits, to enter into contracts for supplies or services that are necessary during the crisis.

Instead of meeting in person Wednesday evening, the Governing Board’s five elected members and two student representatives held a virtual meeting using the Zoom teleconferencing technology. The Brown Act has been modified to allow virtual meetings during the crisis situation.

The meeting was held online to comply with the recommendations of public health authorities to limit gatherings to more than 10 people and to practice social distancing. The public was also able to watch the virtual meeting at Grossmont College Griffin Gate, 8800 Grossmont College Dr., in El Cajon, but no more than 10 people at a time were allowed in the room to abide by social distancing guidelines.

In an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have transitioned entirely to online and remote learning and the campuses are closed to students and the public until further notice. Starting today, all employees are working offsite except those deemed essential to the operation of the colleges.

“We are continuing to offer instruction and services to our students because we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that our students can complete their classes,” Neault said.

Enhanced cleaning protocols have also been put in place including closing areas in some buildings, providing disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer at district and college offices, and cleaning with hospital-grade cleansers.

The district’s COVID-19 web page has the latest updates about the status of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District regarding coronavirus.

For high school students homebound because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, eight-week online classes starting March 30 at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges could be just the thing to get a head start on a college education.

The classes run through May 23 and at only $46 a unit for California residents, are a bargain. Most classes carry three units of credit, with financial aid available to those who qualify. Online registration is available. With the virus outbreak, all classes at the colleges are now being offered remotely.

Perhaps the pandemic has you curious about how public officials make decisions that impact huge swaths of the country. Grossmont College is offering Introduction to Public Health (Health Education 201) which covers public health policy and the epidemiology of infectious and chronic disease and their impact on society.

Another class covering public health policies is Health and Social Justice (HED 204), a Cuyamaca College course providing an introduction to health inequities in the United States that stem from unequal living conditions. The class starts April 23 and is a Zero Textbook Cost course that doesn’t require the purchase of a textbook because of its use of Open Educational Resources or free textbook alternatives.

Other offerings include classes in Career Decision Making (COUN 110), College and Career Success (COUN 120) and Study Skills and Time Management (COUNS 130) to help college-bound students get ready for the next rung of their education ladder. Introductory classes in sociology, psychology and nutrition are also included in the mix of short-term classes.

Check out the list of second 8-week classes at Cuyamaca College and in the Grossmont College schedule (p. 20).

For information on applying and enrolling, as well as financial aid, go to https://www.gcccd.edu/now/.

Cuyamaca College’s popular Middle Eastern Heritage Month is moving online as part of Cuyamaca’s Virtual Campus.

“People are at home practicing social distancing to stay safe and a lot of campus events have been cancelled, so we decided to move this online for remote access and it all came together really well,” said Interim Student Services Specialist Rana Al-Shaikh, who worked with Cuyamaca College Student Affairs, which is providing online access and expertise and is coordinating the events with support from Associated Student Government, Engagement & Equity, the World Languages Department and the Middle Eastern Students Club.

All events will be carried on the Cuyamaca College YouTube channel starting Wednesday, April 1, with chef Paul Karyakos, who goes by the name Chef PK, detailing the finer points of making Lebanese labneh. Karyakos will follow with an April 8 lesson on creating hummus, an April 15 lesson on making tabbouleh salad and an April 22 lesson on crafting shakshuka.

The events are curated to educate the campus community and the public about the contributions of the Middle Eastern culture.

Other events broadcast on YouTube include:

April 3: Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy in English and Arabic. This two-part, dual-language presentation will be shown in a PowerPoint format organized by Arabic instructor Hanaa Alkassas.

April 10: Contributions of Famous Arab-Americans to American Society. This presentation by Alkassas will focus on how Arab-Americans have influenced American society over the years.

April 14: Ethnic Identification of Middle Eastern Christians. This Diversity Dialogues presentation by Daniel Kakish will cover the ethnic and linguistic diversity of Middle Eastern Christians, along with ancient and contemporary churches and monasteries.

April 20: Middle Eastern Women Who Influenced Society. Arabic instructor Aklas Sheai will discuss several Middle Eastern women throughout time who have left a profound impact on society.

April 24: Sahar Al Sanati. Sanati will perform her own Chaldean, Assyrian and Arabic melodies with English interpretations.

April 28: A Muslim’s Perspective. This Diversity Dialogues presentation by Cuyamaca College personal counselor Halima Eid will discuss microaggressions, Islamophobia and the cultural differences in Muslim communities.

April 30: Iraqi Art and the Music of Khadry al Chi. Iraqi-born musician Moaayed Shlemon will play traditional Arabic songs with translations in English. Shlemon also will discuss the history of the Khadry al Chi art form.

East San Diego County has the second-largest Iraqi population in the country, behind only Detroit, and Cuyamaca College has been holding special spring events celebrating Arabic and Middle Eastern 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.

Loaning ventilators, aiding stranded cruise ship passengers, and stitching home-made face masks are ways that Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District employees are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a time for everyone to respond with the highest urgency,” said Chancellor Lynn Neault. “This global epidemic can only be fought with sense of unity and a common mission to help humanity in any way we can. This scourge has been a humbling lesson in how vulnerable we are, even in this modern age. I am grateful to our employees for opening their hearts and responding with such compassion.”

Grossmont College loans ventilators to hospitals and state

Grossmont College ventilators to be used by local hospitals

Grossmont College has loaned 18 ventilators to two local hospitals and the state as part of an effort to increase the supply of the life-saving equipment for COVID-19 patients.

The ventilators, which are used in Grossmont College’s Respiratory Therapy program, are valued at almost $400,000, said Nancy Saks, Senior Dean of Allied Health and Nursing at Grossmont.

Six of the ventilators went to Kaiser San Diego Hospital, five went to Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, and seven others went to the state Office of Emergency Services. They were picked up at the college on Friday and Sunday.

As the number of COVID-19 patients increases, hospitals are experiencing a severe shortage of ventilators. The state of California recently sent out a request to colleges with health-related programs to loan out their ventilators.

Saks praised Peggy Wells, coordinator of Grossmont College’s respiratory therapy program; and Respiratory Therapy Instructors Rebecca Handley and Carey Flores for their efforts in putting together the loan.

She noted that the Respiratory Therapy program celebrated its 50 ^th year last fall, and many of Grossmont College’s Respiratory Therapy graduates now work at the hospitals getting the ventilators. Since the program began, more than 1,000 respiratory therapists have graduated. Their training includes 576 hours of clinical experience at an array of local medical centers.

“Students have gone to those facilities to get trained,” Saks said. “We ‘re giving back to help the community by loaning a piece of equipment that is really needed.”

Grossmont College chemistry instructor part of cruise ship rescue mission

Grossmont College Chemistry Instructor Jeff Lehman
at the Grand Princess cruise ship

Grossmont College chemistry instructor Jeff Lehman was set to spend spring break with his wife on a cruise ship bound for Mexico. Then COVID-19 struck.

Lehman instead spent three weeks in March doing disaster relief work, removing and relocating passengers off the Grand Princess cruise ship that was stranded off the California coast after several aboard were sickened by the deadly virus.

A member of the government’s National Disaster Medical System, Lehman was deployed to relocate 800 of the 2,400 passengers from the Port of Oakland, where the massive ship debarked to Travis Air Force Base near Sacramento for a two-week quarantine. Additional units of the system’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team handled relocations to other military bases, including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

“This was one of the more complex incidents that I have worked because there were county, state, federal and international officials and agencies involved,” said Lehman, who has spent 14 years with the disaster response system. The system operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is called into action during major disasters to help fill in gaps, supplementing health and medical systems and response capabilities. Lehman’s past deployments include hurricanes Sandy, Harvey and Dorian and Typoon Mangkhut in Guam.

After the four days it took to screen and bus passengers to Travis, Lehman spent the rest of the mission at the military base. Clad in personal protective equipment when entering the cordoned off “hot zones,” he handled tasks ranging from meal and mail deliveries to taking passengers’ temperatures.

Asked what motivated him to deploy for the mission, Lehman spoke about his personal beliefs.

"My faith provides a model for service," said Lehman, who also trains and volunteers for a search and rescue crew that responds to wilderness emergencies throughout the state. "Service comes in a variety of manifestations. I am thankful for those who serve in ways that I am not well equipped. I happen to have an aptitude for operating in, and managing resources during disasters, so this is what I do."

Turning old uniforms into masks

Seven boxfuls of outdated uniforms for Nursing and Allied Health students were taking up space in the department’s building on the Grossmont College campus. The uniforms couldn’t be used by students and were slated for disposal, but the boxes were still there when Saks stopped by the office on Friday while arranging for the loan of the ventilators to local hospitals and the state.

"We just had to find something to do with them," Saks said. “Then one faculty member got the idea – let’s make masks out of them."

The masks were distributed to Nursing and Allied Health faculty members working from home using physical distances practices. Several faculty members, who asked to remain anonymous, sewed dozens of masks.

Saks said the masks will be distributed to the Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health system and to support units of the San Diego Police Department, such as the psychiatric liaison unit. They are reusable after washing.

“We’re glad we found a way to make use of those uniforms so they can help our community,” Saks said.

Kris Saradpon/Saradpon Photography

Chef James Foran, a veteran pastry instructor at Grossmont College and head of the Culinary Arts program, has gotten a taste of celebrity, thanks to winning the March 24 season premiere of “Chopped,” the popular TV cooking competition on the Food Network.

“Chef James provides further evidence that Grossmont College faculty stand among the best academically and professionally. We are proud of our colleague,” said Grossmont College President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh. “He sets high standards for his students and inspires them to rise to the challenge as he has demonstrated on the national scene."

Asked on the show why he was competing in “Chopped,” Foran said he wanted to represent fellow teachers. Foran, who previously worked as a pastry chef at leading restaurants before coming to Grossmont College, credits his students for keeping him passionate about his work as a chef.
“Your students will be really proud to be saying they are taught by a ‘Chopped’ champion,” one judge told Foran.

A beaming Chef James, who earned $10,000 and bragging rights as a winner of TV’s toughest cooking competition, acknowledged his Grossmont College students.

“They pushed me to get here and I proved I could win,” he said. He shared airtime with a few of them when the ‘Chopped” camera crew came to the college in the winter of 2018 to tape the segment of the show featuring chefs in their home turf. “I’m a ‘Chopped’ champion and it feels really great.”

The show is notorious for presenting chefs with mystery baskets, typically filled with incongruous combinations of lesser-known ingredients. Foran said “Chopped” was the most pressure-filled experience he has ever had, facing each half-hour round with no idea what he had to work with.

The competition pitted four pastry chefs -- two with shops of their own and the third a pastry chef at a well-known restaurant in New York City – in three rounds of competition creating decadent chocolate desserts. Each round ended with one chef dropped from the competition, which consisted of three categories of chocolate dishes – crunchy, gooey and fruity.

Round one’s basket revealed tamarillos, fermented honey, chocolate covered shrimp chips and chocolate milk. Foran created chocolate and honey ice cream with shrimp chip crumble.
Round two’s basket yielded kumquats, miso, chocolate ganache tart and spicy chocolate chicken wings with which Foran created brown sugar brownies with miso caramel.

The last round presented the two remaining chefs with white chocolate banana pudding, freeze dried raspberries, sweet beef jerky and ruby chocolate candy bars. Foran concocted a white chocolate raspberry frozen yogurt with chocolate beef jerky beignets.

Foran’s beignets were nearly his downfall as the judges commented on how overcooked they were, but his ice cream from the earlier round was such a big hit that the judges were willing to give him a pass on his beignet boo-boo.

“Really, the show is intentionally designed to make chefs fail with an impossibly short period of time to cook,” Foran said. “It’s about thinking on your feet and not cracking under pressure.”

The show, taped in New York last June, brought Foran back to his hometown, where he first started working in restaurants as a high schooler.

He earned a degree in Pastry Arts from Johnson and Wales University, a private university in Providence, Rhode Island, with a top culinary school. He started his career at the Drake Hotel in New York City, training under legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Foran went on to work in San Francisco as executive pastry chef at such highly acclaimed establishments as Vertigo Restaurant, One Market and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. A stint followed as executive pastry chef at Bellagio Hotel's Picasso restaurant in Las Vegas.

Drawn by access to locally farmed produce, he came to San Diego, where he was hired as the pastry chef at Arterra Restaurant, now known as Market Restaurant, where he continues a collaboration with chef Carl Schroeder.

Teaching, he said, seemed like a natural progression, and he credits his students during his 14 years at Grossmont College for keeping him inspired as a chef.

“Teaching makes me a better pastry chef and a better person," Foran said.

He said it is tragic how the coronavirus outbreak has decimated the culinary industry, noting that the profit margin for restaurants is razor thin under the best of circumstances. The college’s culinary arts program has also had to modify its offerings by moving its lecture courses online.

Like everyone, he is spending his time these days at home, reworking curriculum and cooking in his Tierrasanta kitchen, which he remodeled with his winnings from “Chopped.”

“Grossmont College is a special place and the program is resilient,” he said.

The champion chef knows a thing or two about survival.

A pair of Cuyamaca College engineering students are making things a little more tolerable for health care workers and other essential employees whose face mask straps can wear thin on the soft tissue behind their ears during their shifts.

Dill Johnson, 24, and Nicholas Snyder, 20, are using their 3-D printers at home and the skills they’ve learned at Cuyamaca College to produce more than 200 “ear saver” bands to relieve the pressure caused by straps on a face mask.

With essential workers from doctors and nurses to food service employees mandated to wear face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with health officials urging residents to wear one any time they leave their home, ear savers – which look something like a plastic comb and hook around the back of the neck - are becoming increasingly popular.

Nicholas Snyder

Snyder’s venture began in developing a few ear savers for his mom, a nurse, and her co-workers at a local hospital. “It becomes incredibly uncomfortable to have all that pressure behind your ear all day long.”

About the same time, a friend asked if Snyder could use his 3-D printer to make more for essential workers such as grocery store clerks. He’s printed dozens so far and has no plans on stopping anytime soon.

Johnson was motivated by his stays in the hospital while being treated for testicular cancer and appendicitis. “I have a true appreciation for health care professionals, who have had a huge impact on my life,” said Johnson, who has produced close to 200 of the ear savers. “Giving back to them in even a small way is pretty rewarding.”

Dill Johnson

Johnson, who will be transferring to San Diego State in the fall to study mechanical engineering, said he was planning to use his 3-D printer to produce face shields and face masks. Then his sister told him about the need for ear savers, which can be produced in a fraction of the time. He’s been making up to 60 per day.

Johnson and Snyder have donated their ear savers to workers at UC San Diego Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, and more.

“If I see a problem, I’m not going to hesitate to jump in, come up with a quick drawing, put it into AutoCAD, and develop a workable solution, and I attribute that to the skills and knowledge I’ve picked up through the Cuyamaca College Engineering program,” said Snyder, who is aiming to move on from Cuyamaca College to earn an engineering degree and ultimately a master’s in mechanical engineering.

Miriam Graf Simpson, chair of engineering and physical sciences at Cuyamaca College, said Johnson and Snyder’s efforts demonstrates how students are taught at the college.

"We try to teach our engineering students not just to master the hard concepts of creating in the physical space, but that what we build impacts other people and that engineering is a way to not just improve a project, but to improve lives and communities,” she said. “Dill and Nick are students who exemplify that effort, taking their skills and resources, and applying them in creative ways outside the classroom."

Scholarships awarded to more than 500 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students

Cuyamaca College Powwow Returns February 1

College district sets 16-year record for clean audits

Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges celebrate Black History Month

Accreditation reaffirmed for Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges

Lorenzo Vilches: Cuyamaca College student's drive leads to accolades

Cuyamaca College President Julianna Barnes selected for Aspen Institute fellowship

Grossmont College Ranks Among Top 100 Nationally for Associate Degrees Awarded to Minorities

Citizens' bond oversight committee issues annual report

Top faculty lauded at Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges

Grossmont College's Dia de Familia promoting careers in public service

Faculty foursome shine in Seattle, reflecting the best of community college instruction

Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges temporarily shifting to online classes

Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges closed to students and public

College district Governing Board approves emergency declaration at virtual meeting

Short-term, online college classes good fit for homebound high-schoolers

Cuyamaca College's Middle Eastern Heritage Month is moving online

College district helps community during COVID-19 crisis

Grossmont College Culinary Arts instructor wins TV's 'Chopped'

Cuyamaca College students create 'ear savers' for essential workers