Friday, September 12, 2014 – Friday, September 19, 2014

• Double Vision: Photographic Portraits from Cuba & Ghana, Skyline College, Art Gallery, Building 1, Room 121

Friday, September 12, 2014

• 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, Skyline College, Building 6, Room 6206

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

• 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., Movies for Mental Health, Skyline College, Building 6, Room 6202

For the latest information on events and activities happening at Skyline College, please view our calendar.

If you would like to include your college event or activity on the calendar, please submit the event, date, time and location to Cherie Colin via email at colinc@smccd.edu.

Skyline College’s Legal Clinic opens its doors to the public!

SparkPoint at Skyline College and the Center for Legal Studies, with generous support from the President’s Council, are pleased to announce the opening of a weekly on-campus legal clinic where students and community members can receive free legal information on a host of pressing issues such as immigration, domestic violence, and tenant’s rights.

In 2012, inspired by the promise of support for “big ideas” from the President’s Council and working in collaboration with Director William Watson and Counselor Melanie Espinueva of SparkPoint at Skyline College, Vice President of Instruction Sarah Perkins, Dean of Creative Arts & Social Sciences Donna Bestock, and Associate Professor Jesse W. Raskin got to work planning a one of a kind free clinic.

As envisioned, the clinic will help bridge the justice gap by providing equal access to legal services for under-resourced members of the local community. Concurrently, the clinic will serve as a hands-on classroom where, under the supervision of a licensed attorney, the dedicated students in Skyline College’s paralegal program will learn to provide client consultations, self-help support, and referrals.

But, the team knew they were missing a key element: a local lawyer committed to education and interested in working for social justice. As luck would have it, Maria Segarra Gaudio from Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach reached out to Professor Raskin. And, a fruitful partnership was soon formed.

Per Maria, adjunct instructor and managing attorney, the clinic is here to serve, “everyone who can use our help: undocumented students applying for work authorization, county residents facing eviction, domestic violence survivors who need resources and support, all are welcome. We are here to serve you.”

Maria not only has experience on immigration matters, landlord-tenant cases, and domestic violence restraining order petitions, but as a Skyline College alumna she has first hand knowledge of the challenges facing our community.

“We found a great fit for the managing attorney position! Maria has a passion for providing legal services to the underserved and a deep desire to make a positive impact as a community college instructor,” says Professor Raskin, Coordinator of the Center for Legal Studies.

This fall, the legal clinic will operate weekly on Thursdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the SparkPoint Center in Building 1 Room 1214 from September to November 2014. Appointments are preferred but drop-ins are welcome. This legal clinic is FREE. For appointments and information, please call (650) 738-7035.

Article by Maria Segarra Gaudio and Jesse W. Raskin

Twenty-five Grove Scholars (new and renewal) were selected amongst over 60 applicants to become part of the Grove Scholars Program and receive an award of up to $2,000. All Grove Scholars were treated to an orientation and pizza luncheon on  Friday, August 29. Over the Fall semester, Grove Scholars will participate in the following services: financial education and coaching, career counseling, and additional services as needed for academic success.

We encourage all students to visit SparkPoint (Building 1, Room 1222) to find out more about the services we offer and this scholarship program.  Students may also e-mail their questions to grovescholar@smccd.edu or call (650) 738-4239.

Article by Andrea Doffoney Anyanwu | Photo by Angelita Gajeton

Skyline College’s 2014 Asian Culture Week will take place from September 15 through 20. This exciting event will feature an Asian Food Festival and Asian Film Festival, including the films “I Do” (China), and “Secretly and Greatly” (Korea).

On September 20, the event will close in the Theater with a special cultural performance presented by the China Dance School and the Theater of San Francisco.

Food will be available for purchase and proceeds will benefit the Asian Studies Center Program.

Event Schedule:

Skyline College 2014 Asian Culture Week

Film Festival (Theater)

Monday, September 15
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.: “I Do” 我愿意 (Chinese Movie)

Wednesday, September 17
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.: “Secretly and Greatly” (Korean Moive)

Asian Food Festival (in front of Quad):

Tuesday, September 16
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 17
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Chinese dance performance:

Saturday, September 19
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Tickets:
Call 650-738-4194 for tickets $20/ticket

Article by Hui Pate

Money is one of the most stressful topics for most people regardless of age, income, background or financial history. SparkPoint at Skyline College can ease the pain! Specializing in financial education and personalized financial coaching, free for both students and non-enrolled members of the community, SparkPoint at Skyline College presents Financial Education workshops throughout Fall 2014 at Skyline College.  Serving both students and residents of San Mateo County, the workshops cover topics ranging from:

• Banking
• Building Savings
• Money Management and Budgeting
• Credit and Identity Theft

Learn to set financial goals, create budgets, identify attitudes towards money and savings, and explore how to identify predatory financial services. Attendees will gain information and tools to increase positive financial behaviors for personal and academic success.

A special thanks to all staff, faculty, and student service programs for promoting this semester’s financial education workshops to our students.

SparkPoint presents financial education workshops in the English Language Institute, Bldg 1, Room 1218, once per month. Certificates of completion are available for all attendees.  For more information, please visit the SparkPoint at Skyline College website: www.skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint

Article by Melanie Espinueva

On Saturday, September 6, Skyline College helped GeneConnection celebrate its 25^th year of existence by hosting a faculty kickoff at the Skyline College meeting rooms in Building 6.   The kickoff was doubly fitting because GeneConnection first started at Skyline College, and by hosting this event the Skyline College Biotechnology program is continuing to connect with local High School faculty and biotechnology companies that employ our students and graduates.

The 25^th year celebration for GeneConnection was sponsored by BABEC, California Community Colleges Doing What Matters and North Valley Biotechnology center.  In the picture Johanna Anton (left) and Kim Hansen (right) are next to a plaque depicting an Assembly resolution of recognition for GeneConnection from our assembly member Kevin Mullin who is chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology.

The GeneConnection provides logistics, materials and support for an innovative biotechnology laboratory program for high school students in San Mateo County. This program engages over 11,000 students annually.  Over 50 Faculty from Bay area High schools attended the event, which included a talk from Genentech Senior Scientist Dr. Ingrid Wertz as well as talks and discussions about Next Generation Science Standards and how to introduce the concept of Cell Signaling to students in a fun and educational manner.

With the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Gene Connection has worked to correlate all of their mobile labs with NGSS. Aligning to the standards GeneConnection lets the faculty do what they do best, that is introducing students to rigorous biotechnology labs, without having faculty worry about the logistics of setup, procurement of consumables and if the materials that the students are using are going to cover and match the standards.

The Science Math and Technology Division and the Biotechnology Department hope to continue to support Biotechnology Laboratory education throughout the County and to continue to offer Professional development to local teachers and to collaborate with local high schools.

Article and Photo by Nick Kapp

Goodwill Industries celebrated their graduation on September 25, 2014 and presented Skyline College Warehousing Certificates at their San Francisco headquarters. Alpha Lewis, Warehousing Instructor, Soledad McCarthy, Program Services Coordinator, Lorraine Giordano, Executive Director of the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative and Jeremy Evangelista, Office Assistant II presented the certificates to our fall 2014 cohort. Skyline College’s Business Division and Workforce Development partnership with Goodwill Industries awards certificates in Warehousing to students wishing to reenter the workforce. For many of the Goodwill students, this is their first time entering a college environment.

As a result of the class, Kenneth Aguilar has enrolled at Skyline College in the CIPHER (Center for Innovative Practices through Hip Hop Education and Research) Learning Community.

Past Goodwill Warehousing students have enrolled full time into the Career Advancement Academy in both Automotive Entry Level Technician and Allied Health.

Career Advancement Academy (CAA) provides stackable certificates in Automotive Entry Level Technician, Early Childhood Education Foundations, Paralegal and Allied Health (EMT, Medical Office Administration, and Sterile Processing).

For more information about the Career Advancement Academy or our Goodwill Partnership, contact, Soledad McCarthy, mccarthys@smccd.edu.

Article by Soledad McCarthy | Photo by Alpha Lewis

On Monday, September 1, 2014, Labor Day, several faculty and staff members took a group of the visiting international students from Mexico in the Becalos program, for a fun and informative outing to the Mission District in San Francisco. Professor Gary Fleener, from the Education Abroad program, walked the students to the Daly City Bart Station and showed them how to navigate BART to San Francisco. John Saenz, who works with the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development, and his lovely wife, Alicia also came along to guide, as did Raul Guerra from the Global Learning Program, as well as English Professor Lucia Lachmayr.

Students were shown the murals of Balmy Alley, the Mission Cultural Center, several unique bookstores as well as the lovely murals of the Women’s Building, known as the “Maestrapeace” by many in the area. Students were even treated to watching an artist in the middle of creating a mural and who kindly stopped to answer questions from students. Four Skyline College Puente student volunteers, Antonio Quintana, Andressa Dos Santos, Daniel Del Castillo, and Yare Ozuna, helped guide the Becalos students on their tour throughout the Mission.

Article by Lucia Lachmayr | Photo by Raul Guerra

The English Language Institute, ELI, and the Center for Student Life came together to screen the award-winning movie, Bella, for over fifty English-learners, mainly Becalos students, here at Skyline College. The students enjoyed the mid-day movie that won the top prize at Toronto’s International Film Festival and was honored by the Smithsonian, The Mexican Embassy and the White House for its contribution to the Arts and Hispanic Culture.

English Language Institute’s Christopher Rico, ESOL Professor Leigh Anne Shaw and John Saenz from the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development organized the successful event. Christopher Rico led a discussion after the screening as a way to engage students’ language learning skills and social skills.

One student said: “Since arriving here at Skyline College, my experience with people from different cultures and backgrounds has been great! People have been very welcoming and friendly. I’ve also learned that we are not so different from one another, and it does not matter whether you’re French, Chinese, Arabic or Mexican.”

Another student said: I really enjoyed the movie, Bella! It’s only a movie but it can happen in real life. It’s a reminder that your life can change forever in a second.

In director Alejandro Monteverde’s emotional tale of self-discovery, two people whose lives are changed forever discover that sometimes it takes losing it all to finally appreciate the things that truly matter. Starring Mexican superstar Eduardo Verastegui (Chasing Papi) and Emmy award winning Tammy Blanchard (The Good Shepherd), Bella is a heartwarming love story about life, relationships and our capacity for love in the face of the unexpected.

Another student said: “When I was a young boy in Mexico, I dreamed of coming to California. My parents are old but I always wanted to go to college. Now I am here in California studying at Skyline College. Dreams do come true!”

On Monday, September 8, family members and friends of Skyline College Puente students attended the annual Noche de Familia (Family Night). The celebration recognized our Puentistas’ academic endeavors as family achievements, and focused on the family as a main source of support for continued student success

The evening’s program, filled with music and refreshments, allowed family members to gain insight into the academic lives of our Puentistas. Lucia Lachmayr, Puente Program Coordinator/ English Instructor, and Melanie Espinueva, Puente Counselor, conducted an orientation for attendees introducing the national Puente Program model and explaining its positive impact on Puente students’ academic performance. An informational workshop on FAFSA, BOGFW, Federal grants and scholarships was also presented by Jocelyn Vila, Financial Aid Program Services Coordinator.

The highlight of the evening was a dialogue that occurred between students and family members regarding ways to support academic success. The students gathered to discuss ways they felt their loved ones could support their academic goals while their loved ones worked together to create a list of ways they felt they could provide such support. Students, family, and friends ended the evening by committing to support each other’s academic goals and personal development.

A special thanks to Jocelyn Vila for the Financial Aid presentation, the Skyline College Center for Legal Studies and SparkPoint at Skyline College for providing informational flyers on the Legal Clinic and SparkPoint services, and the Language Arts and Counseling divisions for supporting the celebration.

Puente looks forward to launching this year’s mentorship program and providing Puente students opportunities to attend cultural events and 4-year university tours. For more information on the Puente Program, please contact Lucia Lachmayr lachmayrl@smccd.edu or Melanie Espinueva espinuevam@smccd.edu.

Article and Photo by Melanie Espinueva