On April 4, 2016, Skyline College’s International Student Program hosted a Singapore delegation of approximately 19 students and 2 teachers.

The group was welcomed by the International Student Program Manager Mr. Wissem Bennani, who gave a presentation, introducing Skyline College and provided them with a general overview of the services that Skyline College offers. This was followed by remarks by Dr. Robinson, the Dean of Global Learning Programs and Services, who spoke to the students about various business and logistics courses which are currently being offered at Skyline College. The students from the delegation were extremely interested to hear and learn about the courses offered by Skyline College. Dr. Robinson then opened the floor up to questions that the students had and answered a wide range of general and course specific questions that were asked.

Mr. Wissem Bennani then explained in more detail about the International Student Program and the admission process. He described the benefits of studying at Skyline College both from an educational experience perspective as well as in preparation for transferring to a four year college. This was followed up with useful information about the UC and CSU systems and the transfer opportunities and guidance that Skyline College students would have access to. The students were interested to hear Mr. Bennani explain that many students from Skyline College had secured places at sought after Colleges.

Finally the Singapore Delegation was accompanied on a campus tour by Mr. Bennani and the students were impressed with the facilities, students and easily navigable campus. ISP will continue to provide international and cultural programs and events for Skyline College students, faculty and staff members and the greater Skyline College community. Please check future events on the ISP website.

Article by Holly Zhou | Photo by ISP Staff

Skyline College student Donway Sy recently received the 2016 Dr. Andrew V. Stevenson Merit Scholarship in the amount of $1,000, for his commitment to academic excellence and active involvement in his community.

Sy is an international student from the Philippines. While studying at Skyline College, he is living away from his family, “Growing up, my father always reminded me that staying in one’s comfort zone is a surefire recipe for mediocrity. Hence, when I was offered the opportunity to pursue college education in California, I decided to take it even though it meant having to live away from family and friends, says the 3.98 GPA holder. “I realized this opportunity would allow me to learn skills that would be highly beneficial for my future career.”

In addition to a full academic schedule, Sy is involved in student organizations, internships and volunteer work. His volunteer activities include a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank, San Francisco City Impact, and Relay for Life San Bruno. In addition to Kappa Beta Delta, Sy became active with Phi Theta Kappa and has had the opportunity to volunteer at middle schools and senior centers.

“Donway is the model for scholar-servant-leader. He doesn’t seek glory for his work. His reward is the success he has with his pupils and the increasing involvement of his peers,” says Christine Case, Professor, Biology at Skyline College.

Kappa Beta Delta is an international honor society that encourages and recognizes scholarship and accomplishment among students of business, management and administration pursuing associate degrees.

KBD member institutions are accredited through the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. Since 1988, ACBSP has been a leading accrediting body for business programs, and has accredited programs at two-year institutions since 1991.

The Dr. Andrew V. Stevenson Merit Scholarship is awarded each year to a student who is a member of Kappa Beta Delta International Honor Society; carries a grade point average of 3.5 or higher; is currently enrolled in college courses; and has illustrated merited community service in the past year.

Article by Alison Roberts

Skyline College student Margo Feldman received the 2016 Alpha Beta Chi Merit Scholarship in the amount of $500, for her commitment to academic excellence and active involvement in her community.

In addition to a full academic schedule, Feldman has worked in the Center for Student Life & Leadership Development since 2013. She is Co-President of Kappa Beta Delta Alpha Beta Chi Chapter at Skyline College.

Professor Guillermo Ortiz commented “she has demonstrated that she takes school very seriously, is organized, and pursues academic goals with enthusiasm and commitment”.

Kappa Beta Delta is an international honor society that encourages and recognizes scholarship and accomplishment among students of business, management and administration pursuing associate degrees.

KBD member institutions are accredited through the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. Since 1988, ACBSP has been a leading accrediting body for business programs, and has accredited programs at two-year institutions since 1991.

The Alpha Beta Chi Merit Scholarship is awarded each year to a student who is a member of Kappa Beta Delta International Honor Society at Skyline College; carries a grade point average of 3.4 or higher; is currently enrolled in college courses; and has illustrated merited community service in the past year.

Article by Alison Roberts

Skyline College’s Omicron Theta Beta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society achieved the distinction of Five Star Status for 2015. This is the 15^th consecutive time since the chapter was chartered in November 1999 that the chapter has earned the highest status awarded by Phi Theta Kappa.

To achieve the five-star level, members must do scholarly research and develop and implement a service project on the Honors Study Topic. Additionally, they must develop and implement a College Project, specifically for the benefit of the College. At the Nevada/California Regional Convention this past weekend, Beta Theta Omicron’s Honors in Action Project and College Project received the Regional awards in these categories. The awards are the result of competitive essays documenting the chapter’s 2015 projects.

The Chapter yearbook earned the Regional Yearbook Award. We are grateful to our Chapter Historian and yearbook editor, Pauline Maccay, for her leadership. And the Officer Team earned the Distinguished Regional Chapter Officer Team Award.

Regional individual awards were awarded to

Akayi Thein: Art Award

Donway Sy: Regional Scholar, second place.

Please congratulate chapter members and officers for their work and accomplishments.

 

Article and photo by Christine Case

The Skyline College International Student Program (ISP) and the International Affairs Student Club (IASC) hosted an event to highlight Latin American culture on Wednesday, March 23 in the Multicultural Centre in Building 4. The celebration was also part of the Day of Action event in honor of Cesar Chavez that took place on the same day on campus. Sori Mosquera, President of the International Affairs Student Club, was dressed in traditional Venezuelan attire and welcomed the guests to the celebration. Authentic Brazilian food such as Kibe (fried Beef kebabs), Coxinha (chicken croquettes) and Enroladinho de queijo (sweet cheese bread) along with a Columbian Chocolate beverage were served at the event as well.

Guests were captivated by the Latin music and dance clips that were shown and enjoyed the presentation by the Skyline college IASC President, Sori Mosquera. Her speech educated the audience on the different languages, dialects and differences between the Latin American countries as well as interesting facts about each country including geographical information about the region.

We thank everyone who came to celebrate with us and we look forward to celebrating more events with even more of you! Please contact ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu or call (650) 738-7021 for more information.

Article by Sujaya Chandran | Photo by Chikako Walker

On Monday, March 21, the Skyline College Jazz Band performed as the featured act at the Savanna Jazz Club in San Carlos, CA. Under the direction of Zack Bruno, the 26 student musicians entertained a capacity crowd – seated at cabaret tables and standing in the aisles – with a variety of tunes, including selections from the swing, funk, rock, ballad, and Latin jazz genres. Special guests from the College of San Mateo jazz band program, under the direction of Mike Galisatus, also performed with a collaborative spirit and love of jazz.

The Skyline College Jazz Band’s next performance will be in Half Moon Bay on Friday, April 8. Details can be found at the event website.

Article by Dr. Zachary E. Bruno

Since the English Language Institute (ELI)’s inception in Fall 2009, its intent has been to establish access, pathways, and student success for a diverse group of non-native English speakers.  As a starting point for thousands of ESOL students from different cultures and ethnicities who enter the college, the ELI is truly one of the doors through which diversity comes into Skyline College.

The ELI staff, including Mylene Foo, Kenny Gonzalez, and Kent Gomez provide hours of intensive support and guidance to a population with a wide range of residential, linguistic, cultural, social, and financial challenges.  In concert with the ESOL department, the ELI team has developed solid partnerships with community organizations and local school districts to establish and facilitate pathways to education and careers. Within Skyline College, the ELI also cultivates partnerships by working with the International Students program and the Silicon Valley Intensive English Program (SVIEP) to provide access & support to their students as they enter the ESOL program.  Students, however, are the ELI’s most valuable assets in its work.  ELI Student Ambassadors gain leadership skills relating stories of their hard won successes that resonate strongly with prospective students; meanwhile, Student Resource Liaisons in each ESOL class help keep their peers informed, connected, and on track to their goals.

Here are a few more ways that the ELI helps students to Get in. Get through. and Get out…on time!

• In Fall 2015 alone, 346 ESOL students utilized services at the ELI which include assistance with the steps of SSSP.

• On a daily basis, the ELI provides dedicated ESOL counseling, financial aid guidance, computer access, referrals to on and off campus resources and workshops to develop student’s navigational skills.

• Twice a year, the ELI hosts ESL Registration Day, which creates access to Skyline College for English language learners.  Last semester, 50 applicants signed up for the event.

As a diverse group of non-native English speakers join Skyline College each year, the ELI  intends to  explore new and better ways to serve the ESL community so they can Get in. Get through. and Get out… on time, and achieve their personal academic and educational dreams with confidence.

Article by Mylene Foo and Leigh Anne Shaw I Photos by Mylene Foo

Tutor Expo ’16, the third annual conference by and for postsecondary tutors, faculty, staff, and administrators connected to tutoring and learning assistance within the California community college system, was held in Gilroy, CA, at Gavilan College on Friday, March 25, 2016. The theme for this conference was “Making Connections,” and two proposals from Skyline College were accepted and presented, with an enthusiastic response from attendees. The Skyline College contingent was well-represented with 20 people in total, including Learning Commons Director Pearl Ly, Learning Center staff, Peer Tutors, Professional Tutors, and Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders.

SI Leader Ricardo Buzo teamed up with SI Coordinator Michael Urquidez to present “Building Trust with Supplemental Instruction”. This session shared keys to success that have grown the Skyline College SI program from a small number of courses to a program that supports over 30 sections, with plans to expand further in the fall. Ricardo shared examples of his creative approach that have made his Statistics SI sessions some of the best-attended and highest performing in terms of student success.

Science Tutor Mayra Lopez-Thibodeaux and Instructional Aides Hong Guo (Math) and Christina Trujillo (Writing & Reading Lab) presented “Extending the Classroom: Workshops in Partnership with Courses”. This session highlighted the advantages of aligning workshop content with particular courses, such as Physics, to make college-level academic success workshops more effective. Since launching this new approach to workshops and adding new subjects such as Physics and Chemistry, attendance is nearing 500 students for the spring 2016 semester, which is a 50% increase over the fall 2015 semester.

Other presentations addressed topics such as tutor training, faculty-tutor collaboration, online tutoring, discipline-specific tutoring, program development, and more. Tutor Expo ’16 was offered through the California Community College Success Networks (3CSN) newest community of practice, the Learning Assistance Project, whose mission is to work across campuses to sustain a community of educators toward the professionalization of postsecondary tutoring and learning assistance.

For more information about Skyline College Learning Center programs and services, please refer to the Learning Center website. To inquire about participating in a workshop, or scheduling a workshop for your students, please contact Learning Center Instructional Aide Christina Trujillo at extension 7019 or email her at trujilloc@smccd.edu.

Article by David Reed