Please come celebrate International Education Week with the International Student Program (ISP) Office! International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State to highlight the importance and benefits of international education in the U.S. and around the world (Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, 2016). All events are free and open to Skyline College students, faculty, staff and community members. We hope many of you can join us for IEW 2016!

11/14 (Mon); 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. @ Multicultural Center (4-240)

Opening Reception

• Global Learning Programs and Services Fair presented by:
  • International Student Program (ISP)
  • Study Abroad and Special International Programs
  • Bay Area Entrepreneurship Center (BAEC)
  • African Diaspora Program
  • Center for International Trade Development (CITD)
• International Student Introduction:
• Soriannys Mosquera Pino, President of International Affairs Student Club
• Franck Yao, Global Beca Scholarship recipient
• Light refreshments will be provided

11/15 (Tue); 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. @ Fireside Dining Room

International Food Festival

• Free international food sampling!
• International music, activity & resources
• Meet with Skyline international students

11/16 (Wed); 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. @ Fireside Dining Room

Study Abroad Fair

11/16 (Wed); 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. @ Multicultural Center (4-240)

Study Abroad Workshops

• Resources for Study Abroad Programs

11/17 (Thu); 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. @ Fireside Dining Room

Ethiopian Cultural Tradition

• Ethiopian dance performance at 12 PM & 1 PM
• Resources for Ethiopian culture

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 at: www.skylinecollege.edu/international/

Article by Chikako Walker | Image from Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs

The Skyline College Financial Aid Office kicked off the opening of the 2017-2018 Institutional Scholarship application with an ice cream social. Staff from the Financial Aid Office and the San Mateo County Community College Foundation engaged students in discussions about scholarships and promoted the institutional scholarship application while students enjoyed free ice cream.

The Skyline College Institutional Scholarship application is available for all current and incoming students to apply. The application will close on March 2, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Scholarship applicants will be notified by late April 2017 of their status. All scholarship awards will pay out in the 2017-2018 academic year.

There are over 50 different scholarships available through Skyline College. To apply, students must submit a general application. Based on the responses in the application, the system will match students to all available and eligible scholarships.

Last year, over $226,000 in scholarship funds were awarded to recipients for the 2016-2017 academic year. There were over 350 Skyline College students who submitted a completed application, which consist of the general application, personal statement, reference and unofficial transcript. Of the 350-plus Skyline College students that applied, 217 students were selected as a scholarship recipient, with 293 scholarships being awarded.

These scholarships are funded through generous contributions to the San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation, which ensures that quality and affordable higher education is available to every member of the community. It is due to the continuity and munificence of donors, many of whom are members of the college community and local community, that Skyline College is able to support their students in their educational endeavors.

Article by Jenny Yang | Photos by Elisabeth Osai

The Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) is excited to announce the recent launch of its Business Incubator Program for startup businesses and those with serious business ideas to start and grow their business. BAEC would like to welcome all to get a sneak peak into the Business Incubator Program and to learn more about BAEC resources.

All are welcome to the Business Incubator Speaker Series to learn how to grow your business with advertising intelligence platforms, ways to protect your business and how you can take your business global.

This speaker event series is open for BAEC Business Incubator students, college students and community members. The first event in this series will be held on Thursday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center.

If you have a business idea or have dreamed of starting a business, then you don’t want to miss the Business Incubator Speaker Series! Learn from three successful entrepreneurs and surround yourself with like-minded people to share your ideas and build relationships.

Guest Speakers for the Series

• Raja Ben on November 17; 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
• Eddie Lin on December 1; 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
• Heather Bennett on December 15; 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

RSVP to claim your spot today! Admission is FREE.  For more information, please contact the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center at (650) 825-6840 or baec@smccd.edu.

Article and Graphic by Terri Wade

Skyline College launched the Skyline College Express shuttle service this fall to provide a direct connection between the campus and the Daly City BART station. During September, the first full month of operation, this shuttle service provided an incredible 8,914 rides to passengers (one-way), demonstrating both the tremendous need and high demand for such a project.

This new shuttle, partially funded through a two-year grant, is intended to help students overcome logistical and socio-economic barriers by seamlessly connecting public transportation to the college campus. The shuttle is also available to employees as well as community members who come to campus to attend events or utilize services. Aligned with the Skyline College Promise initiative, the shuttle supports the institution’s values of student success and equity; open access; sustainability; and community connection.

Based on a recent survey of 234 passengers, the shuttle is having a significantly positive impact. Among survey respondents, the primary reasons that passengers chose the Skyline Express shuttle were cost (free transportation), commute time, and convenience. Passengers commented that they feel safe and less stressed while using the shuttle to get to class or work on time. Friendly and helpful drivers also contribute to high satisfaction with the shuttle experience.

The shuttle is primarily used by students (92.3%), but is also accessed by employees, prospective employees, and community members. The majority of passengers (64.5%) indicated that they utilize the service at least four days per week on average. While most passengers commute from Daly City (43.6%) and San Francisco (38.9%), Skyline College Express also provides the last link in a long commute for riders from Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland, Berkeley, and El Cerrito.

A common theme among survey comments was appreciation for the Skyline College Express shuttle, especially that it was both time-saving and free for all. Passengers also expressed strong interest in expanded service including more frequent pickups/departures, additional locations, and evening service. Better synchronization between campus departure times and class ending times was also suggested. In addition to sharing ideas on improving the service, many passengers commented on how the shuttle has reduced transportation costs and made it easier to get to campus. In general, the comments suggest that Skyline College’s endeavor to provide transportation support is minimizing barriers to access and helping students to “Get in. Get through. Get out…on time!” Further details including shuttle schedules are available at http://skylinecollege.edu/maps/shuttle.php.

Article and Graph by Cheri Jones

Calvin Nguyen works as the Program Services Coordinator for SMCCCD Study Abroad. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. Degree in Management Science, a quantitative methods focused major in applied economics with a management focus, a minor in Cognitive Science, and a certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He also completed his Masters of International Relations in Madrid, Spain at IE University (Instituto de Empresa).

His interest in foreign languages and international relations has taken him all over the globe living, volunteering, studying, and working in 8 different countries and traveling to a total of 26. Most recently he was living in Cusco, Peru coordinating and consulting local social enterprises such as a textile community program selling handmade naturally dyed textiles, a guinea pig farm, a handmade leather workshop, a bakery, and a flower shop on how to further optimize their unique business needs to have an even larger social impact. He now brings his unique international experiences to SMCCCD to help students study abroad. Together with his background, he helps students so that they will have their own formative international experiences. Let’s all welcome Calvin Nguyen to Skyline College’s Study Abroad Program.

Article by Dr. Tammy Robinson

On Thursday, December 1, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., the CIPHER Hip Hop Learning Community English Professor, Janice Sapigao, will be hosting a book launch for her recently published book titled, _microchips for millions_.  Her first poetry book is a documentary and exploratory poetry collection about the exploitation of immigrant women in the Silicon Valley and those who built it all – those like the author’s mother. Through the use of binary code, the Filipino language, Ilokano; personal observation, and scholarship, microchips for millions draws out the social layers of the microchip, which are central to the global economy. The book interrogates Silicon Valley as an ideal place of innovation, technological advancement, and a highly populated concentration of computer-based startups. What is not popularly known is that the Silicon Valley is also home to flagrant and covert injustice where toxic chemicals and “clean” energy risk the lives of workers.

This book launch will feature readers that includes Skyline College students, Kevyn Lorenzana and Christian Guerrero, as well as published writers such as Melissa R. Sipin, Bel Poblador, and Mary Grace Burns.  We will also get to listen to the author herself, Janice Sapigao.  To be part of this amazing event, please RSVP at www.eventbrite.com/e/microchips-for-millions-skyline-college-book-launch-tickets-29241478048.  Food and refreshments will also be served.

This event is co-sponsored by the Filipino Student Union & Kababayan Learning Community, Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (PAWA), and TAYO Literary Magazine.

For more information, please contact Janice Sapigao at sapigaoj@smccd.edu.

Article by Nate Nevado | Artwork by Jessica Sabogal