Skyline College Administration of Justice student Alexis Juarez was awarded a $2,000.00 educational scholarship at the 2018 DC-PAL fundraiser banquet held at the Pomeroy Center in San Francisco on July 30.  Ms. Juarez was recognized by the Daly City Police Department’s Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) Organization for her educational and community achievements while pursuing her career aspirations in the fields of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

The Daly City PAL, a partnership involving community leaders and the Daly City Police Department, is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting, inspiring, and helping young people to become healthy, social, and caring individuals through athletics since 1957.  ADMJ Professor Steve Aurilio, and member of the Daly City PAL board, instituted the Daly City PAL Educational Foundation (PAL-Ed) in 2007 as an auxiliary component of the PAL organization to help provide financial assistance to career-minded students who are interested in the justice field.  This year’s is the 13th scholarship to be awarded to a Skyline College Administration of Justice student.

To qualify, students must be interested in a Criminal Justice career and either be a graduating high school senior or enrolled in a college Administration of Justice studies Program.  They must also have a qualifying GPA, have performed community service work, and undergo an interview.

Article by Steve Aurilio

Phi Theta Kappa members Michelle Huang, Michael Wong, and Gracia Trejo presented their study of solar feasibility to the Capital Improvement Project management and Skyline College President, Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud. With the increasingly serious problems of environmental pollution and limited fossil fuels, the use of solar energy provides a sustainable solution. As a higher education institution, Skyline College is committed to achieving a sustainable community.

The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) students assessed the feasibility of solar power generation (PV) on the Skyline College campus. As a successful case of using photovoltaic power generation to offset 100% of college electricity cost, Butte College, located in Northern California, generates over 6.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year and estimates that it will save up to $100 million over 30 years using 25,000 solar panels. PTK students studied the mean daily insolation, historical weather, and sky conditions of Skyline College using data from a NASA simulation and weather history. Despite 77 foggy days a year, the Earth’s insolation at Skyline College is double the global mean and slightly higher than at Butte College. Solar-electricity generation is feasible at Skyline College and will contribute to achieving the sustainability goals with a huge reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The presentation has changed the viewpoint of at least one manager who thought that Skyline College is too foggy. After hearing the research findings, he realized that Skyline College is not too foggy. Furthermore, the idea that PV panels will not work was addressed in the research. PV panels are much more efficient in cooler temperatures than in hot areas, which makes Skyline College a perfect place to use PV power generation in effort to achieve its sustainability goals.

Article by Dr. Christine Case

Joshua M. Lindo recently received his master’s degree in English literature from San Francisco State University where his academic interests included Asian-American literature, psychoanalysis, and food studies. During his time at SFSU, he worked as a lead tutor for SFSU’s Campus Academic Resource Program. Prior to attending graduate school, Joshua served as an office liaison for a Japanese travel agency, an administrative assistant for a private escrow company, and also taught kindergarten level English in Japan for two years.

Joshua will be joining The Learning Center’s staff as its newest Instructional Aide II and will be overseeing the WRL and ESOL Labs, as well as coordinating Academic Skills workshops. In his new role, Joshua will work closely with faculty and staff to align Learning Center tutorial services and workshops with the needs of our students. He will also help train and supervise graduate and peer tutors.

In his free time, Joshua enjoys reading and discussing novels from new and up and coming authors with his colleagues, practicing Japanese archery, and taking long walks in the sun…while playing Pokémon GO. Please stop in the Learning Center to welcome him if you have a chance. He shares an office with Chanel Daniels in room 5-109.

Article by: Chanel Daniels and Chelssee De Barra | Photo by: Chelssee De Barra

The International Student Program held the Fall 2018 International Student Mixer on Friday, August 31, 2018. The event was organized to welcome new international students at Skyline College, to create an opportunity for students to learn about clubs and activities offered on campus while enhancing newly formed friendships, and ultimately to have fun!

The event was initiated by an opening speech delivered by Wissem Bennani, Skyline College International Student Program Manager, after which new international students were welcomed by Delisle Warden, Interim Dean of Global Learning Programs and Services. The welcoming atmosphere of the event was also fostered by new students having conversations with, and learning about the experience of, returning international students. Additionally, performances (including singing, dancing, and rapping) by returning international students added to the festive nature of the Fall 2018 International Student Mixer.

ISP will continue to conduct events and workshops to improve the services offered to its students and the entire Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, please contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.

Article by Min Thwin Khant | Photo by   Wissem Bennani

Skyline College welcomed 77 new international students from 30 countries at the beginning of the fall 2018 semester. In an effort to ease the new students’ transition to Skyline College, the International Student Program (ISP) hosted multiple orientations. The attendees received valuable information on the following topics: F-1 visa regulations, employment, cultural adjustment, safety and security, immigration laws, health insurance coverage, and academic expectations.

The Global Learning Programs and Services division and the Counseling division provided informative sessions to help new students adjust to campus life and benefit from the support services available at Skyline College. The three-day orientation included the following activities: International Student Club panel, campus tour, counseling presentation, International Student Club reception, placement testing, and class registration. In addition, new international students were able to socialize with their peers and student ambassadors during the fall 2018 welcome party on August 28.

For many students, it is their first time away from home, so orientation is an opportunity to become acquainted with their new environment. The International Student Orientation is an essential event for international students’ success, and it would not have been possible without the assistance of the volunteers who helped to prepare for and worked during the event itself. ISP will continue to provide services and programs for international students as well as for the entire Skyline College community.

Article and Photo by Wissem Bennani

Over the summer, the Skyline College and SMCCCD District Sustainability Teams traveled to UC Santa Barbara for the annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC).

The highlight of the conference was the outstanding presentation given by Kelly Wong and Richard Ou, two Skyline College students from the Environmental Club. Kelly and Richard accepted the Student Leadership Best Practice Award on behalf of the club and presented on their efforts to maintain sustainability projects started by their predecessors. Their session was so popular that it had to move to a bigger room to accommodate the larger audience.

Richard, co-president of the Environmental Club, reflects on what he took away from the conference: “Sustainability was obviously the focus of the conference, but I was surprised to see how many different industries were committed to sustainability. There were companies and projects specializing in food, power, IT, and so much more. The conference allowed us and other professionals to show how we can be more creative and mindful in everything we do.”

In addition to presenting on campus and district sustainability efforts and learning about other higher education institutions’ sustainability programs, the Skyline College and SMCCCD team accepted several of the conferences’ Best Practice Awards. Skyline College received a Sustainability in Academics award for the Sustainability Blitz and was part of the group that won the Multi Campus Partnership award for its work with the Energize Colleges program. The SMCCCD Sustainability Team brought home awards for its hard work on waste reduction, energy efficiency, and water efficiency and quality. SMCCCD’s Energy and Sustainability Manager Joe Fullerton was also recognized as the California Community Colleges Sustainability Champion.

 Article by Mary Thomasmeyer

Every month the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) has events to foster the growth of student entrepreneurs and small businesses in the community.

This week the BAEC hosted an interesting, fun, and thought-provoking panel at our She Means Business event. The panel discussion centered on the importance of effective social media and the skills needed to be an entrepreneur.

Our guest panel was comprised of small business owners and social media influencers.  On the panel was Nicole Moreno-Deinzer, CEO and Founder of Epifania Magazine, an online publication for culture, art and style; Christina Sundari, a fitness model and social media influencer; and Shikha Sharma, a freelance professional hair and makeup artist.  These entrepreneurs addressed the many challenges that business startups face, especially those run by women.  Skyline College students, members of the community and the panelists discussed the value of cultivating a brand and the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people that can push you forward.  The attendees walked away with a better sense of community, as all the panelists shared their aspirations and ways they support their communities through education and entrepreneurship.

The Bay Area Entrepreneur Center is a hub of resources for anyone looking to start and grow their business idea.  Skyline College students, faculty and staff are welcome to come visit the BAEC and learn more.

Questions? Interest? Contact us at baec@smccd.edu, 650-738-7994, or visit us at skylinebaec.org.

Aricle by Terri Wade and Pcyeta Stroud