San Mateo County’s current COVID Community Level is LOW, and face masks are strongly recommended but not required while indoors any SMCCCD facility. As the San Mateo County community level changes, information will be provided to students, employees, and visitors.

As a reminder, the updated masking requirements, as outlined below, are effective until further notice, and apply to all students, employees, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Masking requirement signage will be posted throughout all campuses.

CDC COVID Community Level	SMCCCD Face Masking Requirement
LOW	Face mask is recommended, but not required.
MEDIUM	Face mask is required while indoors in any District facility.
HIGH	Face mask is required while indoors in any District facility.

To track the San Mateo County’s COVID Community Level, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

COVID-19 forced the SparkPoint Food Pantry to close in March 2020 and it remained closed for 2 full years. We re-launched this service this past spring and we are excited to share that from between March 22 and June 30, 2022, we distributed 33,487 pounds of groceries. Unlike our Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution, the SparkPoint Food Pantry only serves students. This means that our students saved an estimated $49,369.30 on grocery costs during this time, which is money that can go to other important expenses such as books, gas, rent or saving for the future.  This represents a great start for this new iteration of the SparkPoint food pantry and we plan to try to get back to a pre-pandemic level of service by the end of the fall semester.

The SparkPoint food pantry is currently open Monday-Friday and offers free groceries to all students!   If you know a student who may be interested in picking up free groceries, please have them make an appointment by filling out online order form.

Some things to remember:

• No ID required. A car is not required.
• Groceries will be pre-bagged (no substitutions at pick up)
• Items vary, but typically can include fruit, vegetables, canned goods, dry goods, milk, meat, and snacks
• This will not affect your food grant or financial aid in any way
• SparkPoint is located in building 1, room 1-214

Please visit our website to learn more about SparkPoint’s other food, housing and financial services: https://skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint/

Thank you to the whole SparkPoint and Dream Center Team for their support in this effort.

Article by Chad Thompson

SparkPoint at Skyline College is currently accepting scholarship applications for 25 Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for the Fall 2022 cohort. Grove Scholarship applications are available online at skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint and are due by 3:00 p.m. on September 14, 2022.

Eligible students will be selected for the program based on three short personal statements that describe who they are, why they have chosen their career path and why financial literacy is important to them. Academic standing and GPA are not a factor in selection, as long as the student meets the minimum requirements of a 2.0 GPA and a 75% completion rate. Once selected for the Grove Scholars Program, students will receive individualized financial coaching and career counseling, as well as a $2,000 scholarship for the semester.

If you would like to refer a student to the Grove Scholars Program or if you would like a SparkPoint staff member to share scholarship information or other SparkPoint Services with your class or program, please call (650) 738-7035, or send an email to grovescholar@smccd.edu.  Additional information and support can also be found through the SparkPoint website.

Article by Chad Thompson

On August 9, 2022, the International Student Program (ISP) hosted the Welcome Day for new international students! This fall, Skyline College is welcoming over 85 students from 20 different countries, a record high number of new international students since the Pandemic. The event provided the students with an opportunity to make friends with people from all corners of the world, connect with campus resources and see our beautiful campus in person. The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Dr. Vinicio Lopez, Vice President of Instruction, and Zaid Ghori, Interim Dean of Global Learning Programs and Services, and a series of fun activities such as a Bingo Game and Campus Tour Scavenger Hunt followed were led by ISP Student Ambassadors.

During lunch time, students also had a chance to meet with representatives from key student service offices such as STEM Center, Career Readiness & Job Placement Office and Health Center. Sebastian, a new international student from Indonesia, said that he was “surprised to see other students from Indonesia” as he thought he would be the only one. He was also able to make new friends with students from Myanmar, Nepal and China at his lunch table. After lunch, students who are participating in the district’s Homestay Program attended the Homestay Orientation conducted by the district’s homestay team. Julius, another new student from Indonesia, said, “My host family is the best! They are like my real family.”

Many students also signed up for the Serramonte Shopping Mall Tour, which took place later that week. Sirreck Brown, ISP Retention Specialist, led the tour along with a student ambassador, Kaitlyn Huang. They started the tour from campus so new students learned how to ride a bus. Sirreck and Kaitlyn took the students to a bank and cellphone company, and most importantly, they all enjoyed shopping at Target, a true American experience.

This series of welcome events helped new international students navigate their campus life, find communities and make friends. Special gratitude to the Strategic Partnerships & Workforce Development Division, Health and Wellness Services and STEM Center for sharing their information and resources! This event would not have been possible without their support.

ISP is part of the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. ISP will continue to provide services and programs for international students as well as for the entire Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu

Article by Chikako Walker

Skyline College Administration of Justice student Andrew Mendoza was awarded a $2,500.00 Educational Scholarship at the 2022 Daly City PAL fundraiser banquet held at the Pomeroy Center in San Francisco on July 25^th.  Mr. Mendoza was recognized by the Daly City Police Department’s Police Athletic League (PAL) Organization for his educational and community achievements while pursuing his career aspirations in the fields of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, and is the organization’s 19^th recipient of the DC-PAL Educational Scholarship.

Mr. Mendoza has also been hired by the Daly City Police Department for the position of Police Officer and is currently attending the Basic Police Academy for six months of initial training by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), after which he will attend several months of additional agency-specific training in the Daly City Police Department’s Field Training (FTO) Program.

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.  The Daly City Police Department’s PAL Program was the first of its kind in the State of California, established in 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.  To date, all of the award recipients have been Skyline College ADMJ students.

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

How may we assist you in landing your dream job? Whether you’re interested in short- or long-term career planning, the Career Readiness & Job Placement team offers a variety of services and career readiness experiences to assist you with your specific career needs. Check out some current Internship Opportunities available now. Should you be interested in looking at all opportunities available please visit our website. If you want to work with a Job Placement Coordinator, please fill out this brief welcome form and someone will contact you soon to schedule an appointment!

Expand your network in ways that will lead to your dream job. The Career Readiness & Job Placement team is excited to share the following paid internship opportunities with you. Check them out—

• Science, Technology & Health Internships
• Society & Education Internships

The Fall Semester has started, and Skyline College has a ton of events planned as part of Welcome Week, from August 22 – 26. These events are a great way for new and returning students to connect with others and find where they belong at Skyline College – plus we’ll be sharing free food and Skyline swag. Welcome Week events will all take place at the Campus Quad or the Fireside Dining Room in Bldg. 6 and include the following:

• A Campus Navigation Meetup & Free Breakfast that will support students to find classes, resources, and meet their Skyline Community. This will include providing free breakfast for students who stop by!

• A “Find Your Communities” day that explores how college is about finding yourself and where you want to go. Students can find communities that will support them on their journey and empower them to find their people and where they fit in!

• A day dedicated to financial aid and scholarships to help students pay for college. They’ll be able to connect with on-campus resources and programs to lessen the cost of college.

• At these events they’ll also be able to discover programs and courses that reflect their interests and passions, and finally on Friday there will be a day dedicated to resources that can foster a healthy well being – plus ice cream!

Skyline College is also hosting a series of Welcome Week Sessions for various affinity groups on campus. Students who identify as Black, Latinx, Filipinx, or are a First Generation College Student, can attend short 45-minute mixers that are a great opportunity to find community at Skyline College. All students are welcome to attend any or all of these mixers.

At each 45-minute mixer they will get the chance to hear from current students and alumni about their experiences at Skyline College. They will also get information about: the transition to college life, on-campus programs and resources, connecting with the diverse communities at Skyline College, and they’ll get to meet current and former students, staff and faculty.

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Monday, August 22, 2022

Campus Navigation & Free Breakfast

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Quad

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Find Your Communities

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Quad

For the first time, colleagues from across the 3 colleges met to collaborate professionally on the trail!  Following the lead of Professor Jessica Marshall with Cañada College colleagues last year, we teamed up to offer an afternoon hike on the Purisima Creek Redwoods trail on the afternoon of Opening Day. We met at the north parking lot on Skyline Blvd south of Highway 92, introducing ourselves across all three campuses.  Down the trail we went, “talking shop” with each other. At the turnaround mark, we paused for a water break and photo before trekking back up. Great company, swapping stories and finding connections among us all.

Mark your calendars for the whole year! Jessica and Kate will offer a hike each Flex Day. We will vary the locations, and hope to plan the District ones to be close to the host college. There are so many beautiful hiking spots in our area- let’s take advantage of the natural environment and the opportunity to get to know each other, hike together, and return refreshed.

Our next Flex Day hike will be at Wunderlich Park in Woodside, so get those hiking shoes, water, and yourself ready for a fun and relaxing time on October 12, 2022.  Future dates and locations will be flex days in January and April.  Come outside and play with us!

 

Article by Kate Williams Browne | Photos by Jessica Marshall