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!
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. 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!
On May 4, 2023, the International Student Program (ISP) hosted a campus tour of Stanford University. The tour had eight students and staff participate in the event.
The group began the tour at Bechtel International Center, the ISP counterpart for international students at Stanford University. Students got a quick tour of the center and information on how many students the center serves for its undergraduate and graduate school. In addition, the group could hear first-hand testimonials from international undergraduate and graduate students (one of whom was from Cañada College).
Next, the group was taken on a tour of the beautiful campus by two current students at Stanford University who shared valuable insights on the application process, courses, student life, and insight on the graduation process. The students vividly enjoyed the tour; they could ask questions, exchange social media information, walk around campus, and make memories that would last a lifetime.
For many students, this was their first visit to Stanford University, and they left feeling inspired about the future. Likewise, we hope those who attended feel more confident about their journey for the future!
The International Student Program is part of the Global Learning Programs and Services Division. ISP will continue providing services and programs for international students and the Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu
The Beta Theta Omicron Chapter celebrates the end of every academic year with a mini convention, BOO-Con. On Friday, May 12, this year’s convention was opened by outgoing co-presidents Lasheana Husni and Kaitlyn Widjaja. They welcomed the attending students, faculty, staff, and administration who supported the BOO chapter in the past year. Acting President Joe Morello delivered a passionate keynote address on the “Art and Science of Play” , which will continue to be the Honors in Action research topic in the next semester.
Following the keynote address, VP of Records Hnin Thandar Win presented the BOO yearbook, a review of the activities and achievements of the chapter during the 2022/2023 academic year. To put the chapter involvement into numbers; BOO members participated in 7 volunteering events with off campus organizations and schools, organized 10 workshops for the Skyline community, organized and contributed to 7 social events on campus, and attended 3 conferences.
Following the yearbook presentation, officer candidates presented 90 second speeches in which they talked about what PTK means to them and shared which position they would like to fulfill in the upcoming year. Each candidate then answered 2 caucus questions from the co-advisors Thanh Nguyen and Dr. Susanne Schubert.
While the conference attendees voted electronically for the new officer team, they also listened to the outgoing officers as they shared their PTK wisdom and review of their very personal PTK journey. The convention ended with the new co-presidents Me Me Hlaing Oo and May Myat Chel Myint thanking the attendees for their participation and engagement during the conference.
The new officer team will consist of:
● Me Me Hlaing Oo & May Myat Chel Myint: Co-Presidents ● Mowen Tan: VP of Honor in Actions ● Thet Mon Kyaw: VP of College Project ● John Michael Rada: VP of Leadership ● Megan White: VP of Records ● Abby Alfonso: VP of Membership ● Codie Lai: VP of Scholarship ● Princess Eusantos: VP of Fellowship ● May Han Hnin: VP of Community Relations ● Lareytha Dilian Husni: VP of Service
Over the summer, their main focus will be to develop a new Honors in Action research question and engage in rigorous academic literature review, create a timeline and distribute responsibilities for workshops in the Fall semester, and get creative by working on a new campaign to fight community college stigma and promote student success and engagement on campus.
Skyline College students Julio Lau, Dunhoja Robbins-Bishop, and Julia Rogers presented their original, undergraduate research at this year’s Bay Honors Consortium Symposium, which was held on Saturday, May 6th, 2023 at Stanford University. The Bay Honors Consortium (BHC) is made up of Honors Directors and Counselors from 16 Northern and Central California Community College Honors Programs. The BHC’s mission is to promote and support Honors Programs and host our annual Honors Research Symposium.
The day began with an inspiring keynote speech from Dr. Lerone Marin, Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute and Associate Professor of Religious Studies, who illustrated his journey to and through higher education. Dr. Martin emphasized the importance of allowing the power of curiosity and questioning to propel student-researchers through their intellectual pursuits. His research focuses on the intersections of race, politics, and religious traditions in the United States.
The day continued with a first round of student presentations from Dunhoja Robbins-Bishop, a student in the Guardian Scholars and Honors Transfer Programs, who presented her research project on the Black Maternal Advocacy Project. Her mentor, Psychology Professor Jennifer Merrill expressed pride in witnessing Dunhoja’s research. Dunhoja’s work was in conversation with students from Irvine Valley College and Glendale Community College on a panel about the realities and difficulties of motherhood. Dunhoja’s Honors faculty-mentor, Psychology Professor Jennifer Merrill said of her mentee’s presentation, “It was a true pleasure to watch Dunhoja present. Her presentation was both visually appealing and engaging as evidenced by the enthusiastic audience response.”
Honors Transfer Program student Julia Rogers presented on health disparities within the African American community–a research project that began with her Communication Studies Professor, Lindsey Ayotte. Julia’s project was presented with research by students from West Valley College and Las Positas College, on a panel about the intersections of race, health, class, and gender, and ability. English Professor Janice Sapigao moderated the panel to an audience of student-researchers, families, and students’ mentors.
Honors graduate and future UCLA transfer student, Julio Lau, presented his literature review on the trickster figure. This project and paper began in his English 110 class, with his faculty-mentor, Dr. Michael Cross.
Julio presented on this panel with students from Saddleback College and Cañada College.
(left to right) Dunhoja Robbins-Bishop, Prof. Janice Sapigao, Kadae Aung, HTP Counselor Joyce Lee, Hilary Lin, and Julio Lau
Article by Janice Sapigao | Photos by Joyce Lee and Janice Sapigao
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, the Honors Club and the Honors Transfer Program sponsored a trip and campus tour to UC Berkeley. Students who attended the tour are gearing up to apply for transfer, and others were considering their options for transfer.
The campus tour was led by two of our Honors Transfer Program alumni, Megan Chan, a Mechanical Engineering major, and Andrea Hernandez, a Business major at the Haas School of Business. Andrea and Megan started the tour for a group of Honors students at a transfer housing building, where they pointed out several other housing buildings. They shared information from their own experiences, and they shared stories and knowledge from their fellow transfers.
Skyline College students with tour guide and Skyline College Honors Transfer program alumna Andrea Hernandez (third from the left) at a UC Berkeley seal imprint
Andrea and Megan created their own tour tailored to Honors students’ requests. They showed the group the transfer center, the athletic recreational facilities, and Sproul Plaza. They also pointed out the UC Berkeley seal imprinted into the cement pathways on campus, and they shared student lore about how most students avoid stepping directly onto it, in hopes of avoiding a low grade point average or low test scores. In the first image, Skyline College students encircle the seal.
Students posed for a photo at the Sather Gate and the Campanile, the third-largest bell and clock-tower in the world, which is are iconic parts of the UC Berkeley campus. In addition, the students also spent time seeing the Chemistry Department, the Doe Library, and the Haas School of Business.
Many thanks to the Office of Student Life, ASSC, Vice President of Instruction Dr. Newin Orante, Vivian Paw, Dean Danni Redding Lapuz, Angelica Mendoza, Dean Dino Nomicos, Sandra Hatzistratis, Jessica Esclamado, Dr. Susanne Schubert, Professor Lindsey Ayotte, Joyce Lee, and Honors Club President Alysia Tanimura, and others for all of your efforts to make this trip a success.
Article by Janice Sapigao | Photos by Janice Sapigao
It’s that time of year! Please return books and borrowed technology to the Library by Friday, May 26. Skyline College Library resources including technology items checked out from the Skyline campus can be returned to any SMCCD campus.
Good news! Similar to theNew York Times digital pass, free digital subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal digital will be available to all employees and students soon. A multi-year contract is being negotiated, so stay tuned!
Swing by to pick up books for summer reading! No library cards are required. The Library will be closed beginning Saturday, May 27 and reopen Monday, June 12. In-person hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information about Skyline College Library in-person and online hours and other resources, please visit https://skylinecollege.edu/library/.
On May 4 and 6, 2023, the Kababayan Learning Community at Skyline College presented its 18th annual Pilipino Cultural Night, The Heart of Pleasant Hill, in the Gallery. The play was written by the ENGL 103 class in Fall 2022, then produced by the ENGL 104 class in Spring 2023, under the guidance of Dr. Liza Erpelo, who teaches both courses. The 18-person cast and crew was led by executive producer Trinity Velasco-Frias and executive director Ryan Roi Domingo, who is also this year’s Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant.
This year’s story not only highlighted the little-known history of Filipinos in Louisiana, but also incorporated Filipino mythological creatures into the storyline. Students performed in an elaborate hip hop number choreographed and taught by Joel Jayce Capistrano, U-Jam Fitness and Zumba instructor. The students also presented dances and music of the T’boli people of the southern Philippines as taught by Bonifacio Valera and assisted by Jae Tioseco, a Kababayan Learning Community alumnus, from Barangay Dance Company.
All proceeds from the ticket sales went directly to the Friends of Kababayan scholarship fund. More information about the Kababayan Learning Community and ways to donate to the scholarship fund can be found here: https://skylinecollege.edu/kababayan/index.php
At Gala Night on May 6, in addition to acknowledging this year’s 15 graduates/transferring students, the Kababayan Learning Community also honored this year’s recipients of the Friends of Kababayan scholarships:
These shows would not be possible without the help of several important people. Many thanks to the Theatre Events Manager, Joshua Harris; Amanda Bortoli, Skyline College Graphic Arts & Graphic Production; and Danni Redding-Lapuz, Dean of the Social Sciences/Creative Arts Division. Thank you, see you again next year, and mabuhay!
Article by Dr. Liza Erpelo | Photos by Dr. Liza Erpelo and Aubrey Lassen
Four study abroad students from College of San Mateo (CSM) and Skyline College were awarded a total of $19,000 from the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman International Scholarship (March 2023 application cycle).
Two of them are Skyline College students, Philip G. and Atiyana A. The other two winners are Jeramy V. and Jared S. from CSM. Eight SMCCCD students applied and four were awarded – an award rate of 50%, which has been the case for SMCCCD in the past few years. This is the second time for Philip to win the scholarship. Congratulations to the winners and Gilman scholars!
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The program “enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity,” according to IIE.
SMCCCD Study Abroad housed in the Division of Global Learning Programs and Services (GLPS) has been promoting the Gilman Scholarship. The staff hosted a Gilman Scholarship Workshop and Luncheon in Building 6 at Skyline College on February 13, 2023. The goal was to help the SMCCCD students learn about the federal funding for study abroad and the study abroad programs offered by SMCCCD. GLPS Interim Dean, Zaid Ghori invited Dr. Melissa Moreno, former Skyline College President and now Interim Chancellor of SMCCCD, and Dr. Vinicio Lopez, Vice President of Instruction to welcome the participants. Both emphasized the significance of study abroad and its contribution to building Skyline College as a community of global learners, which is the College’s educational mission. Dr. Lopez even shared his own study abroad experience and good memories. They celebrated Skyline College’s great achievements in study abroad scholarship advising with the participants. Skyline College was announced as “the number one college among U.S. community colleges that sent the most scholars abroad through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program during academic year 2020-2021” by the U.S. Department of State in October 2022. Its applicant acceptance rate was much higher than the national acceptance rate.
Three students, Philip G., Chris W., and Veronica S. were invited to serve on the Gilman Scholar Panel to share their recent Gilman application and study abroad experience. They all gained a lot from the application process and are willing to help other students to win the scholarship. They shared that they made good use of resources (study abroad office, writing services, etc.) on campus to improve the quality of the required essays (Statement of Purpose and two community impact essays – the Building Mutual Understanding Essay and the Follow-on Service Project Proposal). Philip and Veronica were able to use part of the scholarship they won to attend a virtual program in Japan. In addition to the improved writing skills, they gained life-long friendship through the study abroad program. The Gilman experience has great impact on their personal growth and career development.
The SMCCCD Study Abroad and three study abroad faculty leaders offered information about the Fall 2023 Barcelona Program (to be led by Prof. Jeremy Ball), the Spring 2024 Florence Program (to be led by Prof. Jessica Marshall), and the Fall 2024 London Program (to be led by Prof. Lindsey Ayotte), global internship programs, and transfer abroad services. The study abroad office offered one-on-one Gilman Scholarship advising sessions. Students were encouraged to reach out to the study abroad office and the three professors to learn more about Gilman and the semester study abroad programs.
SMCCCD Study Abroad is the district-wide study abroad program housed in the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about studying or interning abroad, faculty teach abroad opportunities, community travel for lifelong learners, visiting international faculty presenters and student scholarship opportunities, please contact Dr. Alice Yang at yanga@smccd.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the SMCCD Study Abroad Facebook page or the SMCCCD Instagram page @smcccd_study_abroad.
April 28th and 29th marked the fifteenth anniversary of Skyline College ceramics students’ participation in the annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art in Davis. The conference, hosted by the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, draws ceramics students from the West Coast to display their colleges’ artwork and to attend exhibitions by other colleges from the region. Each school is provided a space in downtown Davis to transform into a gallery for the weekend. This year Skyline College was in a large exhibition hall with many other institutions, including other California community colleges, CSUs, and private arts colleges.
As a capstone project for intermediate-level ceramics classes, participating students shared their conceptual inspirations, ideas, and techniques with visitors. The large variety of school exhibitions presented a beneficial opportunity for students to connect with instructors and current students from potential transfer colleges. In addition to attending the student shows, several local galleries held statewide and national ceramics exhibitions featuring a wide range of ceramic artwork from professionals in the ceramics field. This concentration of ceramic art and practicing artists provided an engaged community of those passionate about working in clay. In fact, this nationally recognized conference was recently listed as one of the best art activities to do in Northern California by the New York Times!
Skyline’s Student Ceramic Exhibition featured a wide range of clay pottery and sculpture, representing our students’ wide creative and technical span. One featured piece was a sculpture, “Two Paths: Our Choice,” by Valerie Lapin. In a statement about climate change, a globe is presented on an hourglass. The globe’s color is based on a map created by NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, with different hues reflecting the amount of change in average temperatures since the industrial revolution. The hourglass is interactive and can be turned to illustrate the path we are on with fossil fuels on one half, and on the other half depicting a future of solutions based on use of renewable energy.
The student exhibition was collaboratively co-curated by Tiffany Schmierer, Art Professor, Ashley Asaro, Studio Art Lab Technician, and the ceramics students. Ash also exhibited his sculpture in the SFSU student show, and Tiffany’s sculpture was on display at the John Natsoulas Gallery.
Article by Ashley Asaro and Tiffany Schmierer | Photos by Michael De Natale and Tiffany Schmierer
It’s been an amazing semester for the Beta Theta Omicron Chapter. This year the chapter received several awards this year! The list includes:
• 2 international awards at the annual convention in Ohio in April • Distinguished Honors in Action research for their work on integrated play in the community college classroom • Distinguished chapter award placing Beta Theta Omicron chapter amongst the top 40 chapters in the U.S. • May Myat Chel Myint, Thanh Nguyen, and Dr. Susanne Schubert received the distinguished chapter member award • PTK members Kaitlyn Widjaja and Amber Gonzales made the All-California Academic team, 2nd and 3rd team respectively
Congratulations everyone! The chapters work on campus as well as their research efforts made these accolades possible.
This year, the chapter has gone to several conventions and events. The chapter officers attended educational forums and networked with students from across the US. At one conference, the current co-president Lasheana Husni campaigned for the role of international officer for the Division IV and gave a research speech before the entire congregation of over 5000 attendees. Even though the spring was busy with travel activities the chapter also offered a number of events and workshops to the campus community.
The chapter held study skills workshops and invited university representatives to share their specific scholarships for PTK students. Chapter member Erin Denny took the initiative and coordinated the chapter’s participation at the Skyline Earth Fest and shared her passion of foraging and shared recipes on how to make your own pesto from stinging nettles.
In another workshop series, Laura Dickson (VP of College Project) set up the Feel Good Fest. She shared with students how to stretch properly and help with common aches when working and studying on the computer. At another workshop, Prof. Rick Hough shared sustainable and health recipes to nourish the body that are easy to make. Finally, attendees made their own goodie bags with essential oil mixes shared by Erin Denny, resistance band for stretching and much more.
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, another workshop was hosted by Sahil Niwas (VP of Honors in Action) entitled Sexual Abuse Awareness Workshop the theme of this workshop was to spread awareness with support from the Rape Trauma Services on consent, mandated reporters, sexual assault, abuse, and trauma. To wrap up the semester, this Friday, May 12, 2023 from 4- 6pm the chapter will have their final celebration, BOO – Con, in which the officer team looks back on lessons learned and accomplishments gained, as well as thank their supporters on campus. Members will campaign for officer positions and elections will be held. The celebration will end with the installation of the new officer team!
Article by Susanne Schubert and edited by Sha’Kuana Ona | Photos by Susanne Schubert
