“Derive happiness in oneself from a good day’s work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.”
– Henri Matisse
Launching the Fog Blog!
As you heard on opening day, I am committed to sharing a weekly communication with you and this post officially launches The Fog Blog! We are so often cloaked in a dense fog at Skyline College, and it hides our stunning campus and serene views. And when the fog lifts, and the sun shines, it feels like a great moment – the unveiling of our beautiful campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the warmth of the sun. This fog is my inspiration to bring more openness and clarity to what we are doing at the college, in the President’s Office, with Leadership, in College Governance Council, and around campus, to bring about transformative change.
Opening Day
It was very exciting to host Opening Day for the campus this Tuesday. Our keynote, Dr. Roderick Daus-Magbual, shared a very moving story and message. It was just what we needed to hear: to be reminded to have patience, purpose, and hope for new possibilities. Thank you, Dr. Rod.
Classified Staff Special Recognition Award
We mistakenly left Kennya Ruiz out on Opening Day. She too was honored as a recipient of the Classified Staff Special Recognition Award. Congratulations Kennya! Kennya is also our new Vice President of Classified Senate.
Students Are On Campus and Well Served
Our first day of classes brought full parking lots and so many students! It was inspiring to see our campus come alive again! I walked around and spoke to everyone I could see. Admissions and Records had been super busy on Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday they had a steady stream of students to serve, and there was lots of pizzas from New York Pizza, “Home of the King Kong Pizza”. Our Campus Ambassadors were hard at work helping students with whatever they needed.
Class Visits
I had the pleasure of welcoming Business Program students in Professor Soledad McCarthy class, Ethnic Studies students with Professor Rod Daus-Magbual, and CIPHER students with Professor Nate Nevado. It is always my absolute pleasure to be in the classroom with students and I will continue to greet faculty and students in the classrooms over the next few weeks. Please invite me anytime to visit!
Thank You Public Safety, Facilities, and Maintenance
As I walked the campus this week, I was thoroughly impressed with the state of our grounds and indoor buildings. Everything is clean, shiny, and well kept. And we kept bumping into public safety around campus. Our students deserve this! So many thanks to our facilities, maintenance and groundskeepers.
Brief Student Story – Retired Veteran
As I left campus Wednesday night, I ran into a student getting out of his truck. He asked me for help. He is a retired Veteran and shared that he was very nervous returning to school after many years. He was also unsure how to find his classroom. He was starting a night class in the Automotive Technology Program. He was also a little worried about being an older student. I let him know he is not alone, and we have lots of older students, especially in our evening classes. He was impressed that we have over 350 Veterans on campus – and this number keeps growing. I referred him to the Veterans Resource Center, and walked with him until his classroom building was in sight. I said, “I’m so proud of you for taking this step. You’re in the right place. You belong at Skyline“.
Closing In Loving Memory of Carmen Richardson
I attended a beautiful event on Carmen Richardson’s would be birthday. The Cosmetology Department did a wonderful job honoring her and are preserving her legacy with an incredible and very moving display of her cosmetology instrument collection.