2020 Opening Day Program

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS

OPENING DAY CELEBRATION | August 21, 2020

Opening Day Celebration 2020: WHAT A LONG, STRANGE TRIP! FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 11:30am – 1:30 pm Zoom Log In

u PROGRAM u MR. ERIC HARNISH

Welcome

Student Performance Compilation & LEAP video MR. ERIC HARNISH

Acknowledgments MS. JILL MELLADY

Co-Chair, College of the Canyons Foundation Board of Directors Foundation Presentation of Mini-Grant Awards DR. DIANE FIERO

Introduction of New Employees DR. DIANNE G. VAN HOOK

“2020: What a long, strange trip” DR. DIANNE G. VAN HOOK

Acknowledgment of Service Awardees MR. ERIC HARNISH

Closing Remarks & Introduction of Opening Day Video

5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Dr. Kelly Aceves

Instructor, Mathematics Dr. Aceves knew since the age of 11 that she wanted to teach mathematics at COC. She taught her first classes at COC in 2008 as an adjunct faculty member. In 2009, Kelly enrolled in Baylor University’s Ph.D. program, and returned to COC in 2013. In 2015, Kelly was hired as full-time faculty, and in her first year she became the coordinator for intermediate algebra. Kelly serves on multiple committees including the technology committee and the Santa Clarita Valley Mathematics Consortium. She strives to find new ways to bring technology and purpose into the classroom so that material is not only more accessible to students, but also more relatable.

Kelly and her husband Nick live in Santa Clarita. Though they have no kids or pets, they somehow find themselves incredibly busy. Kelly is a die-hard Dodger fan and goes to support them often alongside her father and sister – especially when they slide their way into the World Series.

Weekly lunches with her mother help her stay sane in the middle of hectic semesters. Kelly and Nick enjoy traveling the world together and experiencing new cultures, sights, and foods every chance they get. They look forward to picking this up again when the pandemic has de-escalated.

In her free time, Kelly loves to hike, bike, swim, read, and play video games.

Eric Arnold

Instructor, Construction Management and Technology Eric is a full-time faculty member in the Construction Management and Technology Department. During his time at COC, Eric has created the Construction Technology Program consisting of lab courses in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical. He also chaired the Construction Management and Technology Department for three years.

Eric serves on the Academic Staffing Committee and the Career Education Committee.

Eric and his wife, Iris, are both Santa Clarita Valley natives and reside in Valencia with their 9-year-old daughter Hannah. They enjoy traveling and vacationing at the beach and mountains and spending time with their friends and family.

Erin Barnthouse

Librarian, (Collection Development and Technical and Online Services) Erin started with COC in 2009 as a Library Intern and became a Collection Development & Technical & Online Services Librarian in 2015. Since joining COC, Erin has been a member of the Curriculum Committee and has served on the Academic Senate. Erin is a graduate of LEAP and the Management Academy. A passionate advocate for OER, Erin has earned the Open Educational Resources (OER) certificate for Librarians and completed the Creative Commons Certificate for Librarians. During 2019-20, Erin led our local implementation of a new statewide library system. Erin continues to be actively involved in professional organizations including the American Library Association and the Association for College and Research Libraries.

Erin recently bought a new house in Castaic. After years of condominium living, she looks forward to finally giving her dog Ares, a poodle-mix rescue, a yard to play in.

In her free time, Erin enjoys reading, traveling, writing, and planning her next adventure.

Allen Basallaje

(Collection Development and Technical and Online Services) Allen Basallaje joined the COC family in Allied Health and Public Safety. Getting the opportunity to work at College of the Canyons was somewhat of a homecoming for Allen, who had been a Valencia resident during middle and high school before moving to another city. During his time away, Allen worked in the healthcare sector and for K-12 education, experiences that he credits for helping prepare him for his present role at the college. In the office, Allen constantly keeps his unsuspecting colleagues on their toes by making them the usual recipients of one of his quick quips or tongue-in-cheek humor. When jokes fizzle, Allen can fortunately fall back on spreadsheet skills to keep him gainfully employed.

Allen spends much of his free time with his wife Eva. Before the Safer At Home Order, Eva and Allen could some-

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS | Opening Day Celebration 2020

5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years times be found atop Rose Parade floats, scoring free t-shirts at conventions, and in attendance at events that some might consider off the beaten path. Whether as spectators at professional eating competitions or as gawking fans at festivals wherein grown men try to break the world record for karate chopping watermelons, this plucky pair are always on the lookout for their next bizarre adventure.

Dr. Consuelo Beecher

Instructor, Chemistry Consuelo Beecher began as a Chemistry Professor at COC shortly after receiving her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside.

During her time at COC, she has served as curricular course coordinator for the general chemistry series. Currently, she is also serving as co-chair of the Chemistry department. Consuelo also participates in various outreach activities and helps organize the annual Spring Student Symposium.

Consuelo and her husband have three small dogs and are expecting their first child in September. Although her and her husband are not officially married yet, as the Covid-19 pandemic caused their planned wedding in April to be cancelled, they hope to get married as soon as the crisis is over. In her free time, Consuelo enjoys cooking, brewing, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Marilee Bishop

Student Services Specialist II (Scholarships) Marilee Bishop began her journey at College of the Canyons working parttime in the Financial Aid Office. She worked directly with students and their families to assist with the financial aid application process.

In 2015, Marilee became a full-time employee supporting the college’s scholarship program. Marilee has worked with thousands of students assisting them through the application process for College of the Canyons Scholarship Awards.

She works closely with the Foundation and Fiscal Services to ensure that students receive their scholarship funds to assist with educational expenses. Marilee has an incredible sense of humor! She brings laughter and joy to a tremen-

dously stressful environment. She is caring, compassionate and fun to be around. Her smile is contagious and her positive attitude creates a welcoming environment for our students!

Marilee currently lives in Valencia with her husband of 26 years. She has three amazing daughters whom she loves spending time with. Marilee added a new member to her family last fall when her daughter Rylee was married and moved off to Florida with her new husband. Her eldest daughter Demi is a successful legal expert in the making, and her youngest daughter Avery just graduated from Valencia High School and will be joining COC in the fall as a budding art student. Marilee and her family enjoy traveling, going to the beach and concerts and having fun family adventures together.

John Bomben

Campus Safety Officer John has made many friends on campus in his first five years with COC and is committed to his role in protecting the campus community. One of the many ways John helps to make students and community members safer is by volunteering to wear the “Red Man Suit” and play the “assailant” in women’s’ self-defense classes at the college. This has involved John being punched, kicked and kneed by 20 or more students during each class; a very tiring and sometimes-painful activity.

However, John feels strongly that this type of training is invaluable and vital for women to protect themselves on and off campus. Back in May of last year, John was appointed as a full-time officer. He plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of the campus community.

John and his wife Lisa have been assisting their son, Mitchell and daughter, Isabella, through their college endeavors.

Mitchell obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology and will be attending Idaho State University in fall to obtain an additional bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science.

Isabella will graduate with a bachelor’s in psychology in May of next year and afterward will seek a master’s in psychology.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS | Opening Day Celebration 2020

5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Jason Burgdorfer

Instructor, Geography/Geology Jason Burgdorfer came to College of the Canyons in 2006 as a student at Academy of the Canyons. In his senior year of high school, he was hired as a college assistant working with Mary Bates and Vincent Devlahovich in the Geography and Geology Department. After graduating from Academy of the Canyons, Jason continued his studies at College of the Canyons for another year and was elected President of the associated Student Government. In 2009, he earned two Associate’s degrees from College of the Canyons. He then went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his master’s degree in geography from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 2013, he was hired as an adjunct instructor for both Geography and Geology at College of the Canyons. Shortly thereafter, he was also hired to be the Instructional Lab Technician for the Earth and Space Sciences Department.

In 2015, he was hired as a full-time faculty member in Geography and Geology. Since that time, Jason has served in numerous faculty leadership roles, including the Academic Program Review Committee Chair, PAC-B Faculty CoChair, Vice President of the Academic Senate, and Department Chair of the Earth and Space Sciences Department.

Jason’s hobbies include skiing, camping, hiking, cycling, and travelling the world. Jason regularly spends summers abroad and has traveled to 30 countries before his 30th birthday. During winters, he drives around the western United States from ski area to ski area. He is the son of recently retired classified staff member Audrey Burgdorfer, who was a nurse in COC’s Student Health and Wellness Center from 2005 to 2020.

Santhy Chandran

Web Programmer/Analyst Santhy Chandran enjoys working at the college and being a member of the Management Information Systems (MIS) department. She finds her motivation from working with a group of talented

and driven professionals around her. She is excited to be part of a team that strives to provide an improved and engaging learning experience for the community in the Santa Clarita Valley. One of Santhy’s biggest accomplishments is helping implement the My Academic Plan program that many incoming students use to guide their path through College of the Canyons.

Her vision for the future is to bring “self service” functionality to support all students and staff online needs and improve the Canyons M mobile application to serve our community on the go. Santhy lives in Valencia with her family and loves to spend her free time with family and friends.

Ismael Chavarin-Lopez

Grounds/Landscape Specialist Ismael is a team player first and foremost.

He began at COC maintaining the grounds by Culinary, and Aliso Courtyard, and Community Garden. He then transitioned to the Stadium and Lot 8 to taking care of Center Campus/Honor Grove. The College is in great hands wherever he spends his days. Ish is always ready to help out and work on the task at hand to make our campus a beautiful place to be!

Ismael graduated from William S. Hart High School. He has taken classes at College of the Canyons, and earned his Graphic Design Certificate from West Valley Occupational Center. For the past 19 years, he has also been working as a Gardener/Landscaper with Miguel’s Landscaping in Newhall.

Ismael and his wife enjoy camping and traveling up and down the Coast. Ismael has had the pleasure of watching his daughter Gisselle graduate from Hart High School. She is now a graduate of COC and working a professional job with a local construction management company. Ismael’s younger daughter just turned 4 and he hopes she too will be a future Cougar.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS | Opening Day Celebration 2020

5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Katie Coleman

Instructor, Sociology Katie Coleman started as an adjunct instructor at COC in 2008. Then in 2015, she was hired as a full-time faculty member in Sociology. She is currently serving as the department’s chair. In Fall 2013, she was a scholarly presenter at COC and will be co-presenting at the Scholarly Presentation again in fall 2020. The title of this upcoming presentation is “Childhood Lost: The Impact of America’s Obsession with Incarcerating Kids.”

Katie has written OER textbooks, completed LEAP and the Associate’s Program, participated in the Mentor Program, and served on the Scholarly Presentation Committee, Civic Engagement Committee, Emergency Preparedness Committee, and the Ed Tech Committee.

Katie completed her bachelor’s at UCSB and master’s at CSUN. She is a critical sociologist who specializes in crime, deviance, social control and sexuality. Her sociological research has included published papers on topics including the re-humanization of sexuality, the American prison system, and the relationship between academia and intelligence agencies.

Katie lives in Newhall with her husband, and has welcomed three daughters to her family in the last two years (TWINS!). They join their three rescue dogs, including an 80-pound lab, eight-pound multi-poo, and five-pound Chihuahua mix.

Catherine Crossland

Program Specialist II (Institutional Effectiveness Initiative) Catherine has been working for the IEPI grant since its beginning and has enjoyed every minute of being part of something so collaborative and innovative. The grant has exposed her to people from all over the state and it is something she enjoys immensely.

Three years ago, she met and married a great guy from Texas, which upended her life. They met online and were married six months later! Yes, it was quick, but it was a perfect fit and when you know, you know! He moved to California as quickly as possible and they bought a house in

West Hills. Her daughter Claire is now a junior at AOC and loves her classes and friends. She hopes to have a career in animation – more specifically, developing a show for TV. It’s cool that she attends AOC because that means Catherine can try to accidently bump into her when she’s up at the UCEN. When not at work, Catherine loves to go on dive boats in tropical places for vacation. Actually, Brent does the diving and Catherine lounges, enjoying having the boat to herself. Claire, however, prefers to take little trips with her Mum to San Francisco. Catherine also enjoys writing and is currently working on a romantic comedy.

Erin Delaney

Instructor, English (TLC) After serving as an adjunct english Instructor at COC for six years, Erin joined the full-time faculty in Fall 2015. She both teaches English and is the English faculty member in The Learning Center (TLC). Erin serves on the faculty inquiry group that designed and is now implementing the new four-unit English 101 course in response to the requirements of AB 705. She is also the English 103/112 co-coordinator, former CASL co-coordinator, and the faculty lead for the Trans Alliance.

She has taught professional development workshops for CETL, including the reading module for the Skilled Teacher Certificate. Erin is proudest when she sees the students and tutors she works with succeeding and thriving.

Erin lives in Canoga Park with her husband José and dog Buddy. Together, they’re learning to take care of a backyard that’s full of surprises. (Guava tree? Excellent! Persistent, prodigious weeds? Not so great.) While Erin enjoys a few hobbies, she’s best at reading on the patio. Erin loves to travel and hopes to return to the Tuscan farm she visited in 2017, where she could combine her love of reading on patios with exploring the Italian countryside and tasting wine, cheese, and gelato.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS | Opening Day Celebration 2020

5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Alexandra Dimakos

Instructor, English Alexa first came to COC as a student in 2000 where she completed her general education requirements and transferred to UCLA to earn a bachelor’s degree in english literature. In 2009, after earning her master’s degree in English literature from CSUN, she became an adjunct English instructor at COC. In 2015, she became a full-time faculty member in English. Clearly, she loves English.

During her teaching career at COC, she has participated in the Mentor Program and the Associate’s Program, served as a member of the IE2 Committee, and facilitated workshops for the Skilled Teacher Certificate program. In her department, she participates in a faculty inquiry group where she and her colleagues help support faculty teaching English 101. She has also served as the English 103 and 112 co-coordinator for the past five years. Alexa has also served as an ePortfolio co-coordinator with Brittany Applen from ASL. Together they have researched various ePortfolio platforms, participated in local and national conferences, trained and supported faculty as they integrate ePortfolios into their courses, and advocated for the use of ePortfolios as they benefit student learning, development, and growth.

Alexa and her husband, Rocky, are looking forward to planning their son, Leonidas’, first birthday party once quarantine orders are lifted and their very large immediate and extended family and wonderful friends can gather together and celebrate with too much cake.

Janice Eledge

Student Services Techician I (DSP&S) Janice began working at College of the Canyons in September 2008 as a shortterm employee in the DSPS office. In 2015, she became a Classified employee with the same department. Her position as student services technician allows her to interact with students and staff, as well as tending to clerical tasks. Before College of the Canyons, Janice put her bachelor’s degree in Child Development from CSUN to work in her employment at the Saugus Union and Newhall School Districts

working with special education students. Prior to that, she was employed at Hughes Aircraft Company in Program Controls for 15 years.

Janice lives in Saugus with her husband Brad. They have been married 34 years and have two married children. Last October they became grandparents three times. Their son Joey and his wife had a daughter and 17 days later their daughter Molly and her husband had twins- a boy and a girl. Janice’s favorite moments these days are visiting with and caring for her grandbabies and watching them grow up together.

Samantha Escalera

Administrative Assistant IV (Enrollment Services) Samantha came to COC in 2012 as a short-term employee and accepted her full-time position in 2015 as a Student Services Coordinator I – Computer Operations. Over the past 5 years, she has grown with the college and is currently an Administrative Assistant IV to the AVP of Enrollment Services. Sammi is a jack-of-all-trades, often the go-to person for help with her colleagues. One of her proudest accomplishments thus far with the college has been the launch and her work with the Canyons Promise program. Having the opportunity to create a program that not only financially assists, but also truly supports, students achieving their goals is incredibly gratifying and fulfilling to her.

When she came to the college, she was pursing an education in baking & pastry, plus wine studies. While she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration – entrepreneurship from Fresno State, her passion is baking, as well as the study of wine (no, not just consuming wine). She has worked in a bakery and winery, and one day hopes to see those two passions collide with her own little shop. She is also an avid sports fan! If it’s the MLB playoffs or World Cup season, you may just catch her listening to the games in her office. Soccer being her first love, but she is also Green Bay Packers fan and, of course, loves those Dodgers.

On the weekends, you may catch her at a winery or local brewery, relaxing and enjoying life!

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Norma Espinoza

Instructional Laboratory Technician, Biological Sciences Norma first came to COC as a student undecided in pursuing a biology degree or a nursing degree. Along the way, she became a college assistant in the Biology Department. She graduated from COC with an associate’s degree in biological science, and continued to pursue a Nursing degree. During this time, Norma became a classified employee in the Biology Department. Now Norma thinks about working with first-generation college students, but she still dreams of becoming a nurse and teaching nursing students in the future.

Norma had a 2-year-old daughter at the time she became a classified employee. Her daughter was also attending ECE and could be seen walking with Norma after work and daycare. She is now looking for her first home to accommodate her growing family – soon to include her fourth baby!

Norma resides in Lancaster and hopes to find a home with enough land to have a horse in the future. She enjoys spending most of her time outdoors and at the beach. When Norma is not at COC she is busy at home with her babies watching them grow.

Sandra Esquivel

Human Resources Technician III Sandra works an HR Technician III supporting the advertising and recruitment of open positions. Sandra truly enjoys being part of the classified recruitment process at the college. She actively participates as a selection committee member and especially likes meeting our new employees when it comes time to onboard them to the COC community. Sandra has participated in the Mentor Program, where she has been both a mentor and mentee. She is also a graduate of Management Academy and Classified Professionals Institute. For the past few years, she has also served as a committee member for the service awards and Classified Professional Development Day programs. Sandra serves as a building captain for the UCEN. She has taken First Aid/CPR training, along with any other emergency preparedness workshops available, to remain active and prepared.

Sandra and her husband Jose celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary by renewing their wedding vows last year at one of their favorite beach destinations in beautiful Cancun. Together, they have three wonderful children: Anabelle, Crystal, and Alex. College of the Canyons has played an integral part in her family’s education. Both of her daughters have attended COC and now work in the medical field.

She is proud to say that her eldest daughter Anabelle is a nurse, working in the pediatric unit at Kaiser Permanente and is working on her BSN. Her youngest son Alex is currently attending his second year at COC and enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program. He hopes to become a famous chef one day. Her other daughter, Crysta, has been married for three years and lives in Chandler, Arizona. Sandra is happy and blessed that she just became a proud grandma of a beautiful baby girl, Stella Marie. Her granddaughter has stolen the hearts of these first-time grandparents! She misses her dearly and is looking forward to the day they move back to California!

Dr. Sarah Etheridge

Instructor, Anthropology Dr. Sarah Etheridge has worked for COC since 2010; she became a full-time faculty member in 2015 and received tenure in 2019. She is the chair of the Scholarly Presentation, the Spring Student Symposium and the faculty advisor for the Anthropology Club. Sarah has done research with orangutans in Borneo and with chimpanzees in Uganda. She is the vice president of a non-profit organization called Bright Water Foundation. In academia, she focuses on primate conservation and clean water programs, as well as genetics. Sarah received her P.h.D. in public health from Walden University, her Master’s degree in anthropology from California State University, Fullerton, and her bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and political science from Texas A&M University.

She is currently in a graduate program for genetics through Stanford University.

Sarah lives in Sherman Oaks with her partner and their 5 rescued animals (1 dog and 4 cats). She actively volunteers with animal rescues and is currently leading a public health program on clean water in Abomosu village, Ghana.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Lindsay Gambini

Managing Director, Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons Lindsay is an arts administrator with over 40 years of presenting and producing experience. Upon completing a master’s degree in performing arts administration at New York University, she began her career with The Acting Company as an assistant general manager. She moved on to Circle Repertory Company, before spending time in placement and career counseling for Opportunity Resources for the Arts. Lindsay began her career as a presenter at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College, where she remained for 13 years as managing director and executive director. She then spent seven years as the director of arts programming at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. In 2003, she was appointed executive director of theatre management at Kean University in Union, N.J. In 2015, she relocated from New Jersey to Santa Clarita to become the managing director of the Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons. She has participated in the LEAP and Mentor Programs and has worked to book artistically challenging and popular fare for the Santa Clarita community.

During her career, Gambini has presented nearly 3,000 different artists and companies in all disciplines, including international artists from over 30 countries. Career highlights include twice being selected to program and produce all family events for the New York International Festival of the Arts, participation in the Association of Arts Presenters Leadership Institute, and travel with the US delegation to Cuba for the XI World Congress of ASSITEJ. Lindsay’s proudest productions are her three adult children: Harry, Michael, and Emma.

Patricia Garcia

Counselor, 3SP (Student Success and Support Program) Patricia is a Counselor and is the designated honors counselor at College of the Canyons. She attended L.A. Pierce College and transferred to UCLA where she

earned a bachelor’s in Latin American studies and a minor is Spanish Lit. She completed her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from California Lutheran University.

Previously, Patricia worked at L.A. Pierce College Transfer Center and as a part-time counselor in the Counseling Office and for the PACE Program. She also worked for over 10 years at UCLA Undergraduate Admissions. Experiencing these educational systems allowed her to become an expert on transferring admissions guidelines and requirements, as well as UC admissions policies. She has been working in the field of higher education for the past 18 years. In addition to her counseling experience, Patricia has taught college success courses at different community colleges. At COC, she teaches Counseling 150 (College Success) and Counseling 142 (Learning to Learn). Patricia enjoys teaching because it gives her the opportunity to provide students the necessary skills to succeed in college and life.

On a personal level, some of her passions include traveling to different countries, learning about new cultures and enjoying the richness of other cultures. She has visited over 16 countries and would like to visit many more. She speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys reading Spanish literature. As an undergraduate, she took advantage of studying abroad and completed one semester in Spain at La Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. She encourages our students to consider studying abroad because it is a great opportunity to learn a foreign language and immerse themselves in a different culture. She also enjoys baking and outdoor walking. She enjoys spending time with her family and her nephew, Daniel, who is 3 years old.

Alixandre Gardner

Student Services Technician III (Certificate and Degree Eligibility) Before joining the COC family, Alix had held a senior position within the Admissions & Records Office at Scottsdale Community College in the Phoenix, AZ metro region where she had worked for several years while earning her associate’s degree. Prior to her career at SCC, she served as an assistant office manager at a family-owned, independent insurance agency in Mesa, AZ.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Alix and her partner, Joshua, bought their home in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles around four years ago. There they reside with their two pugs, Carl and Lando. Since moving to Los Angeles, Alix has enjoyed exploring the beauty of Southern California with her small family and friends. In her free time, her hobbies include competitive dodgeball (women’s and mixed), personal fitness, reading, playing pinball, and going out to see to live music performances. Alix admits she geeks out for all things science fiction and has enjoyed supporting the recent MLS expansion team Los Angeles Football Club since their conception. Alix also loves to experiment in the kitchen with new vegetarian recipes --with varying degrees of success-and has recently been dabbling in apparel design and taking on minor home improvement projects.

Dr. Tricia George

Instructor, English In 2014, Dr. George earned her doctorate degree in English, with a focus in medieval and renaissance literature from the University of Tennessee. She also holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University. Dr. George fell in love with teaching during her prior experience at Allan Hancock College, Southern New Hampshire University (Online) and as a graduate teaching associate with the University of Tennessee. Since coming to COC, Dr. George has been involved with a range of committees and initiatives, such as the Curriculum Committee, Reading Apprenticeship, Celebrating the Humanities, facilitating for the Skilled Teacher Certificate, and various human rights activities and classes. Her proudest moment so far has involved working with a group of students who wanted to learn more about Human Rights after the end of the semester. They gathered informally to explore some underdeveloped aspects of this field before they went on the next leg of their educational journeys.

In her personal time, Dr. George and her husband, Jonathan Knott, have been picking up parenting on the fly as their 4-year-old niece Lily has come to live with them. Lily immediately enjoyed bonding with their five pets and en-

joys gardening, singing, and dancing in her new home. They all spend time together when possible at Castaic Reservoir hiking, having picnics, and being immersed in nature. Dr. George has enjoyed learning a bit about pre-school pedagogy as they focus on creating an environment where Lily can become excited about the world and her own potential.

Michelle Goodman

Senior Contract/Risk Management Technician Michelle earned her Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Riverside in 2002.

Before coming to COC, she worked for several years as a real estate manager at CBRE, Inc. where she oversaw all the marketing, operations, and financial activities of a high-rise commercial office building in San Diego. She moved back to her home town of Valencia with her young family in 2014 and was hired at COC as a Contract/Risk Management Technician II in 2015. She is now a Senior Contract/Risk Management Technician. Michelle has participated in the Mentor Program and Management Academy, and is currently a member of the Health and Safety Team and Information Security Committee.

When Michelle isn’t at work, you can find her at home spending time with her family. Michelle and her husband Jeremy (who also works at COC as a Math faculty member), love raising their two children Cadence (11) and Micah (7), and they keep busy by chauffeuring their kids to their various ballet, basketball, soccer, tennis, and karate activities. Michelle enjoys making memories with her family by traveling, baking, singing, dancing, going to basketball games, watching movies and musicals, playing sports and board games, acting silly, and spending time with their large extended family. Michelle also likes to wine, dine, and travel with her long-time girlfriends.

Charissa Harber

Accounting Technician III (Grant and Categorical Programs)(70%) Charissa started at COC as a short-term employee in Business Services and is now an Accounting Technician III in Business Services, Grant and Categorical Programs.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Charissa earned her associate’s degree in mathematics from College of the Canyons and earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Finance from CSUN. Previously, she worked as a Reconciliation Analyst at Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, Inc. Prior to that, she worked as an Accountant at the CSUN Foundation.

Charissa enjoys her time with her family when not at work.

She is married to Willy, who has been an animator for the last 20+ years. Their son, Cole, is 14 years old and is a black belt in martial arts and a hip-hop dancer. Their daughter, Julia, trains in multiple styles of dance and has aspirations of being on Broadway someday. They have very busy daily lives and treasure their time together when they travel. Their favorite destinations so far are Costa Rica, Hawaii, and Palawan, Philippines.

Angela Harris

Counselor (Financial Aid) Angela came to College of the Canyons in 2011 after spending over five years as a high school college and guidance counselor. She started in the Financial Aid Office as an advisor, and then moved into a position as a program advisor in the Counseling Office. Currently, as the financial aid counselor, she meets with students who have been denied financial aid in order to assist them with their financial aid appeals. She also helps students decipher their financial aid award letters, remaining financial aid eligibility and anything else related to a student’s financial aid file.

She attended CSUN, where she received a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, a master’s degree in school counseling and a pupil personal services credential. She also has a certificate in college counseling from UCLA Extension. She participated in the Mentor Program, completed the COC LEAP Program in 2018-19 and serves on the Educational Travel Advisory Committee and the Canyons Promise Committee. Most recently she is working on a financial literacy pilot program with the state Chancellor’s Office to promote financial literacy on our campus and to study the positive outcome that financial literacy plays in helping students complete their educational goals. She created a non-credit course for financial literacy that all Canyons Promise students will be participating in.

In her free time, when she is not acting as a taxi service to her 2 elementary age children ages 7 and 8, she enjoys going camping at the beach with her family, including her husband of 12 years and Copper (a 1-year old beagle). She also loves to vacation in Mammoth Lakes and sticks to the kid trails when it comes to mountain biking. When she can’t get away to the beach, you can find her doing her regular work out and running regimen during the early morning (5a.m.) hours or eating at one of the local restaurants.

Carol Johnston

Administrative Assistant III (Athletics) Carol began working at College of the Canyons in 2014 as a short-term program advisor in the Athletic Counseling Office. In 2015, she graduated from Azusa Pacific University and was hired as the administrative assistant for the Athletic Department.

She then went on to earn her master’s degree in physical education and sport management and began teaching as an adjunct instructor at COC where she teaches stretching, fitness lab, and cardio cross-training classes. Carol recently completed the LEAP Program as a member of the first 100% virtual class, and she feels so fortunate to be part of the COC family!

Carol lives in Los Angeles with her 5-year-old Goldendoodle, Spencer. They love spending time outdoors and recently took a road trip through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, where they spent a week camping and rock climbing. In her spare time, Carol enjoys practicing yoga, crafting, and is currently learning to surf and speak Spanish.

Christine Lopez

Human Resources Technician III Christine began her career at College of the Canyons in 2011 as a short-term employee in the Human Resources Department. She then continued as a short-term employee in the Chancellor’s Office for three years. Working in the Chancellor’s Office afforded her the opportunity to gain knowledge of the college and the Santa Clarita Valley, as she had just moved from New York State the year before. She then became a fulltime employee in human resources in 2015, working with

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years the college’s short-term population. Christine is a LEAP graduate, Management Academy graduate, and participates on the Opening Day Committee, Classified Development Committee and the Guided Pathways Ccommittee for classified staff. Christine graduated with honors with her master’s degree in human resource development from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In New York, she was a human resources consultant at HR Works, Inc. specializing in state and federal employment law consultation. But, after her husband accepted a position at the USC, they and their three children and their cat Callie sold their home, packed up and moved from western New York State – in February – during a winter snowstorm!

Christine is so proud of her kids. Her daughter Lauren graduated last May from USC with her bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing, and is looking forward to attending law school. Her son Dylan will be a sophomore this fall at Syracuse University continuing his study of sports/business management. Her youngest Wesley will be a senior at Valencia High School and has his eyes set on attending USC or Cornell University. In her spare time, Christine devotes her time to causes important to her, such as the Valencia High School Parent Choir Association and the Parkinson’s Association. While her daughter attended USC, she was involved in Local USC Moms and Dads on Call, an organization which consists of parents in the L.A. area supporting USC students from out-of-state or the country.

Andrea “Andy” McDuffie

Student Services Technician III (Certificate and Degree Eligibility) Andy feels very lucky and even #blessed to be a part of the elite COC Cougar Family for the past 5 years (and counting!). She says working here has been a dream, mostly due to the people she gets to see every day and for that, she is very thankful! Andy earned her bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, and her master’s degree in adult education from the University of South Florida. Before COC, she was an academic advisor at California State University, Channel Islands. Previously, she worked at the University of South Florida in a variety of capacities, including as an adjunct instructor, admissions re-

cruiter, academic advisor, and as an enrollment management specialist. Now, as a graduation technician, she is grateful to have landed a spot within the COC community and looks forward to what will come in the next 5 years, hopefully at least ONE win of the holiday door decorating contest!

Andy and her husband Tim love living in Awesometown, USA along with their almost 2-year-old daughter, Maisy, her little sister (who will be joining them in September!!!) and of course, the 2 original babies, their awesome pupsNoodle and Linus. Andy loves improv comedy and you can even catch her around L.A. on a number of improv teams, performing shows! She enjoys hanging with her family, hiking and being outdoors, playing team sports, traveling when there isn’t a pandemic and winning the COC Halloween costume contest.

Linda Malik

Administrative Assistant III (School of Applied Technologies) Linda joined COC in 2015 as administrative assistant II (47.5%) at the School of Visual & Performing Arts and transferred in 2017 to a full-time position at the School of Applied Technologies, where she is currently working as administrative assistant III. Before coming to COC, she was a regulatory coordinator/writer for the UCLA Kidney Transplant Research Program. She worked in education at Bay Area community colleges, including as administrative assistant at College of San Mateo, international student program assistant at Skyline College, and international student advisor at the New York Film Academy.

Originally from Denmark, Linda was a professional ballet dancer whose career had spanned more than a decade, but it was cut short due to an injury. She went back to school and moved from Copenhagen to San Francisco with her husband and two frazzled cats to start her new life as an international student at College of San Mateo. Earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors in Radio and Television from San Francisco State University, she enjoys writing and self-published a children’s picture book last year about her cat. Linda loves animals and volunteers with the Best Friends Animal Society and NKLA (No Kill Los Angeles).

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Mary Manuel

Director, Student Health & Wellness/ Mental Health Mary is an advanced practice nurse practitioner and received her associate’s degree and RN at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Phoenix.

Mary has an extensive background in nursing with specialization in women’s health. She received her advanced practice certification at University of California, San Francisco and UCLA. Mary obtained an additional certification from UCLA as a family nurse Practitioner. She also taught as an adjunct instructor in our Nursing Program in 2008. Mary participated in our LEAP Program in 2016. Mary is also a participant in the campus Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) and Incident Command Team (ICT). Mary has resided in Santa Clarita since 1980.

Graciela Martinez

Counselor (CalWorks) Graciela came to COC in 2008 as a program advisor in general counseling and is now a tenured faculty member for CalWORKs and Canyons Promise.

Graciela double majored in ECE and liberal arts at Santa Ana College Community College. She received her bachelor’s degree at CSUF and her master’s degree in counseling from the University of LaVerne at the University Center. Graciela has over 20 years’ experience helping families and students complete educational goals.

Graciela was appointed ASCCC OER liaison for COC. She has co-authored three counseling books for COC and was awarded a “Champion of OER.” She is very dedicated to social justice and bridging families to upward economic mobility. She participated in the Mentor Program and has successfully mentored fellow faculty. She is open and innovative and always up for a challenge.

Graciela, husband Jose and two teenagers have made Saugus their home after relocating from Chicago, Ill., in 2006.

They have been involved in church activities, sports and COC events. Christian was a first-time college athlete and

Canyons Promise student for Fall 2019. Myranda will be attending COC in fall 2020. Both are Saugus High school graduates. The family dedicates time to SCV events and Orange County where their extended families live.

Nancy Mayer

Administrative Assistant I (University Center)(47.5%) Nancy joined the University Center staff in March 2015, working as an administrative assistant. Prior to that, she was a short-term employee with the University Center since February 2007. She supports the University operations with flair and a smile and take prides in making sure everyone has a comfortable experience in the University Center – staff, visitors and students! Nancy has also been a temporary employee through Sage Staffing, with assignments at Henry Mayo Hospital, Newhall Land, Morgan Stanley, and 3-D Systems, among others. She has attended classes here at COC, to pursue her associate degree in business administration.

Nancy loves artwork! She enjoys making art and teaching art all while watching a new person learn to give in to their inner child. She also loves to travel, and has taken cruises to several exciting locales. She is a huge Elvis Presley fan (just check out her office) and adores the fabulous “Downton Abbey,” which she has binge watched on more than one occasion! While working at COC, she has enjoyed watching the campus grow to be such a large part of the city and community. We are so happy to have Nancy on our team!

Paul Mazbanian

Assistant Director, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Paul’s work with SBDC Clients has positively impacted the local economies in the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. His contributions to the SBDC team are recognized as a driver for success. Paul earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Riverside and his M.B.A. from Woodbury University in Burbank. Since 2007, he has been the owner of Small Business Community Inc. and received the SBA award for Young Entrepreneur

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years of the year in 2011, and Congressional recognition as Entrepreneur of the Year from the Office of Congressman Brad Sherman, for the contributions he has made to Small Businesses. He has worked with COC SBDC since 2009 as a Business Adviser and has been the Assistant Director since 2015. He loves working with SBDC clients and enjoys COC’s innovational approach to its students.

Paul enjoys spending time with his two children and building oversized Lego sets with his son, and not having any space to put them. In addition, he lacks the creativity of tying his daughter’s hair, always being outdone by his wife. He loves to cook, when he is in the mood and is never without coffee.

Anthony Morris

Student Services Coordinator II-Academic Advisor (Counseling) Anthony provides academic advising services and onboarding support to students in the Counseling department.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of California, Riverside and his master’s degree in educational counseling from the University of La Verne. As an accomplished academic advisor, he has been able to specialize his advisement role by combining both his professional skills in education and his past skills from the broadcast entertainment industry. In response to COVID-19, Anthony collaborated with his advisement team to design and produce a fully online and interactive new student advisement workshop. He is also credited with producing a series of online video tutorials that assist students in understanding the basics of college course planning. Anthony is a proud graduate of the 2019 Leadership Education in Action Program, better known as LEAP, where he served on the Equity Minded Practitioners solution team.

In addition, Anthony also serves as one of the volunteer advisors for the newly formed African-American/Black Student Alliance and A2Mend charter. Other current committee memberships include the Canyons Completes/ Guided Pathways Committee and Student Success Teams Committee.

In addition to his educational endeavors, you can also catch Anthony spinning tunes as an open format DJ at some of Southern California’s biggest entertainment venues.

As a matter of fact, Anthony was ecstatic when he recently had the opportunity to DJ an Oscar Awards viewing party where the headlining performer was none other than Maroon 5. Anthony truly enjoys making people dance and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. Anthony lives in Santa Clarita with his wife, Pateika, and two children, Justus and Taliyah. They are the soundtrack to his life, love, and happiness.

Jason Oliver

Instructor, Architecture Jason currently serves as Chair of the Architecture and Interior Design Department at COC, starting as an adjunct instructor in 2003 before being hired full-time in 2015. Other contributions to the college include participation as co-chair of the Sustainable Development Committee (SDC), vice-chair of the Santa Clarita Environmental Education Consortium (SCEEC), MakerSpace advocate, participant in the Mentor Program and most recently a member of the Facilities Planning Committee. Off campus, he contributes to the AEC Employer Focus Group for the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and serves on the AIA California’s annual scholarship committee. Prior to his transition into full-time teaching, Jason accrued over 20 years of professional experience as a California licensed Architect and LEED accredited professional in building design + construction. A product of the community college system, Jason began his education at LA Pierce College in the early 1990s before transferring to the University of Colorado where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental design and master’s degree in architecture.

Personal interests include improving his Spanish (having completed four courses at COC so far…. se gusta leer Gabo), while raising his three teenage children with the help of his girlfriend Katie, 2 cats, 2 dogs and a hamster.

Occasional getaways for the family include snowboarding and hiking in the Sierra Nevadas.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Daniel Otto

Instructor, Culinary Arts (Restaurant Operations) Chef Daniel Otto is a believer in education and mentorship and he shares his talents with students in the community as a Faculty member of the culinary arts department at College of the Canyons. Chef Otto has been teaching at ICUE for 13 years. Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, his passion for cooking took him all over the country learning different cuisines and techniques. Ultimately, he settled in the culinary mecca of San Francisco and began his formal education. He graduated from the prestigious California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and, prior to arriving at College of the Canyons, he worked at highly acclaimed facilities such as the Hilton Hotels Universal City, Hyatt Hotel Corporation, A’sabellas, Flying Saucer, and TPC Valencia, to name a few. He has held all positions in hospitality, as an executive chef, corporate chef, and food and beverage director. Chef Otto likes to stay busy and opened his passion, The Old Town Junction, on Main Street Newhall, where has created an exquisite culinary destination like no other in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Throughout his experience, Chef Otto has prepared over 1000 weddings, from 10- 4,500 people. In his spare time, he enjoys community outreach and contributes his time and services to local organizations such as the Senior Center, Carousal Ranch, Circle of Hope, The Wish Foundation, and Feed SCV. Traveling is also a must! Quintana Roo, Tulum, Italy, and Greece are some of his favorite destinations, and soaking his toes on the beach with a Mojito. He also loves cooking at home with his beautiful wife, Shawlyn, of 20 years, and spending time with his 3 kids: Giavanna 14, Adrianna 12, and Dominic 7. His favorite pastime is just making fresh pizza with family, popping open a 2012 Scarecrow Cabernet and watching the Lakers win!

Lisa Pavik

Director, Noncredit Enrollment Services Ms. Pavik started at College of the Canyons in 2001, and was as a member of our classified represented staff for five years before earning her master’s degree in counseling and educational leadership from California State University, Los Angeles. A familiar face around campus, Lisa has been an adjunct counselor in the Transfer Center, Financial Aid, ISP, and Cooperative Work Experience. She took a brief recess from working at COC, getting a position working with underrepresented students in the high school setting as the intervention counselor at Granada Hills Charter High School. Lisa came back to COC in 2014, counseling noncredit students before becoming the director of noncredit enrollment Services in 2015.

Lisa is the wife of acclaimed classified administrator Nick Pavik in the world-renonowed Graphic Design Center.

(In fact, they met here at COC). Lisa and Nick have two children: Maya and Liam. Proud residents of Burbank for over 10 years, they carpool to work almost every day in their electric vehicle. That means double-points according to the Air Quality Management District incentive program! No matter how many times Lisa’s COC friends try to convince her to move closer to work, she will not move to Santa Clarita. Lisa enjoys living in Burbank, but loves her job increasing awareness of the opportunity to take free classes at COC and serving this very special student population of the Santa Clarita Valley.

Marilu (Mary) Ramirez

Administrative Assistant V/ Administrative Coordinator, Chancellor’s Office In her first five years at COC, Mary has moved from a part-time position to fulltime position in the Chancellor’s Office, participated in both the LEAP and the Mentor Programs, served as the Interim Special Assistant to the Chancellor, and participated in hiring committees for various positions around campus. She came to us from Cuesta College where she worked for three years as the police administrative secre-

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years tary for the chief of police. Previously, she was a community service officer, as well as a volunteer for the Viz Center at San Diego State. She is bilingual in Spanish.

Mary was born and raised in beautiful San Luis Obispo County. A member of a supportive family, she is the eldest of two siblings. Her parents are agricultural workers who came to the United States at a young age to pursue a better life. They encouraged Mary and her sister Daisy to pursue their higher education so that they could establish better lives for themselves. Mary earned two associate degrees from Cuesta College. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in international security & conflict resolution and her master’s degree in homeland security from San Diego State University.

When she isn’t at work, Mary enjoys hiking, running, reading, cooking, hanging out with friends and family, and trying new things. She also enjoys spending time with her husband John and their dog Charlie. In the future, Mary would like to pursue a doctorate in public administration and a certification in crime and intelligence analysis.

Anna Rawls

Mathematics, Sciences, and Health Professions Program Technician (47.5%) Anna can’t believe that it’s been five years already! Working in the School of Health Professions & Public Safety, time has flown by, staying busy and supporting Dr. Kathy Bakhit, Julie Lutes and Allen Basallaje. Anna has volunteered with the Classified Professional Development Committee and is impressed with the commitment the school has towards its employees. Inspired by national events and encouraged by her family, friends and colleagues here at school, Anna decided to pursue her passion for history, first here, double majoring in history and social sciences, then transferring to Cal State Northridge where she is finishing her bachelor’s degree in History with an emphasis in music. Anna plans to move forward with her master’s degree and hopes to teach history at the community college level. Anna feels that history and music are intertwined, historical events and the music they’ve inspired are relevant and can help engage students in critical thinking about why history is so important, and why the music of a particular period reflects social and historical issues of the time.

Anna has lived in Santa Clarita since 2001. Her children, Katerina and Stephen, are successful in their own right. Katerina is married to a wonderful young man and they reside in Santa Clara. She is a licensed marriage & family therapist, and is a wellness coordinator for the school district of Santa Clara, where she works with at-risk youth. Stephen is a licensed real estate agent for Keller Williams, working in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys. While not at work or at CSUN, Anna spends time with her five cats and four dogs, and loves projects around the yard, her garden and cooking up a storm for friends and family alike. When time and travel is allowed, Anna loves to travel and is looking forward to visiting friends in Israel.

Thomas Requejo

Counselor Sonny Requejo came to us in 2015 from Merced Community College. He is our first online counselor. In fact, Sonny was one of the first 100 percent online counselors in the state. Sonny has served our students in the early morning, late evening and weekends, to meet their schedule.

Sonny earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fresno State University. He has built our online counseling program from the ground up and is committed to ensuring all students have access to counseling and meet all our activity requirements for online counseling in the Title V grant.

Sonny loves to hangout and barbecue with his family, golfing, and seeing new places.

Benjamin Riveira

Instructor, Computer Science Mr. Benjamin Riveira III has worked for College of the Canyons as an adjunct computer science Instructor since 2011.

In 2015, Benjamin was hired as a fulltime, tenure-track professor and in the Fall of 2018, completed his tenure process. In Fall 2019, Benjamin became chair of the Computer Science Department. His previous teaching experience includes working as an adjunct instructor with California State University, Northridge, California State University Channel Islands,

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years and Pasadena City College.

Benjamin was born on the Big Island of Hawaii and raised in a small town called Wahiawa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. When he is not teaching, Benjamin is working to maintain the 2.5-acre farm he lives on in Pearblossom with his wife, Deanna and two children, Megan and Christopher.

The property, affectionately dubbed “The Riveira Ranch” is home to three cats, four dogs, a herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats, numerous chickens and a rabbit.

Teresa Rodney

Administrative Assistant III (Center for Early Childhood Education) Teresa started working as a short-term employee in the Children’s Center in 2010, and has since become the administrative assistant III for the Early Childhood Education Department. Teresa assists in the daily operations of the Children’s Center, as well as serving as the welcoming face to everyone who enters the building. Teresa earned her associate’s degree in transfer studies from College of the Canyons, and completed her bachelor’s in business administration from the University of La Verne. She is currently working towards her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of La Verne as well, and is expecting to receive her degree by the end of 2020.

Teresa lives in the Santa Clarita Valley, but enjoys traveling much farther outside the Valley, particularly to foreign countries. Teresa’s favorite family vacation was a two-week trip to Japan in 2019, where she explored many different cities within the country, and enjoyed learning firsthand about Japanese culture.

Loida Sanchez

Student Services Technician I (Outreach) Loida’s journey at COC began at the Valencia Campus in the Career Center as a California State University, Northridge, student intern. Since 2009, she has held short-term employee positions in several departments here at College of the Canyons, including Admissions & Records and the Career Coach Program. These opportunities

led her to her current position, as an outreach representative, funded by a Title V grant, with the Outreach and School Relations team. She has proudly and successfully, with the support and hard work of her entire Outreach team, accomplished the annual grant objectives and goals for the course of the five-year grant resulting in increased student access and enrollment. Her drive and passion for helping students is a direct result of her experiences as a young woman. She hopes to continue making a difference in students and family’s lives. Additionally, she has become a campus advocate for Dreamer students. She believes that education should be a right for all, regardless of personal, social, economic and legal circumstances.

Loida is the proud mother of two handsome and silly boys, Diego and Emilio. She is an adventurer at heart, who loves traveling and having new experiences. She hopes to inspire her children to become adventurers and passionate about their lives and the world. “Life is about the adventures you take and the memories you make. So travel often and live life with open eyes and an open heart.” – Katie Grissom.

Dr. Preeta Saxena

Senior Research Analyst Before arriving at COC, Preeta earned a Ph.D. in sociology from University of California, Riverside and completed a post-doctoral scholarship program at UCLA. While at COC, Preeta has conducted analyses and written numerous reports to help college decision-making. She is also an adjunct instructor in the Sociology department, teaching statistics and research methods courses. More recently, Preeta has contributed her time and expertise to the Canyons Completes effort, including serving on the Institutional Effectiveness and Inclusive Excellence committee and leading the Equity Minded Practitioners workgroup, coordinating and facilitating the Alliance Leads meetings.

Preeta has lived in three different countries, and in addition to English, speaks two languages fluently: Farsi and Hindi. She enjoys watching Emile (named after the sociologist, Emile Durkheim) grow and develop a sociological imagination of his own.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Tammera Stokes Rice

Instructor, Communication Studies Tammera has been with College of the Canyons since the summer of 2003. She served as an adjunct instructor in the Communication Studies department for twelve years, as well as a Senator on the Academic Senate for four years. Tammera is now a proud tenured associate professor and Chair of the Communication Studies department.

Tammera is a natural-born performer (as her mom would say), which benefits her in the field of communication studies (public speaking). She started dancing at the early age of four and received a bachelor of fine arts in dance from Missouri State University. Dance and the theatre brought her to Southern California in 1994, but she also credits her journey working in corporate America for 11 years with the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart. Starting with the company during high school at its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, she honed her skills in customer relations, marketing, and human resources. Determined to venture out on her own, she opened Stokes Rice Consulting in 2000, a boutique public relations company. Simultaneously, she returned to school and received a master’s degree in communication studies from California State University, Northridge, and later pursued a PhD degree in human science. Tammera’s academic interests lie in intercultural communications, gender studies and distance learning, and she has been teaching and developing online courses for the past 13 years.

Tammera resides in Santa Clarita with her husband of 29 years and two children.

Sabrina Strowbridge

Contract/Risk Management Technician II (47.5%) Before coming to COC, Sabrina was employed as a QA/QI assistant coordinator at the Child & Family Center in Santa Clarita. She has also been a customer service representative with Hi-Torque Publications in Valencia, the head instructor at The Tutoring Center in Stevenson Ranch, and a research assistant at Bank of America in Brea.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Northridge.

When not at work, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her family. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Rex, and together they are raising two beautiful girls: Amelia (6) and Audrey (4). She has taken up running to keep in condition to chase after her two girls and she recently completed her first 10k. Sabrina is also an avid baker and often brings her culinary creations to the office to share with her team.

Brandon Thompson

Student Services Coordinator II – Academic Advisor (Counseling) Mr. Thompson earned three associate’s degrees from College of the Canyons: in psychology, sociology, and liberal arts & sciences. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandman University, and his master’s degree in educational counseling from the University of La Verne. For the last five years, Brandon has been part of a small, but mighty, team of academic advisors. Brandon helps to guide students upon their start at College of the Canyons through one-on-one appointments, drop in, large group workshops, and more recently, through Zoom.

Brandon is well respected by his colleagues across campus.

He is always willing to help where needed, is flexible with his time and always puts the students first. Growing up in Seattle, Brandon and his two sisters were raised by a single mother. Before coming to COC, he worked in sales, and knew that he wanted to do more with his life. He signed up for a Counseling 010 class, and was inspired by one of our full-time counselors, Liz Shaker. Brandon was given the opportunity to work on campus part-time and learned as much as he could from great mentors, such as Debbie Morlett. He was driven to help students succeed ever since. His long-term goal is to become a counselor here at COC, but for now he’s content with his role as an academic advisor.

Brandon and his wife are local business owners and love to travel. In his free time, Brandon loves to play video games, go to concerts, run marathons, body board, and travel to new places. Brandon is an avid softball player, known to slide and dive into bases – breaking bones in the desire to be safe! Unfortunately, that cancelled a European vacation.

But, he was safe – that is the important part.

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5 YearsofofService Service • 2015 – 2020 2013– 2018 5 Years Erika Torgeson

Counselor (Canyon Country Campus) Ms. Torgeson hails from the magical and mystical land of the Canyon Country Campus. She has recently transitioned to the Valencia Campus, where she will spend the next few years as co-chair of the Counseling Department and enjoying the delights of Coffee Kiosk. Some general counselors have stated they are rethinking having Erika in the office due to her laughing too loudly in appointments with students and giggling in the hallways.

Before becoming a full time counselor, she was an adjunct counselor and instructor. Her counseling experience also includes working as a 3SP adjunct counselor for COC, adjunct counselor for Ventura College, and an adjunct athletic counselor for Los Angeles Mission College. Erika has also worked as a program advisor for student athletes, career advisor and as a graduate admissions assistant for Pepperdine University. Erika has also been teaching counseling courses for the department since 2013. She holds Master’s degrees in educational counseling from the University of La Verne and psychology from Pepperdine University.

Her pastimes includes reading, beach yoga, learning French and spending time with family in the South. While working remotely during the “Safer At Home” months, she has included binge reading, perfecting her napping skills, competitive chair spinning, and hosting the Winter Living Room Olympics. Erika was also training for the return of the on-going dance battle with Joe Gerda, which has been unfolding since fall 2019. Perhaps Joe will return from retirement to pick up where they left off!

works closely with local agencies like the Economic Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce and Valley Industry Association to listen to their needs and connect businesses with resources at College of the Canyons.

Over the past three years, he has worked very closely with our local businesses to facilitate the training of over 500 employees at more than 3,000 hours. Justin worked to bring on 18 new businesses to participate in the Employee Training Institute’s (ETI) state subsidized training fund called Employment Training Panel (ETP) funds. He is passionate about creating solution portfolios that are unique to each business and collaborating with them so they can remain competitive in their respective industries. Through his work, he is able to provide access to educational opportunities for individuals seeking to upgrade their skills so they can obtain employment, receive a promotion, become more efficient in their job or change career fields.

Justin earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Graceland University in Iowa and his M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

Justin and his wife Stephanie live with their son Cayden and their yellow lab “Miller” in Castaic. They enjoy being outdoors and going on adventures as a family to the mountains, the lake and the beach.

Justin Wallace

Director, Business Partnerships and Workforce Engagement Mr. Wallace serves as the director for business partnerships and workforce engagement in the Academic Affairs Division. He is responsible for expanding partnerships with the local business community to increase engagement, gathering feedback/support for academic programs and increasing awareness for the college. He

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Yearsof ofService Service • 2010 – 2020 2008– 2018 1010Years Noelia Borcherding

Student Services Coordinator V (Lead Technical Support)(Admissions & Records) Noelia began her student services career working in Admissions & Records at CSUN in 2003 and joined COC in 2006 working in the Instruction Office. She then worked in the admissions & records office at COC from 2007 to 2013. After a short break, Noelia came back to COC in 2015 as a student services coordinator for admissions & records and enrollment services. Noelia earned her Associate’s degree from COC, bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, and MBA from the University of La Verne. She is known across campus as the go-to person for all things related to technology in Student Services.

Noelia and her husband, Paul, live in Frazier Park with their two sons, Nicholas and Vincent. She loves to cook, go to the beach, hike, and sew. Noelia’s smile brings happiness to anyone who meets her. She is kind, caring, and is always willing to help those around her. Noelia has a talent in her cooking, sewing, and raising two busy boys.

Although her boys outgrew her by the time they were 9, they still look up to her!

Daniel Corbet

Student Services Coordinator III – Athletics (Statistics and Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Football Coach) Dan has been at COC since 2008 where he started as an adjunct instructor in the Kinesiology department, a role he still serves in. However, Dan is now celebrating 10 years as a classified staff member, in which he serves a wide variety of roles. His main role is to recruit student athletes to COC as well as their recruitment to receive scholarships to fouryear institutions. During Dan’s tenure, the COC football team has had over 200 athletes receive scholarship offers to four-year institutions. He is most proud of watching these student athletes chase their dreams. Dan also serves as the defensive coordinator, and strength and performance coach for the football team. In addition, he helps coordinate

statistics for all sports teams at COC. Dan is a former student-athlete as well as a graduate of COC. Dan earned a scholarship offer to New Mexico Highlands University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science (cum laude) and master’s degree in exercise (summa cum laude). He is a LEAP graduate, and just completed his IOI certification this Spring. He has also achieved several certifications in the exercise science field; including program design, speed development, nutrition, and Olympic lifting.

Dan’s personal life has changed quite a bit since his last anniversary celebration. He has now been married for 3 years to Natalie Corbet, who is also part of the COC family and a graduate of COC. They also welcomed to their family twins Leah and Colton, who will be turning 2 in October.

They also have a dog named Vin Scully. Dan is a Dodgers fan! Dan enjoys exercising, snowboarding, biking, and pretty much anything outdoors.

Joseph Kemp

Maintenance Worker III Joe spent most of his formative years growing up in the mile-high state of Colorado. While in high school, Joe excelled in sports and found that the trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work, came naturally to him. Joe spent many years working in the trades before finding a home here at COC. Joe takes great care of Mentry, Bonelli, and Aliso Hall.

These buildings are full of classrooms, offices, and departments. He does a fantastic job with his work orders and communicating with staff. Joe is always available to assist with any building or project at any time. He is very dependable and we appreciate that.

Joe loves the outdoors. He is often out hiking, biking, and fishing. This will come in handy, as Joe will be retiring next year. Joe will miss COC and his time here working with his co-workers and all COC staff. “I’ve learned a lot on the job from my peers and others to improve my skills, as always a work in progress,” he says. Joe is looking forward to retiring up in the Northwest, but will miss his time here at COC. We will miss you more Joe!

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10 Years of Service • 2010 – 2020 Claudia Kirby

Information Technology Coordinator I (Computer Support) Claudia started at College of the Canyons in 2007 as a volunteer with the Computer Support Services department.

As if to illustrate how much fun then next 10 years would be her first duties were to assist the CSS staff with deploying about 400 computers in a new building with, no power, no air conditioning, and two weeks before the beginning of the semester! Claudia’s determination and dedication to getting HSLH setup and open on time earned her a student employee position two weeks into volunteering. Claudia became a classified staff member in 2010, and has never looked back!

Claudia has an extensive background in supporting technology and has supported everything from our remote facilities around the SCV, our fleet of laptops and today she coordinates the day-to-day operations of the Valencia office. Never happy with good enough, Claudia is in early and out late most days. Her no-nonsense attitude and determination has been among one of the greatest assets as the CSS team have scrambled to make sure we provide the best level of support we can during the pandemic.

On a personal note, Claudia and her wife Kim have been residents of the city of Santa Clarita for 17 years and are both College of the Canyons alumni. In addition, their 10-year-old daughter Emily is an alum of the Purple Room in ECE. Claudia’s daughter is a decorated Tai Kwan Do practitioner, holding state and national titles. Not willing to be shown up by her daughter, Claudia has taken up Tai Kwan Do and KravMaga, earning orange and yellow belts respectively. During the pandemic, favorite pastimes include, watching Marble Racing on YouTube, epic family gaming sessions of Minecraft Dungeons, and walking their dog, Spicey!

Martin Krueger

MIS Systems Coordinator I Martin has been an integral member of the MIS department in his role of MIS Systems Coordinator I since he started at the college. He has maintained, upgraded, secured, backed up, restored and enhanced the server systems and database components of the Colleague ERP. Martin shows his dedication by managing patches at 4 a.m. twice a year. Martin also handles all the Colleague access requests and enjoys helping users solve any ERP-related problems they encounter. Martin works especially closely with Student Services departments, but almost anyone who works in Colleague has spent some time on the phone with Martin.

Martin attended Los Angeles Valley College and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional.

A native of Sunland, California, Martin is the fifth of six children. His hobbies include reading, music, nature photography, and tinkering in the garage. As someone who appreciates historical items from the past, Martin collects old books, old records, and old cars. Martin will be entering his final year with the college and then will be dedicating time to working on his cars and enjoying nature.

Robert Kuch

Maintenance Worker III Bob is a long time resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, where he owned and managed RAKUCH Construction for 20 years. Bob also worked as a senior illustrator for Lockheed and you can find some of his amazing illustrations around campus.

Bob takes care of Canyons Hall, the PAC, and the Student Support Center. These buildings are high traffic, with a lot of students and events. Bob is always there to help out and lend a hand. Bob also believes that “working here for the past 10 years has given him the opportunity to meet and work with a diverse and interesting group of individuals.” These people have and will continue to bring a smile to his face.

Married for 33 years, Bob and his wife have four children:

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10 Years of Service • 2010 – 2020 three daughters and a son ranging from 19 to 32 years of age. Bob is also very excited to be a new grandfather to a little granddaughter. During what little free time Bob has, he enjoys gardening, cooking, painting, and sculpting. But mostly, Bob is a family man devoted to being a dad and grandpa.

Clara “Faby” Marton

Site Supervisor, Center for Early Childhood Education (CCC) Faby’s career pathway at COC began in 1995 at the Center for Early Childhood Education. Faby was a short-term employee and ECE peer counselor for ESL students and later became a master teacher at the children’s center. Faby was instrumental in collaborating with the directors and establishing the Children’s Center on the Canyon Country Campus. Before becoming the site supervisor at the Center for Early Childhood Education, she held the Interim Site Supervisor position beginning in August 2010. Faby’s dedication and passion about designing quality children’s learning environments was tested during the fall 2019 when the CC Children’s Center was damaged by the Tick Fire and the preschool class relocated to the Children’s Center at the Valencia campus. Faby and her Canyon Country Children’s Center teaching team worked intensely and in a matter of a couple days, they were able to create and set up a magical developmentally age appropriate nurturing environment that welcomed back the children and their families to their “new home away from home” in a smooth and supportive transition.

Faby Marton is a College of the Canyons alumni and holds an associate degree in Child Development, a site supervisor permit issued by the state of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and a mentor teacher certification by the California Early Childhood Mentor Program.

As a strong advocate, Faby continues her volunteer support at the Domestic Violence Center in Peru through a Catholic church that supports victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Because of her rewarding past experience volunteering as a crisis hotline counselor at the Los Angeles Commission and Assault Against Women and Children in Hollywood, Faby is now in the process

to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for children in Ventura County.

Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Faby moved to the United States when she was 21 years old. She and her husband John will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this November. They have a 23-year-old son named Christopher, who is a Center for Early Childhood Education alum, and COC student who transferred to UC Santa Barbara and graduated in 2018 with a degree in political science and international law. One of Faby’s favorite things to do is going to music concerts of all kinds. She also embraces every opportunity to go for early morning weekend walks by the beach, especially Newport Beach, where after the walk she visits her son who lives in the area.

She is passionate about sports, especially soccer around the world and basketball ….“Go Lakers!”

Lisa Mortera-Brual

Payroll Coordintor Lisa is celebrating her 10th year anniversary as a payroll coordinator, but has been a part of the College of the Canyons family since 2004, working as a short-term employee in both Business Services and Payroll until becoming a permanent employee in 2010.

Lisa is originally from the San Diego area but attended California State University, Long Beach, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

She now resides locally but still has family in San Diego and enjoys taking trips to visit them on the weekends.

Lisa’s daughter Lauren is beginning her junior year in high school. Like many kids, Lauren likes to vlog and really enjoys recording and editing her videos and hopes to be a video editor in the future. While Lisa loves living in Valencia, she does miss the sunny San Diego beach weather and the cool ocean breeze. Lisa is really looking forward to resuming her annual family camping trips once we are past this pandemic.

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10 Years of Service • 2010 – 2020 Jesse Munoz

Director, Public Relations and Sports Information If you have a question, chances are good that Jesse Munoz can answer it.

As the Director of Sports Information and Public Relations, Jesse is an expert at knowing things about the College and its 17 inter-collegiate sports teams. He shares that knowledge on social media, having built @COCathletics into one of the most followed community college athletics Twitter accounts in California.

After earning his associate degree in General Education from Grossmont College and his bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, Jesse went to work at The Signal as a staff writer. He was at COC on assignment so many times that he became a de facto Cougar. We eventually hired him away from The Signal, first on a part-time basis, and then finally as a permanent addition to the college. He served as the writer/ photographer in PIO before his current position. Many people on campus still refer to him as “the guy with the camera.”

Those lucky enough to work closely with him know that Jesse’s knowledge is not limited to College of the Canyons.

His expertise extends to Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Raiders, Disneyland, fantasy football, Star Wars, and L.A.’s major league sports teams, including the USC Trojans. Jesse is an avid concert-goer and lover of music, and a memorabilia collector. His father worked in the film industry for more than 30 years as a key grip, and Dad’s love of movies is shared by Jesse. A three-decade resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, Jesse is a product of the local school systems and he played football for Saugus High School. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially his wife Ashley, their daughter Alice and son Bobby. He also enjoys traveling, and even with the pandemic, managed to visit two national parks this year – Sequoia and Joshua Tree.

Angel Robinson

Business Services Coordinator Since 2007, Angel worked as a parttime adult hourly in Fiscal Services and Business Services. For the last 10 years Angel has worked as Coordinator, Business Services. As of December 2019, Angel has transferred to the Office of Instruction. Angel is also a 2015 graduate of the College of the Canyons LEAP Program.

Angel is a graduate of College of the Canyons, with her associate degree in math/science. She completed her bachelor’s degree in legal studies, criminal justice and psychology as well as her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University. Angel is a veteran of the United States Air Force and served with a top secret clearance. Her jobs in the Air Force included: intelligence officer, health care professional and she was licensed as an EMT. She is a very busy woman - - Angel is the mother of five amazing children! She was a stay-at-home mother for 15 years. Volunteer work is very important to her. She volunteered in the community for Sulphur Springs School District, helping Mitchell Elementary School raise money to build a Science Center on campus. For seven years, she was the chief officer of the “Just Say No to Drugs” program, which educates students on how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. She has tutored students with challenges in math and reading. Currently, her passion is volunteering her time with homeless youth and teaching them life skills. Advocacy for youth is a very important issue that she is extremely passionate about. Her hobbies include running, working out at the gym and spending time with her children.

David Rocha

Grounds/Landscape and Pesticide Technician David was employed by COC in 2010 as a groundskeeper. Now in 2020, he is an experienced grounds/landscape specialist and pesticide technician. Prior to working at COC, David worked at Kern County Parks and

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10 Years of Service • 2010 – 2020 Recreation. As a skilled groundskeeper, he maintained the baseball and softball fields before transferring to the CCC campus. He is currently responsible for maintaining the grounds and irrigation, as well as any other duties required.

David lives in Bakersfield with his wife, Silvia, and his 16-year-old twins, Hanah and Jacob. David and his family stay busy doing volunteer work and fundraising activities at their church. In his spare time, he maintains the grounds at his church. Finally, David has logged 450,000 miles on his truck. His co-workers are cheering him on to make it to 1 million by his 20th year.

Gabrielle Temple

NSF CREATE Renewable Energy Center Project Manager (85%) As Gabie celebrates her 10th anniversary as a permanent employee in the NSF CREATE Center, it is important to note that she has been a family member of the college for far longer. She has been a fixture on the college campus her whole life. Her mother Pattie Harte was an employee at the college for over 20 years and when Gabie was born, the Switchboard had a sign that read, “She’s Here.” Gabie previously worked as a short-term employee for 10 years in a variety of capacities, including in the Child Development Center, NSF, Student Development/ ASG, Financial Aid and the Career Center.

Gabie earned her two-year degree from College of the Canyons, majoring in humanities; her bachelor degree from CSU Bakersfield at the University Center, and she now has a master’s degree in communications.

Gabie’s passion is technology. However, being a woman, she encountered gender bias when starting her own career in the tech industry. Never to be defeated by such challenges, Gabie married a guy and pursued her passion for technology through him. Today he has risen to levels not anticipated in her early planning; however, she is easily able to handle her own job and surreptitiously manage MIS and IT. Gabie and Jim have two children, both of whom are being trained by Gabie to be softball and football stars. Their daughter Paige, a junior at Saugus High School, is now attending College of the Canyons.

Dr. Anh Vo

Instructor, Nursing Anh came to COC in Spring 2007 as an adjunct nursing instructor. She became a full-time faculty member in 2010. She has contributed a lot of time and effort to building a strong foundation for the nursing students. In addition, Anh participated in the accreditation process of the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) and Board of Registered Nursing. In 2017, Anh served as assistant director of the Nursing program to help remediate pre-nursing students and follow up with at-risk students in their first year of the program. From 2018 until now, Anh has served as department chair, responsible for COC chair responsibilities as well as making connections with clinical sites for nursing students to fulfill their clinical practice experiences. Anh is also a loyal member of the Technology Committee and the Mentor Program. She participates in multiple nursing sub-committees such as testing, Kaplan, simulation, grants, and tenure.

Anh keeps up with her lifelong learning commitment as well. She has a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP), maintains her up-to-date basic life support and advanced cardiac life support certificate, attends the annual UCLA diabetic symposium and simulation certification, the medical/surgical conference, and the Stanford nursing research & evidence-based practice.

Anh is married and has two beautiful children – Justin, 20, and Lanie, 16. One of her goals is to have a long vacation every summer with her family so she can recharge her energy for the following academic year. However, this goal was held up during this summer due to COVID-19.

There have been a lot of challenges for Anh for the last two years as she took in a new position, department chair, while pursuing DNP degree. She has tried her best to bring out the best outcomes for the Nursing department and students. She looks forward to going back to a full load of classroom and clinical teaching, and completing her DNP program this year!

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10 Years of Service • 2010 – 2020 Ingrid Weeks

Accountant (Special Grants) Ingrid came to COC in 2010 as an accounting technician and is now an accountant in business services. For the last ten years she has worked for the National Science Foundation CREATE Renewable Energy Center, the NSF Advanced Manufacturing Grant, the NSF Research grant, and the NSF Mentor grant, including the U.S. Department of Education Title V grant.

She is proud of completing the NSF on-site audit without any findings and being commended for best practices.

Ingrid is instrumental in assisting with the day-to-day accounting projects, grant coordination, as well as providing her expertise in federal regulations “Uniform Guidance” and NSF PAPPG. Prior to coming to College of the Canyons, Ingrid was the director of accounting at Blackwood Builders, Inc., a residential and commercial construction company in Castaic, and was the controller at H.B. Covey Inc., an environmental construction company in Chino.

Ingrid attended Pierce College and UCLA, as well as the University in Goeppingen, Germany where she graduated with a double major in accounting and economics. She is fluent in German and French.

Born in Krummwalden, Germany, Ingrid now resides in Santa Clarita. She and her husband, Mark, have two daughters, Klara, who is attending her first year at COC and has received her Girl Scouts Silver Award; and Sophia, who is attending Valencia High School, and has competed in Irish Dance “Feis” competitions and loves photography.

Ingrid enjoys horseback riding, hiking in the mountains, gardening, playing classical guitar, and spending time at family gatherings.

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– 2018 Years of of Service 155Years Service •• 2013 2005 – 2020 Michelle Augustine

had fun taking pictures of microbes from water samples across the country on a road trip from Los Angeles to New Hampshire. She volunteers in the MESA Department and serves as the curricular coordinator for microbiology. She has served on many committees such as CASL, CETL, Accreditation Committee, task force committees and multiple hiring and tenure committees. Kelly currently serves on the COCFA negotiations team. She finds that this service to the faculty body has been one of the most interesting, enriching, and fulfilling activities she’s been involved with at COC. Outside of the college, she has enjoyed initiating and moderating an educator’s session at the annual meeting of the Southern California American Society for Microbiology and being a Perspective section editor for the ASM journal JMBE. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa in biology with a concentration in marine biology and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida in microbiology.

On a personal note, Kelly has witnessed the college graduations of her children, the marriage of her son Weston to the incredible Brenna, and the birth of their child Rowan.

She is over the moon about being a grandmother. Now that her husband has retired, Kelly is looking forward to that milestone in her own life. She has high hopes to complete her goal of having visited all 50 states with a postponed trip to Hawaii once the pandemic subsides.

After that, finishing out all of the Canadian provinces is up next.

Kelly Burke

Dean, International Affairs and Global Engagement Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine has often been known as a “whirling dervish,” hummingbird, and a force to be reckoned with. She is fondly called “Dr. J” or “DRJ” by her staff and students. If you need something accomplished, call on Jia-Yi. She will consistently go above and beyond to assist you to reach your goal. Her boundless energy and drive have moved our International Services and Programs department into the stratosphere. Amidst the recent political uncertainty and the pandemic, her passion for student success, vision for global engagement,

Student Services Technician II (Degree Audit Evaluator) Michelle was hired in 2005 to be part of the Admissions and Records team as a transcript evaluator. Michelle came to us from L.A. Mission College. Since she was hired, Michelle has proven herself to be a meticulous and detail-oriented person who strives for perfection. In 2008, Michelle was reclassified to a degree audit evaluator because of her expertise, knowledge, and desire to learn more and do more. Michelle is an asset to the Admissions and Records office for her dedication to accuracy for all students, completing their evaluations and customizations, and her soft-spoken, calm way in which she delivers her customer service. Michelle also currently serves on the Classified Staffing Committee.

Michelle is a quiet, gentle soul with a quick sense of humor that takes you by surprise. You would never guess she is the grandmother of two, Mikayla and Trip. Michelle lights up the room with her smile, is a rock under pressure, and is the quiet side of Admissions and Records. She is seen as a mentor to other evaluators and a go-to person for our Counseling faculty and staff. She is a true professional. Michelle is a very private person, who is probably embarrassed by even reading this, and we are lucky she decided to join us at College of the Canyons. Michelle, we are proud to work side by side with you in the Admissions and Records office and honored to consider you a friend and colleague.

Instructor, Biology Kelly has had many career highlights over the last 15 years at College of the Canyons. One of the brightest and most amazing experiences for her was collaborating with Kelly Cude and Larry Hurst for their Life As Art show. This exhibition included more than 60 micrographs (photographs taken with a microscope) produced while working in the college’s biology laboratories. Kelly enjoyed her time on sabbatical five years ago. She worked very hard developing a lab manual and

Dr. Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine

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– 2018 Yearsof of Service Service ••2013 155Years 2005–2020 as well as creative energy to continuously serve our students and maintain international partnerships further attest to her heart and soul in education. Because of her tireless efforts, the college now has a Faculty Lecture Abroad program that provides our faculty an opportunity to lecture on topics of their expertise in countries like China and Egypt.

For Jia-Yi, there is no such thing as a “failed project.”

Every idea and endeavor runs with a constant flow of reflection and a strong desire for improvement. Jia-Yi has a great passion for higher education and her own past as an international student assists her daily to help our international students see their own potential. When they hear about Jia-Yi’s journey, they are motivated and inspired to achieve their own educational goals. She understands our students’ struggle with learning English, trying to assimilate into a new culture and dealing with the American higher education culture.

Before taking over the ISP office in 2014, Jia-Yi came to College of the Canyons after working as a tenured professor at the University of Houston. Once here, Jia-Yi served as a faculty member and department chair for the English department. Her passion for the environment then led to the co-founding the Sustainable Development Committee in 2006. As chair, she created many environmental projects: the Sustainable Development Committee and Sustainability Center, the Santa Clarita Environmental Education Consortium, Blue Bird Restoration Project, and TEDx at College of the Canyons.

For someone who travels to as many as 15 countries in a year for recruitment and partnership-building, Jia-Yi loves to stay home when she can, takes long walks and hikes in the neighborhood, and photographs beautiful flowers.

We all love Jia-Yi’s boundless energy, passion for life and spectacular sense of humor. Although we joke about her being our resident hurricane, we truly love her passion, respect her intellect, and are proud to call her a friend and colleague.

Linda De Leon

Student Services Technician II - Faculty Liaison (Admissions & Records) Linda began working in the Admissions and Records Office in May 2001 as a short-term employee and quickly became an important part of the team. In December 2005, Linda secured the position of faculty lLiaison in the Admissions and Records Office as a full-time classified employee.

Linda quickly won the hearts and respect of every faculty member she met. She is fast, accurate, and just as sweet as pie. She is gracious and entertaining, soft-spoken, and has a smile that brightens a room.

Linda is a College of the Canyons alumnus. She earned her associate (social sciences) degree in 2002, then transferred to California State University, Northridge. She finished her bachelor’s (psychology) degree from CSUN in 2005. She is a brilliant, humble woman, who loves being surrounded by her family, friends and colleagues. Just stop by her office and you will see the wonderful artwork of her children, happy, playful pictures of the kids and family, and the welcoming smile we all love seeing each and every day.

Linda is the proud mother of Madelyn Grace, who is 10 years old, and Matthew Benjamin who is 9 years old.

The kids keep her on her toes but are the pride and joy of her life. You can see her beam when you speak to her about her children. Linda and her husband, Edwin, are wonderful parents who have created a wonderful family.

Linda enjoys going to the Performing Arts Center with her daughter to watch shows. Madelyn is in tap/jazz dance classes and sings for the church choir at Saint Kateri’s Catholic Church in Saugus. Matthew plays soccer through AYSO and loves to go running at Canyon High or his school track. On the weekends, Linda enjoys visiting family and friends to spend quality time. She also enjoys family time by going bicycling, taking long walks, spending time at the park, and as often as she can going to Ventura to relax at the beach. We love working with Linda and we are proud to call her one of our team members and friends!

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– 2018 Yearsof of Service Service ••2013 155Years 2005–2020 Dr. Rebecca Eikey

Instructor, Chemistry Rebecca has taught in the chemistry department for the past 15 years. She earned her bachelor’s Degree from Chatham University, and her Ph.D. in chemistry from UCLA. She served as a post-doctoral fellow in chemical education at UCLA. She has collaborated with faculty from high school, CSUs, and UCs to revise the American Chemical Society’s California Chemistry Diagnostic Exam. She also serves as an advisory board member on the California Science Project (CSP) – California Subject Matter Project, which provides professional development to pre-K through university teachers.

She has served as the Academic Senate President for the past five years leading the faculty in the implementation of the California Guided Pathways Program. At the state level, Rebecca was elected to serve as the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) Area C Representative, where she chaired the Standards & Practices Committee and spent many hours supporting the Resolutions Committee before and during six plenary Sessions. She successfully advocated for the use of Google Docs for the Resolutions Committee!

Rebecca is happily married with two girls and one son.

In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors with her family, particularly the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the beaches in Ventura and the Central Coast.

Deborah Gear Sison

Instructor, American Sign Language Deborah has 35 years of professional experience in the field of interpreting and American Sign Language instruction.

Her experience has been varied and has provided her with many opportunities to develop her skills and understanding of American Sign Language, the deaf community, the interpreting profession, and other related subject matter. She has held several positions, each requiring a higher degree of responsibility, knowledge and expertise. Deborah enjoys being involved in the learning process and has worked at both the community college and at the university levels. For her, the best

part of her job is watching students learn and grow. She enjoys seeing them develop their knowledge and skills and seeing them successfully apply these in the context of the real world. She has served the campus as department chair for SIGN: ASL & Interpreter Training Program from 2005-2017. She developed the program and created the courses for the AA degree in interpreting at College of the Canyons. She regularly works as a mentor with students in CWEE internships and is the representative on campus for the American Sign Language Teachers’ Association Honor Society.

In addition to her work experience, her educational background serves as a measure of her academic knowledge of American Sign Language, the deaf community and its history, etiologies and incidence of deafness, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Deborah has earned an associate degree in interpretation, a bachelor’s in deaf studies – language & culture, and a master’s in special education-DHH. Deborah has been certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) since 1993.

She holds dual certification: Certificate of Interpretation (CT) and Certificate of Interpretation.

Deborah is a mother of a beautiful and intelligent 18-year-old daughter who is currently attending UC Davis.

Deborah is adjusting to an empty nest. Fortunately, her husband, three dogs, and two birds have helped with the adjustment. Deborah looks forward to spending another decade at College of the Canyons. She simply couldn’t imagine working at a better place.

Patti Haley

Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician Patti has been with COC since Fall 1999 – she was an adjunct instructor for several years and this is her 15th year as a fulltime faculty member. Patti is a registered nurse (R.N.) with degrees from Cal State L.A. and L.A. Valley College, including course work in administration of justice. She holds a national EMS Instructor certificate, an emergency management certificate, public health nurse license, and various EMS certifications and licenses. Patti has been part of the EMS community most of her nursing

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– 2017 Yearsof of Service Years ofService Service ••• 2007 2008 2018 1510 Years 2005–2020 career and served a stint as the head nurse of the LACUSC Medical Center Jail Ward, charge nurse and disaster coordinator of the Emergency Department at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. She has worked as part of the L.A. County EMS Agency, and continues to serve on local and state EMS committees.

Patti has also worked part-time at Paramount Studios as a nurse for over 25 years, treating creatures from Star Trek standing by for various dangerous stunts. During the past five years at COC, Patti has been part of the Mentor Program and various other committees at COC. She stepped in and led the Administration of Justice Department for one year. Her active memberships include: California Fire Tech Director’s Association, Emergency Nurses Association, CEMSEA, NAEMT, and NAEMSE. As department chair for Health Science, classes have been expanded to offer College Now classes at the high schools.

Patti’s networking has resulted in amazing opportunities for the students to be able to participate in various disaster exercises with Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Henry Mayo Medical Center, Providence Tarzana Medical Center, Universal Studios, and Bob Hope Airport Drill.

The EMT Program has partnered with Magic Mountain to provide a currently enrolled EMT students with paid internships. Patti has received the “Above & Beyond” award by her students in the EOPS/Care/CalWORKs Program.

Patti attends EMS World Expo each year, bringing the latest in EMS trends and equipment to the EMT Program.

College of the Canyons was the first EMT Program on the west coast to purchase and install an ambulance simulator in the classroom.

Patti is a single mom with one child, Katie, who lives in Florida. Katie recently married a retired Lt. Colonel Air Force fighter pilot. Patti helped Katie plan a destination wedding. Katie and Greg both love Disneyworld and have a set of different ears for at least every day of the week.

They have three fur children: Bruschi, Thor and Gunner.

Patti also loves travelling and exploring with trips to the south, travelling back roads, visits to various zoos and a magical road trip to Monument Valley located on Navajo Reservation land in 2019. Other travels included trips to the Grand Canyon, multiple California museums and historical places, and road trips to see the many displays of California wildflowers and almond blossoms. Patti’s vol-

unteer work includes supporting the Wounded Warriors Foundation, USO, Guide Dogs, Relay for Life, National Search Dog Foundation, and the Burbank CERT Team.

Rick Lopez

Civic Center Coordinator I - Facilities Rick is a real asset to the department in all facets. He is quick to smile, laugh and interact with members of our campus community, as well as the various users of the campus. Over the past 15 years, Rick has taken pride in being involved with the coordination of all campus events and film productions. Daily changes and/or requests sometimes put him in challenging situations, which he enjoys. Rick is truly very happy to be a part of the Facilities team.

In December 2019, Rick married his lovely wife, Isabel and together they have 3 boys. In his free time, Rick enjoys visiting with family and close friends, going to the beach and he loves to barbecue.

Rick is an outstanding, hardworking individual who knows how to enjoy the work environment, offer solutions and who exemplifies the dynamic spirit that defines this campus. We appreciate all he does to support the campus community and those who come here.

Cynthia Madia

Administrative Assistant III (CWEE and Career Services) Cynthia has enjoyed a diverse career at Collee of the Canyons. She started as a College Assistant in Student Development (Campus Life and Student Engagement) and quickly moved her way around campus.

In Student Development, she was instrumental in the initial set up of the Cougar Mentor program. From there she moved to Facilities and was part of exciting efforts bringing Canyon Country Campus and its new buildings online while working closely with Jim Schrage. Cynthia served as the Admin Assistant to Dr. Buckley, then moved to her recent position as administrative assistant in Student Services. Cynthia was instrumental in setting up the Hub operation in Career Central in 2018. Additionally, Cynthia was the CSEA Union President from 2007 to 2011.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 1510 Years 2005–2020 It’s a little-known fact that Cynthia is passionate about genealogy and the deep history associated with researching genealogy. Cynthia recently learned that she is an original “Carpenter” of the Plymouth colony and visited New England last summer to track her roots where she found streets, museums, and historic homes named after her ancestors. Her passion has led her to pursue her master’s degree in history at Southern New Hampshire University where she hopes to teach history and/or fFamily studies classes.

Cynthia is a proud mother of her son Joe and lives within walking distance to COC. She loves cooking, hiking, spending time with family, friends, and her three beloved cats: Luna, Beanie, and Winnie.

duction to Online Learning, or IOI class for instructors who want to become certified to teach online.

Tammy has two boys: Blake (9) and Brandon (24). Blake is in the 4th grade and attends Northpark Elementary School in Valencia. He is an avid snow skier, swimmer, tennis player, and gamer. He loves science, mathematics, and reading. Blake is a spirited child who loves adventures and travel. Brandon is an editor in the film industry and a graduate of VHS as well as COC. He currently works for Discovery ID. Brandon is a lifelong LA Kings fan, enjoys travel and adventure, and has won many awards for his artistic talents.

Scott McAfee

Disabled Students Programs and Services High Tech Center/Access CoordiDr. Tammy Mahon nator III Instructor, Psychology Scott joined COC full-time in June Tammy has been employed at COC 2005 as access coordinator in DSPS. since 2005 and serves as a full-time Scott continues to educate the campus faculty member in the psychology deon accessibility issues and expanding online services for partment. Before receiving her fulltime students and staff. He is always cheerful and willing to help position, she worked as an adjunct wherever needed. Scott received both a bachelor’s degree instructor at the College for seven years. Tammy received and a master’s degree in communications studies from Caliher bachelor’s in psychology with an emphasis in applied fornia State University, Northridge. He is also a graduate of developmental psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the College’s LEAP program. and her master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in Before coming to COC, Scott was a professional radio/ community college teaching from CSU Bakersfield. Tamtelevision/film actor and was cast in the animated series my completed her doctorate in educational leadership from “Land Before Time” as the voice of Little Foot in Parts II, University of California, Los Angeles.

III and IV; Willie Watt from “Batman Beyond;” ChristoTammy’s phenomenal leadership skills have played an integral part in creating a successful Psychology Department, pher Robin in Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” franchise; AV Kid from Disney’s “Recess;” Scarecrow Jr. from “Oz Kids;” especially in its effort to encourage student participation and on screen roles including “Freaks and Geeks,” “Days at regional and national professional conferences, includof our Lives,” “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of ing participation in the APS and WPA conferences. In Superman,” “Boston Public,” “Spin City,” and more. addition, she is directly involved with the student pulse of Scott loves to travel and has visited most of Europe, the COC, since she serves as the faculty co-advisor of PsycholCaribbean, the United States, and parts of Mexico and ogy Club/Psi-Beta and has helped to develop the AcaCanada. His most exciting adventure thus far has been demic Probation Workshop. Tammy also serves on many traveling to the Arctic Circle and traversing arctic tundra committees including, but not limited to, Professional and a frozen lake by dogsled. Other areas of interest for Development, COCFA Representative Council, CETL, Scott are retro computer building and gaming, cooking, and Canyons Promise, and she works with the alliance and beekeeping. Scott also fancies himself a handy man between College of the Canyons and DCFS. Tammy has and you can often find him involved in some project also taught for the First Year Experience (FYE) Program, around the house, usually several hours before calling a proFuture Instructors Training (FIT) Program, and the Introfessional to come fix the issue that is now invariably worse.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 1510 Years 2005–2020 Robert Serrano

Instructional Laboratory Coordinator I (Welding/Fabrication) It’s hard to believe that 15 years have already passed since Robert was first hired as the full-time lab technician for the welding program. Since being hired, Robert has worked to support students and staff in addition to helping facilitate the installation of many new pieces of advanced technology equipment for the program.

Robert continues to be a driving force in the organization and supporter of many outside program activities such as College to Careers, Boy Scouts of American Welding Merit Badge, and AWS Welder qualification testing.

Robert looks forward to the weekly barbecues held in the Welding Department on Thursdays where staff and faculty are blessed to enjoy the cooking mastery of resident welding chef, William Mouton. Now Cindy, don’t get any big ideas of stealing William away from us just yet for the Culinary Arts department!

Robert finds joy in weekend off-roading trips with his family and friends to local desert locations. We are all hoping that after his unforgettable motorcycle accident a few years back that Robert has decided to slow things down a bit so he can eventually enjoy his retirement years. Robert is known to take a few Las Vegas and/or Laughlin trips now and then with family and friends. He is also an avid boating enthusiast and enjoys taking fishing excursions out of the Ventura County beach areas. Robert lives in the city of San Fernando where he has been residing with his family for the past 42 years. He has two sisters and two brothers that make up his extended family.

Elizabeth Shaker

Counselor, Canyon Country Campus Liz has served as Counseling faculty for the last 15 years at College of the Canyons. She holds a master’s degree in education from USC, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from U.C. San Diego. Prior to joining COC, she served as assistant director, student support services at Mount St. Mary’s College where she held a number of leadership positions working in

academic advisement, career planning and student support services. Liz is passionate about her work. She takes pride in helping students understand their true potential and empowering them to test their limits and embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

Liz is one of the original members of the Canyon Country Campus family. She is excited to return to campus when it is safe to do so. She can’t wait to see the new Science Center open its doors to serve students and is eager for the opening of the Student Services Building in the near future. Liz has worked closely with her colleagues to develop OER texts for Counseling 110 – Career and Life Planning and Counseling 150 – Student Success courses.

She is MBTI and Strong certified and enjoys guiding students through the career exploration process. She currently serves as the Guided Pathways liaison for Student Services, Counseling champion for the Pathway to Law School Program and is a member of the Academic Standards Committee and the CCC Advisory Board. Liz enjoys serving as the Coptic Club Advisor where she engages in fellowship and community service while upholding Orthodox Christian faith traditions with her students. Liz is described by her colleagues as a team player who always offers to attend meetings, conferences and workshops in order to bring information back to share with the department. Liz has a wonderful demeanor and is always seen with a smile on her face (we’ve never even seen her upset or angry about anything). She is kind and warm hearted: and her students definitely feel that.

Liz is married to her wonderful husband, Adel, and they have two sons: Jacob and David. Jacob recently finished his first year at COC and David will start his senior year at Canyon High School this fall. Liz values spending quality time with her family and doing anything outdoors related to nature. During the pandemic, the family has enjoyed camping, going to the beach and spending time on the lake. The Shaker family loves to eat. You will often find Liz in the kitchen testing out new recipes and sharing her passion for cooking.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 1510 Years 2005–2020 Matt Teachout

Instructor, Mathematics Matt has been a math instructor here at COC for the last 15 years, specializing in curriculum development, training faculty, and teaching introductory mathematics and statistics. A believer in the open educational resources (OER) movement, he has written a myriad of free educational materials for COC students.

Among these are three OER textbooks currently in use at COC and other colleges across the country: “Preparing for Algebra and Statistics,” “Introduction to Data Analysis,” and “Introduction to Statistics for Community College Students.”

Matt published an article with the American Statistics Association (ASA) on the difficulties of teaching statistics.

This article sprang from his passion for training faculty to teach statistics -- both here at COC and at other colleges over the years. He has also recorded over 100 free lecture videos for use in COC statistics classes. His videos, books and additional OER materials are hosted on his OER website, and currently save COC students over $100,000 per semester! Matt is also a strong advocate for student rights, consistently fighting to remove barriers to student achievement and graduation by working closely with the California Acceleration Project (CAP).

When he is not teaching (or grading papers), Matt loves spending time with his wife Link and children Kayla and Kianna. Kayla graduated from UC Irvine and is now following her dad’s example teaching English, literature, reading, and writing skills to children with disabilities. Kianna is in her second year at Pacific Northwest College of Art and recently won several awards for her documentary, “not Quite Here, not Quite There.” Thanks to his upbringing in a family of musicians, Matt also enjoys playing guitar, electric bass, and upright bass whenever he can.

Theresa Zuzevich

Director, Grants Development Theresa has been part of the full-time COC family for 15 years, originally playing an integral part in the success of the Interim University Center before working in her current position as director of grants development. In her role with grants, Theresa provides invaluable advice and support to the many complex grant applications submitted by departments and programs each year. She also provides a welcoming sense of good humor and friendliness to all who visit her office.

Theresa is funny, smart, hard-working, and a LEAP graduate (times three)! She simultaneously balances multiple deadlines and many committees and projects while also serving her community. Theresa has provided leadership to the community as team captain for Relay for Life for many years, as well as the Foundation Golf Tournament. Her passion and dedication to this work and other non-profit activities is truly commendable. In the most recent fiscal year, Theresa helped to bring in approximately $16 million in grant awards across 40 funded grants. In her time at the college, Theresa has helped to secure more than $128 million in grant revenue—a remarkable achievement, indeed!

Her hard work and the success of the Grants Development team has helped COC continue its outstanding track record of grant-supported programmatic success.

Theresa’s daughter Megan is a licensed MFT, specializing in trauma. Theresa is also a huge sports fan! She proudly received a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Florida and is pursuing her dream job in sports philanthropy. Theresa loves going to games, fantasy football, traveling, happy hour and playing in the COC Cougars bowling league. She will retire December 31st and looks forward to the next chapter in her life!

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– 2017 Yearsof of Service Years ofService Service ••• 2007 2008 2018 2010 Years 2000–2020 Tim Baber

Instructor, Welding It is hard to believe that it been 20 years since Tim was first hired as a full-time Welding faculty member at College of the Canyons. Tim had just finished his associate’s degree at COC shortly before being hired and soon became the chair of the Welding Technology program. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Cal State University Northridge in 2006.

Before joining COC, Tim worked in a variety of industries ranging from entertainment to aerospace. His claim to fame at COC has been with securing grants that have allowed for the acquisition of advanced technology equipment and development of new curriculum that has helped the COC Welding Program achieve national recognition.

Tim is incredibly involved with several outside professional organizations such as the American Welding Society and he currently serves on the executive board for the National Coalition of Advanced Technical Centers (NCATC). Tim is an AWS certified welding inspector and subsequently conducts welder qualification/certification testing for COC students and local industry. He also helped create new CIDs for Welding, which had never been done before.

Tim and his wife Sara live in Stevenson Ranch, with their son, Timothy, and cat, Eddie. Timothy is a junior at West Ranch High School and has been an avid soccer player up until COVID-19. His club soccer state cup finals were cancelled and there is no telling if high school soccer will be back for his senior year – we can only hope there will be some sense of normalcy in the coming months. Life sure has changed due to the pandemic – especially with gyms being shut down. Tim has adapted by setting up his own quasi-gym at home in addition to making regular mountain bike riding the new norm for cardio. The Babers are hoping to get away this summer for much-needed change of scenery!

Mary Brunty

TLC Lab Coordinator (Math) Mary is a COC graduate, earning an associate’s degree in mathematics. She was a valedictorian speaker at College of the Canyons’ 1999 graduation.

Mary earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, graduating magna cum laude from California State University, Northridge in 2008 and graduated with distinction from California State University, Northridge’s Tseng College with a master’s degree in public administration in 2010. In addition, Mary is a graduate of our LEAP program here at COC. Mary is the TLC math/science/engineering and allied health coordinator where she recruits, trains, employs, and supervises over 75 tutors. She is dedicated to helping students succeed, and has been instrumental in breaking down barriers for students who have had a less-than-positive experience with math and science. In addition to her role in TLC, Mary has been an active member of COC’s classified chapter for many years and has served on many committees and teams, including Health and Welfare, PAC-B, Classified Staffing, Calendar, and Negotiations.

Mary is friendly, welcoming and truly likes people. She is a devoted and very proud mother of two lovely daughters, one of whom is an adjunct counselor here at COC, while the other is a practicing attorney in Chicago, and currently enmeshed in the saga of rescheduling her wedding, which was originally to take place next month (version 2.31 – there have been many iterations). Mary is also the proud Nana to her 3 grandchildren Mason, Lilly, and Hailey.

Mary enjoys morning walks, music, dancing, singing, bowling, softball, corn hole, and is a Disney fanatic (wouldn’t most things be better if they were done with mouse ears?). As is most everyone else, she is also anxious to be able to regularly see family, friends, and co-workers again, as well as resume everyday activities, and travel.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 Leslie Burnett

Instructor, English During the 20 years she has been at College of the Canyons, Leslie has proven herself to be a dedicated and knowledgeable instructor. She is the English Department’s specialist in professional and technical writing, and several years ago authored a new course that serves as an alternative to the traditional first year composition course for students whose goal is not transfer-focused. She is also committed to teaching online and has completed extensive training and certifications in online teaching and learning. Leslie earned her bachelor’s in English at UCLA, magna cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa awardee, her master’s degree in folklore and mythology at UCLA, and her Ph.D. in english literature at the University of Hawai’i. She taught at the University of Hawai’i as a part-time instructor and graduate assistant before teaching at the University of Judaism for three years, then coming to COC. In addition to serving on various departmental committees, she has also been involved in a number of other professional activities. She has been a Tenure Committee chair, a new faculty mentor, and an online teaching mentor. In 2016, she received the Outstanding Professor Award from the EOPS/CARE Program. In the classroom, Leslie is a popular instructor who is known for her sense of humor and good nature.

Her daughter, Alexa, received a master’s degree in social work from the University of Hawai’i and is working with troubled low-income youth on Oahu. Her son, Cameron, attended COC’s Welding program and completed several licenses in the field of financial investment. Leslie and her husband Michael recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. They have traveled extensively in Europe and Africa, including France, Spain, Morocco, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Christina Chung

Instructor, Business Christina began her employment at COC working in the H.R. department as a personnel generalist. Over the years, Christina has worn many hats here at COC. She has served as a human resources generalist for both full-time and adjunct faculty, and in fall 2008 she added “instructor” to her many talents when she began teaching at COC as an adjunct instructor in the Business Department.

In 2011, she became the Human Resources director.

She was also co-chair on standard III during the 2008 accreditation process and an active participant during the 2014 accreditation process. In Spring 2018, she fulfilled a long-held dream by applying for the position of full-time faculty in Business and successfully transitioned into that role. In her faculty role, she has embraced technology to help elevate her teaching and engage students. She has also participated many times in the FIT program serving as a mentor to future instructors. Christina is proud to be working with her faculty colleagues in helping students reach their educational goals. Since coming to COC, Christina has earned her M.B.A., participated in LEAP and in the Mentor Program. Through LEAP, her team developed the initial framework for the SYNERGY program, a learning community cohort to assist new faculty in acclimating to COC’s culture. She also completed the Associate Program to hone her teaching skills and found her one true love at COC. In June 2005, Christina married our own Yasser Issa, director, Volunteer Bureau and Student Employment.

Most everyone who knows them knows that Christina and Yasser are extreme Lakers fans. Christina says she feels truly blessed to be surrounded by her two boys, Yasser and their son, Justin. She feels very lucky that she gets to work with wonderful people all over campus. In her HR role, she worked closely with staff, faculty, and administrators every day at the college. Now, in her faculty role, she has the opportunity to work with supportive faculty colleagues and our amazing students. For Christina, seeing our students succeed makes everything worthwhile!

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 Mark Daybell

Instructor, Multimedia Mark came to COC in 2000 to head the newly minted Multimedia Program, now Graphic and Multimedia Design. Mark earned his bachelor’s in applied art and design from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and then graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Fullerton and earned a MFA. To say the field of graphic and multimedia design moves quickly is an understatement. Mark, who participated in the Mentor Program, does all he can to stay on top of the shifts, adapting and refocusing the program as needed and hiring skilled, talented and dedicated faculty to help him create one of the premier and most progressive design programs in region.

One major program building activity is his work on the Abriendo Caminos grant. This Title V grant aims to increase the preparation of Latino, low income, and first-generation students for a successful transfer to CSUN. Another achievement is the launch of Unequal Measure, the practice of creativity. Through interviews with leading artists and designers, unequalmeasure.org examines and demystifies the creative process. In the coming years, Mark looks forward to developing Intersect LA at COC. This revolutionary program, developed at CSUN by Dave Moon, seeks to provide students with solopreneur and other key skills required of emerging designers. COC would be the first community college to adapt and implement this program. Mark continues to exhibit his artwork.

You can see his latest piece, “Credit,” in MICA (Made in California), 2020 at the City of Brea Art Gallery. Opening is scheduled for early October.

When he is not working, he’s traveling. Highlights from the past few years include taking his niece and nephew to Rome, Italy. Enjoying sushi at Kyubey in Tokyo, Japan.

Visiting every enophile’s most coveted vineyard, Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, France. Becoming Catholic for a day during Semana Santa in Seville, Spain. Annoying his spouse by whistling Rodgers and Hammerstein while hiking the Swiss Alps. And, surviving all 248 steep steps of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, Mexico. Mark would like to take this moment to thank his COC family.

It’s been a challenging but also inspiring last few years. He

could not imagine a more understanding, supportive and thoughtful team of colleagues.

Tammie Decker

Administrative Assistant V (Institutional Development and Technology) Tammie began her career at College of the Canyons in the Admissions and Records office. Since then she has worked for Institutional Development, the Deputy Chancellor’s Office, and the Public Information Office. Tammie is a COC alumnus, with an associate degree in art. She has participated in LEAP, the Classified Staffing Committee, All-College Activity Committee, and the Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Tammie’s greatest joy is her family. She has three daughters, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, two grandsons and a furry feline family member, Annie. Tammie enjoys hiking and being in the outdoors, and before COVID-19, she volunteered monthly with the Surfrider Foundation, participating in monthly beach cleanups. Tammie loves the ocean and can’t wait to be able to volunteer again. She also recently purchased a stand up paddleboard (SUP) and wants to learn how to paddle on the ocean.

Tammie said that she has loved working at College of the Canyons and is so grateful for the experience. The thing she loves most about working at COC are the people.

“There are so many good people working on this campus.

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with them and get to know them,” she said.

Ron Dreiling

Instructor, English PACE During the past 20 years, Ron has taught a variety of courses for the English Department, as well as humanities courses and even a course for the Philosophy Department. He has team-taught courses with fellow COC faculty members from English, Political Science, Chemistry, Communication Studies, and History.

He has served in a multitude of leadership roles over the years, including those in the PACE program, Distance Learning, the Associate Program, Mentor Program, and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 Ron attended Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, and then earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major in English and philosophy from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. After brief stints in Austin, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts, as a bookstore assistant manager, he earned his master’s degree in English from the University of Kansas. Ron taught at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, and then Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. With what he considers by far the best decision of his professional life, he joined the community of COC, the college that has provided him with a host of professional opportunities that he believes few other community colleges could have provided.

Ron and his wife, Kit, have three children, all of whom are college graduates and busy pursuing their career and life goals. Although he has been teaching college classes for over 30 years, he has never been more engaged and optimistic about designing classroom experiences that will promote student success. He is also focused on devoting more time to hobbies such as flying single engine airplanes, sailing boats, running mountain trails, and writing.

Mauricio Escobar

Information Technology Technician IV (Computer Support) Having started here at the young age of 20, you can imagine that many life-changing experiences have happened while Mauricio has been here at COC. He came to the college after a brief stint as a college assistant at Antelope Valley College and Mauricio has worn many hats within the department in his years here.

From laptops to desktops, inventory to unboxing, driving forklifts and fixing TVs, Mauricio is what we call an IT “all-rounder”. He has been incredibly active in all aspects of the college, from being one of the founding members of the Classified Senate, being a part of the Annual Halloween Festivities planning team and just being a good friend and resource to countless members of our College of the Canyons family. Mauricio has become a fixture of the college and the IT Department and his contributions can’t be overstated.

On a more personal note, the last few years have marked some personal milestones for Mauricio and his family as

well. Mauricio recently became a resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, having moved here from the Antelope Valley. He is now a member of the Bouquet traffic club!

He and his wife Caroline, a COC RN alumni and recently hired COC adjunct Allied Health instructor, will be celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary! Finally, just like many of us, Mauricio has the joy of quickly becoming a makeshift homeschool teacher to his two sons all while being a member of the IT team providing the district’s critical COVID-19 response team. As an avid snowboarder, Mauricio is dreaming of the return of our SoCal white winters, but he still stays active running and participating in extreme obstacle course events like Tough Mudder.

Here’s to another 20 years!

Pierre Etienne

Instructor, French Having served at College of the Canyons since 2000 and having taught at various colleges and universities in Massachusetts, France, Texas, and Puerto Rico for the past 42 years, Pierre Etienne has now reached the exalted level of those who are allowed four biographical paragraphs on Opening Day. He needs only one, but he will exercise the privilege that accompanies seniority before riding off into the sunrise.

In an effort to update his biography from 5 years ago, he can now say that “his spirited emails announcing the selections of the International Film Festival” have been silenced by fires and the “plague.” The COC Summer in Paris Program of which he is co-founder and which he has led seven times has met the same fate. He is now reduced to teaching remotely--or is it remotely teaching? However, these setbacks have not dampened his enthusiasm for teaching at College of the Canyons, and while he sees no virtue in pride, he is proud to be a member of the COC family. He greatly appreciates and will be eternally thankful for the encounters that he has had with everyone, regardless of their function, associated with the College. He is particularly grateful to his students who have sustained him intellectually and emotionally throughout his career.

They recently told him that he was “dope,” which is all he needs in the domain of accolades.

On the personal level, Pierre still loves literature, music, cinema, good food and wine and, above all, travelling. He

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 has travelled the world and discovered that it is a fascinating place. Way beyond his career as a teacher, he is most proud of his amazing wife Mallory, fashion icon, dynamo, and the daughter of Japanese internment camp survivors; and his daughter Danielle, a Gaelic-speaking professor of English, Celtic and Scandinavian studies at a Swedish university.

Pierre’s insignificant but mind-blowing 15 minutes of undeserved fame took place when he spent two-perhaps three—hours drinking whiskey with Burt Lancaster while listening to Frank Sinatra on a juke box at the Deep Eddy Cabaret in Austin, Texas. If you are over 50, you’re probably in awe. If not, take Pierre’s word for it, it was straight from the fridge, dad!

Howard Fisher

Instructor, Physical Education/Head Coach of Men’s Basketball Howard has been a major player in the Kinesiology/Athletics Division! He brings his great passion for teaching and learning to the college every day. Howard has been the Department Chair for the last seven years and has always been involved in various campus committees such as Academic Staffing, Athletic Hall of Fame, IAC, CASL/SLO, Tenure and others.

He is the current secretary and former president of the California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association. He has also been the state representative to the Western State Conference for many years. As you can see, Howard is not only a major player here on campus, but also in the state and conference organizations. Almost all of us know about Howard’s summer basketball camps. The children and grandkids of many staff members have had a blast over the years and the popularity of them never changes, as there is a waiting list to get into his camp. Way to go Howard!!

Howard enjoys life here in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he and his wife Orly live in Valencia with their three children: Gabriella, a second grade teacher; Sophia, a junior at Chapman University, and Jonathan, a junior at West Ranch HS.

Gayle Freund

Program Specialist III (Student Health Center) Gayle has worked in the Student Health & Wellness Center her entire 20-year career at the College. She was hired as a student services representative and is now working as a program specialist III. Gayle brings many valuable traits to the workplace. She is great with computers and embraces new technology; recently helping the health center transfer over to an electronic health record system.

Gayle has a pretty extensive list of accomplishments; however, these did not make it to her top three: • Obtaining her M.B.A. in healthcare administration in 2018 • Receiving the Classified Professional Development Award in 2015 and 2018 • Becoming an adjunct instructor in the Non-Credit Department • Attaining congressional recognition for her “Shine a Light on Suicide Prevention & Awareness” annual event in 2019 • Receiving recognition from Assemblyman Dante Acosta in 2018 for her professional development efforts • Becoming a certified Mental Health First Aid and SafeZone Trainer • Having both her sons graduate with a bachelor’s degrees in Engineering this year; however, she does give a huge shout out to Garrett Hooper!

What did make it to Gayle’s top three were finishing 3 half-marathons in one month (she insists that will never happen again), mastering the lemon drop martini (if you have not tried her cranberry lemon drop during the holidays, hit her up!!), and snagging her family’s “Corn Hole Champion” title on Mother’s Day. Gayle is an avid Saints fan, loves all things pumpkin (bread, truffles, coffee, candles), and being an advocate. Gayle willingly assists others in obtaining resources to overcome obstacles, providing motivational encouragement, and offering support, because she obtains great joy in watching others succeed in the pursuit of their goals, one of the many reasons she is passionate about her job here at College of the Canyons.

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 John Green

Managing Director, District Communications John Green is that rare person who is a jack-of-all-trades and master of many. A journalist by training, John is a talented writer known for his ability to deliver content marked by wit, clarity and compassion on short deadlines. His knowledge of grammar is unrivaled and he is a proofreader extraordinaire. He excels in graphic design, having won state and national awards for both websites and print publications. His handiwork can be seen in the district’s Breaking News newsletter, and the on-campus Monday Report, as well as the Performing Arts Center, Foundation, bond measure, and PIO websites.

John provides leadership to the Graphic Design Center and daily supervision to the Reprographics Center, making sure faculty and staff get the printed materials they need, when they need them, and that they are as professionally produced as possible. His duties also include serving as the college’s unofficial historian. He has amassed an amazing collection of photos, publications and amusing anecdotes about the college’s past, which he shares during New Employee Orientations and uses to create richly detailed college history books.

A long-time resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, John graduated from Hart High School, earned his A.A. at College of the Canyons, and his B.S. from CSUN. He is a former editor of the Canyon Call newspaper here at COC and The Signal newspaper, where he had the good fortune to work with longtime owners Scott and Ruth Newhall.

Before being hired full-time 20 years ago at College of the Canyons, John was the former owner and publisher of his own newspaper, the Santa Clarita Sun, and he was a writing coach/editor at the Antelope Valley Press, as well as an adult hourly for COC’s Public Information Office.

What you may not know about John is his devilish sense of humor. His collection of historical photos and videos includes many that are “edited” to show coworkers (many of them Executive Cabinet members) in a whole new light.

Loyal readers of the Monday Report newsletter are rewarded for their dedication by finding John’s hidden gems.

Dr. Jennifer Hauss

Instructor, English Since joining the English Department in 2011, Jennifer has been actively involved in department projects, including the Writing Matters Conference and the statewide Community of Practice in Acceleration. Jennifer also continues to work with the School of Humanities and the Hollywood Bowl to benefit the entire campus community each year with access to the much beloved Hollywood Bowl Presents summer concert series. Jennifer has previously served as COC’s director of Community Extension, director of Service Learning, and as the advisor to Gamma Beta Phi, a national service honor society. She is also a CASA volunteer for children in foster care.

Jennifer earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to moving to California, she was an assistant professor of english at Rhode Island College teaching ethnic American literatures, the American Indian novel, western literature and introduction to academic writing.

Dr. Hauss’ previous experience includes owning a restaurant, and working with several college and community outreach programs, including Preparatory Enrollment Program (PEP), John Hope Settlement House, Wahteauonk Youth Program and the Rhode Island Dropout Prevention Program, as well as coordination of many cultural events.

Jennifer lives in Ventura with her husband, Jon, and their rescue puppy Lambchop. She credits the many good and kind people of COC with getting her through very hard times, and she will be eternally grateful for their help, patience, and love.

Hsiawen Hull

Director, Technology Services Twenty years at the same employer is a significant milestone these days. If you count Hsiawen’s short-term employee work, he has been at College of the Canyons for 23 years. During that time, he has amassed a wide variety of experience ranging from TLC tutor to Computer Networking adjunct instructor to

|Service COLLEGE COLLEGE COLLEGE OF OF OF THE THE THE CANYONS CANYONS CANYONSService Opening Recognition Recognition Day Celebration Luncheon Dinner2020 2018 2018

– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 computer support technician/coordinator before landing in his current role as director of Technology Services. It is because of this background in assignments at COC along with his self-proclaimed “charismatic” personality and willingness to do whatever needs to be done in support of our faculty, staff, and students that has made him such an asset to the college and we are fortunate to have him.

Hsiawen is responsible for all the technology (computer hardware/software, audio/visual) on the campus and the front line technicians who support it. He is constantly looking for new ways technology can support our educational mission and works tirelessly with faculty and staff to identify innovative ways to integrate technology both in the classroom and in our administrative support areas. He is a graduate of LEAP, earned his bachelor’s degree in information technology at CSU Channel Islands, and claims to be immersed in researching a master’s program to start in the fall.

While Hsiawen’s crazy adventures with friends outside of work appear to be a thing of the past, in reality he has simply channeled that energy into being a wonderful husband to his wife of 12 years Deborah (who he met at COC), and an exceptional father to their 8-year-old son Kaden and 5-year-old daughter Teagan. The Hull family resides in Stevenson Ranch where Hsiawen’s antics with his kids are in full display playing in the front yard, working with power tools in the garage, hiking the hills around Santa Clarita, or biking with the kids around town.

Hsiawen recently stepped back from his volunteer work at the Castaic Animal Shelter but that has not deterred him from helping COC employees and others locate, adopt, train, and love their pets. Hsiawen is looking forward to when he can resume his trips to Disneyland but, in the meantime, he has taken up interior decorating, changing the “theme” of his home office weekly to entertain those with whom he “Zooms.” So next time you connect with Hsiawen via the “Internets” as he likes to call it, check out this week’s unique décor!

Yasser Issa

Director, Volunteer Bureau and Student Employment Yasser started life at College of the Canyons in Human Resources, but then transitioned to Student Services and has been part of that family for the past 16 years. Yasser transformed the College Assistant office into a fully functioning multi-faceted student employment office. Yasser specializes in providing excellent customer service and care to students, staff, faculty and administrators. Yasser also launched the Volunteer Bureau, matching volunteers with needs on campus, both in departments and events. The bureau keeps volunteers engaged yearround through appreciation events and activities. He also established SEConD, an on-campus unit designed to provide instant temporary coverage to COC programs and departments.

In addition to being the director of the Volunteer Bureau and Student Employment at COC, Yasser is also an adjunct instructor in the Business Department, and the Personal & Professional Learning Department. Yasser is a former COC Employee of the Year recipient and a graduate of LEAP and LEAP2 and prides himself in going above and beyond the call of duty.

Yasser earned his bachelor’s degree and M.P.A. from CSUN. He is also married to Christina Chung, a full-time faculty member in the Business Department. Together, they have their pride and joy in their son, Justin. They enjoy cooking together, walks on the beach, and traveling the world. Basketball is the family’s favorite sport, and they bleed purple and gold, as the Lakers are their ultimate passion. Yasser’s nickname on campus is “my friend” as it is his favorite term to address his friends, colleagues, and people within his close circle and comfort zone.

Charles Johnson

Instructor, Mathematics It is in his role as Mathematics faculty that we know Charlie best. He is respected as a teacher who ignites curiosity, while maintaining high standards and developing teamwork among his

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 students. This theme of teamwork extends to his efforts within the Math Department, where he is valued as someone who is willing to offer his opinion, but always in a respectful and thoughtful manner. He has pioneered and embraced technology in the classroom, as well as the difficult job of teaching mathematics in the online environment.

Charlie is a Bruin alumnus, having received his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and master’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona. He is a much-disciplined individual, playing the role of father to two daughters, husband, professor and competitive martial arts combatant. Thankfully, he is able to separate each of these roles!

Charlie enjoys teaching a wide range of courses, from pre-algebra through differential equations and calculus. We are appreciative of Charlie’s efforts to better prepare our students for their “combat” in their next math classes and in their professional lives ahead.

Ronald Karlin

Librarian (Bibliographic Instruction/ Electronic Resources) Ron started his academic career at Santa Monica City College before earning a bachelor’s in anthropology from USC and his M.L.S. degree from UCLA. Before coming to COC, he worked as an adjunct librarian at Long Beach City College, CSU Dominguez Hills, and CSU Fullerton.

When Ron came aboard, it was a time of rapid growth encompassing an increased student population, an expansion of academic programs and services, and an increase in the need for technology training for both students and instructors. He has been a very public face on campus, in both libraries and classrooms. Over the years, Ron has proven himself a team player and genuine asset in the push to promote information competency. His knowledge of reference resources and services, bibliographic-instruction skills, and genuine enthusiasm for the field are laudable.

He has developed and taught online classes and values keeping current in matters of online teaching. Ron maintains a keen interest in new technologies, serving on the Curriculum Committee, Educational Technology Committee, and the Technology Committee. He currently

represents the Learning Resources Division on Academic Senate. Ron currently resides in Santa Clarita with his cat Seybah. He is a music enthusiast and has wide-ranging, even eclectic, tastes.

Dr. Karyl Kicenski

Instructor, Communication Studies Karyl joined the college as an adjunct instructor 26 years ago in what was then called the Speech Communication Department before being hired as full-time faculty in 2000. She graduated magna cum laude from George Mason University with her Ph.D. in critical theory. Back then, she taught during the days and wrote her dissertation at night during her first six years on campus. She says it was a slog, but ultimately worth the hard work. As a full-time faculty member, Karyl found her niche in college programs devoted to teaching and learning. In fact, Karyl was the first faculty liaison (when there was such a thing) to the director of the Professional Development program, Leslie Carr. She planned at least two large, off-campus retreats for faculty, served as a facilitator on the former Associate Program, participated in the First Year Promise program, and has mentored several new faculty.

Last year, as a member of the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence, she and Philosophy Instructor Chris Blakey wrote and taught the first college-wide course on “How to Teach Critical Thinking.” However, her academic interests did not go away during this time. The completion of her doctorate degree led her to complete her first book focused on the privatization of the prison system in the state of California. That manuscript, entitled, “Cashing in on Crime,” was the topic of the scholarly presentation she gave to our college and local community back in 2014.

Outside of her love for COC, Karyl has a love of travel and goes away almost every break. Her most recent trip was to Italy for a wedding in which she spent a week with the bride and groom’s family of 52 people, only one of whom could speak English. Food became the universal language spoken that week and Karyl made it her business to use pizza, pasta, and tiramisu to the height of diplomatic goodwill. Perhaps the only competition with the food was the shopping, she claims, and so Italian shoes took up

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 most of the space in her suitcase on the trip home. This year Karyl celebrates a landmark birthday that will allow her entry into the coveted AARP “club” and thus she has made the promise to never exercise again, and eat only chips, guacamole, and of course, chocolate cake.

Ann Kressin

Instructor, Chemistry Ann has been a valuable member of the Chemistry faculty since August 2000.

She is very interested in blending art and chemistry. Over the past years she has participated in COC dance classes and performances. Ann has also attended the National Science Foundation’s Chemistry of Art workshop and has presented on this topic at the Santa Clarita AAUW’s Annual Math/Science Conference for Girls.

Ann also loves animals. Her horse, Cassiopea, particularly likes to canter trails and prance in the show ring. Her dog, Kona, is an incredible people magnet. She has a rabbit and is also a finch fancier! She raises a fleet of Gouldian, or Rainbow finches. These birds are highly colored with a red or black head, purple breast, a yellow belly, green backs and deep blue tails. She describes them like having a living rainbow in your home. Ann has a fleet numbering more than 10 of these incredible creatures, including one with rare Lutino white and orange coloring, as well as a Japanese Society finch that has a song like a cricket chirrup.

Ann resides in Santa Clarita with her menagerie of lovely and marvelous animals.

Kathy Kubo

Instructor, Mathematics For the past nine years, Kathy Kubo has been deeply immersed in the world of statistics education. In addition to regularly teaching our introductory statistics course, she co-facilitates conference sessions and webinars on statistics pedagogy and open educational resources. She was also a writing team member for the American Statistical Association (ASA) Two-Year College Data Science Summit, and in 2019 was a recipient of the ASA Section on Statistics and Data Science Education Fellowship Program for Two-Year College Teachers. She

currently works with the California Acceleration Project and coordinates the Chancellor’s Office Statistics Institute, introducing best practices in pedagogy for teaching introductory statistics at the community college level.

Kathy is very passionate about improving her teaching practice, seeking professional development opportunities to enhance the classroom experience (both in-person and online) and provide open educational resources for her students. She also strives to support her STEM colleagues, and was an advisory and selection committee member for the California Education Learning Lab. In her spare time, the best place to find Kathy is usually at an airport or on a Southwest or Hawaiian Airlines flight.

She frequently travels to take care of her parents and enjoys visiting family in Hawaii. She will also happily drive or fly long distances for a good meal or unique dining experience. Her most memorable meals were at French Laundry, Bouchon, Le Bernardin, SingleThread, anywhere that serves food or coffee in Rome, and a special taqueria in Patterson.

Derek Lund

Senior Programmer/Analyst (90%) For 20 years, Derek has been a programmer in the MIS department working on the district’s student information system, colleague. Serving as the senior programmer in the department, Derek has been responsible for coordinating, assisting, creating, and patching the majority of the enhancements we have made to Colleague over the years. While considered “quiet” by some people at the college, Derek has a unique and invaluable ability to quickly resolve system problems and identify ways to improve existing processes. In the statewide Colleague community, Derek is both well-respected and regularly consulted on system issues and programming projects at other colleges.

An avid hiker, Derek can often be found hiking trails throughout California. Additionally, he has a thirst for knowledge and is someone you would want on your side during a trivia contest, especially for questions related to technology, history, sociology, politics, or movies. Derek helps keep the department motivated by guiding some of the great carne asada cookouts and breakfast with system patches!

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 Derek is always eager to help a colleague in need and his unique sense of humor makes him fun to work with. By the way, if anyone needs “Happy Birthday” sung, Derek has an amazing talent for it!

Svetlana Onthank

Instructor, English Educated in Russia, Great Britain and the United States, Svetlana holds a master’s degree in English from St. Petersburg State University, a certificate in teaching contemporary English language from Ealing College of Language Studies in London, and an online teaching certificate from UCLA and COC. She has worked in higher education in the United States for 23 years, teaching English, short fiction, world literature and mythology. She is a passionate and dedicated professor, who gives freely of her time and energy to her students and colleagues. Svetlana is highly enthusiastic about helping basic skills students, teaching transfer-level classes and participating in various committees and projects that have included coordinating Basic Skills courses, being part of a team to the statewide Community of Practice in Acceleration, providing key leadership to the writing center and supplemental instruction projects, and creating non-credit classes within the English department.

In addition, Svetlana enjoys organizing an annual Poets and Writers event that provides a venue for COC’s talented writers to share their love of writing.

She lives with her husband Jim in Castaic, and they have two children: Alexey, 35, and Jessica, age 28. In her free time, Svetlana loves to read, cook, hike and travel.

Cathy Ritz

Chief Operating Officer, Foundation and Director, University Center For the last 20 years, Cathy Ritz has served in various operational, administrative, and development functions for College of the Canyons. She is currently the chief operational officer for the COC Foundation and Director of the University Center. Cathy received her master’s degree in educational administration from CSUN. She is also a retired career officer from the Australian

Foreign Service, a LEAP graduate and a very dynamic, positive and enthusiastic leader.

During her tenure, the COC Foundation has raised over $25 million via major fundraising events (including Chancellor’s Circle, Silver Spur and the Golf Tournament). She has developed the capacity of the Foundation and builds relationships with executives and new donors.

Cathy is responsible for all administrative operations of the Foundation Board and the office. In her current role, she develops public service agreements and contracts; works closely with the COC Fiscal Services Department and the auditors; works with the Chancellor on special fundraising projects; prioritizes staff support for the COC Foundation Board Finance, Executive, Board Development and Audit committees. During her tenure in the Foundation, Cathy established the fundraising campaign for the Performing Arts Endowment fund (through seat-naming opportunities); the Patrons of the Performing Arts (a support group for the Performing Arts Center); and the Early Childhood Education Circle of Friends support group. She set up the Canyon Country Innovation Fund to raise funds for Canyon Country. She organized the Board Governance Committee and has doubled the number of Foundation Board members over 20 years. Cathy also brought awareness for the Friends of the Fine Arts, (now merged with the Patrons of the Arts) a support group for the Art Gallery, by creating community awareness through special events such as the Sue Wong Fashion Show; created the beautiful donor recognition throughout the University Center; and developed new brochures and newsletters for the Foundation.

Since 2008, she helped to open the permanent University Center facility and grow the number of programs offered there. She oversees the day-to-day operations, works with PIO on implementing the center’s marketing plan, oversees the outreach coordinator, carries out the University Center Strategic Plan, prepares annual budgets, helps develop new partnerships, and develops new programs with new and existing partners. Cathy has been an incredible asset to the College and a wonderfully genuine person!

Cathy cherishes the friends she has made at the college, the community she has grown to know so well, and the students she has assisted through fundraising efforts.

Equally important, Cathy has fun at work and enjoys shar-

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 ing laughs and wine (NOT at school), with her colleagues in the Foundation and the University Center. Cathy and her husband, Marty, have two boys, Matt and Jacob, both of whom attended COC and are now pursuing careers in the medical field.

Diane Sionko

Instructor, Business Diane’s academic passions include leadership, innovation, and creativity in the fields of management, marketing, and e-business. When she came to COC back in 2000, she started the e-commerce program and spearheaded the integration of technology into our business courses. She enjoys technology and is constantly employing new techniques and digital gadgets throughout her teaching to challenge and inspire students. Diane has represented the college at various business conferences with her dynamic presentations. She served on the Faculty Development Committee for many years. Since joining COC, she has also served as a vital member of the Educational Technology and Technology Committees, and reports a wealth of information to the School of Business each month.

As a devoted colleague, she is always eager to participate in departmental activities. Diane is the SLO and curriculum coordinator for the business, management, marketing, and e-business courses. Over the years, she has encouraged wonderful talented faculty on the road to tenure as their tenure committee chair. Diane is well-liked and has an easy rapport with her students. She genuinely cares and helps her students to achieve their best. Before coming to COC, she was employed as a full-time professor in business administration at Mount St. Mary’s College. She also taught at various community colleges in California and New York.

Diane holds an M.B.A. in finance and marketing from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, and actively supports UCLA Alumni activities. Go Bruins!

She earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in history at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Diane loves teaching and shines in the classroom – engaging her students with examples from her real world business experiences.

When not working, Diane enjoys art, dance, traveling, and spending time with her son. Her extensive travels range from Toronto, to Monterrey, to Paris, to Rome, to Vienna, to Prague, to St. Petersburg, and she looks forward to her next adventure.

Alan Strozer

Instructor, Information Technology Among other things, Alan has always revered science and scientists. In fact, he fell into teaching after working in the UCLA Microbiology Department (although he knew nothing about microbiology). As a staff research associate he offered computer and graphics support to a neuropsychiatric lab studying the effects of cocaine on sleep in cats (He does know a lot about sleep. . .or lack of it…). It is not surprising, then, that he commonly views each new class as the beginning of a fascinating experiment providing him with a peek into a primordial soup of potential student outcomes.

The classroom is a kind of crystal ball into which he can gaze to gain insights into current conflicts between education and society and an instrument on which he can rely to infer much about the future of humanity. Alan feels privileged that over the last 30 years in the classroom (20 of which have been spent at COC) he has learned so much from his students. He derives the most gratification from assuring, to the best of his ability, that each class experiment produces favorable results and that his classes contribute to the growth of students whereby they become more whole, thoughtful, discerning, resourceful, creative, and aware.

Alan comes from a family of educators, including his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and many close cousins. Following in their footsteps, he began working in education as an undergraduate. After earning a bachelor’s in psychology from UCLA, he took time off to study music composition at CSUN and later returned to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in business technology. Subsequent to a few stints in the corporate world, Alan returned to education -- primarily at COC, where he has served on numerous committees, developed many CAWT courses, and two degree programs in web development (which turned into a nine-year effort fraught with many obstacles, but which

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– 2018 YearsofofService Service •• 2008 2010 Years 2000–2020 recently finally came to fruition).

When not teaching, Alan enjoys road cycling in the real world and in the virtual reality world of Zwift, as well as bicycle building. He is a long-time meditator who practices meditation every morning and consciousness is among his favorite topics to explore and discuss. Alan also enjoys meditative archery, which he studies under the tutelage of venerable Master Boo Su Yu. The teacher-student relationship is one for which Alan has much respect and it pervades much of his life, compelling him to remind his colleagues not to diminish the role of their students as some of their most important teachers.

Renard Thomas

Director, Veterans Resource Center Renard Thomas, the Director of the Veterans Resource Center, has been with College of the Canyons since 2000. He started as a VA work-study student in 1998, and has moved up to his current leadership role as director of the Veterans Resource Center.

Since becoming director, Renard has continually gone above and beyond for fellow veterans. The COC Veteran Resource Center (VRC) currently serves more veterans than any other school in our region. We have the 3rd highest veteran enrollment in Los Angeles, the ninth highest in California, and we rank 83rd in the nation out of 1,167 Community Colleges.

Renard earned his associates degree from College of the Canyons in 1999, a bachelor’s of science in organizational management with departmental honors in 2018 and is on track to complete a master’s degree in leadership and Management from the University of La Verne. Renard served in the U.S. Army as an enlisted soldier and an officer. Renard served a tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom and retired from the National Guard in 2013 after 22 years of combined services in the active duty, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. Over his military career, Renard received numerous military awards including the Bronze Star, three Army Commendation Medals, and six Army Achievement Medals. In addition to those awards, he received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal. He is a patriot and servant to our

college and our country.

Renard’s dedication to veterans reaches beyond COC to our community. In 2014, Renard received recognition for veterans’ outstanding services by the City of Santa Clarita, the County of Los Angeles, the State Senate, the California Assembly, and Congress. Renard is co-chair of the Veterans Services Advisory Committee for Region 6 with Gina Bogna, dean of Career Services and Special Programs, and interim dean of the School of Personal Professional Learning.

Of all of Renard’s accomplishments, he is most proud of his family. Renard reconnected with his childhood sweetheart, April, after 18 years and they married in October 2014. April left her career and family in Washington state to join Renard and his three beautiful children. Sky-Island is 21 years old, currently a senior airman serving in the Air Force as an avionics technician maintaining the F-16 fighter jet (Fighting Falcon). Jade-Sun is 20 years old, and works locally for Target. Cyrus is 17 years old, attends West Ranch High School, carries a 3.73 GPA, and is a treasurer and dancer on the Hip-Hop team. When Renard is not working, he enjoys family road trips, camping, hiking, and cycling. April and Renard volunteer for The Nature Corps in Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks to help beautify and maintain the natural spaces. Many of their adventures are shared with their good friends, Jenn and Alex Mendez.

James Wolf

Instructor, Biology It has been 45 years since Jim began his career in education, as a student assistant in Mr. Tamoto’s biology class in 7th grade. From frolicking in the community science stockroom (with access that would make safety officers shudder) to the years spent as a teaching assistant in Mr. Miller’s electronics courses, to the decades in academia prior to coming to College of the Canyons (including a stint as a marine biologist working in the retail and educational arenas), Jim arrived at College of the Canyons ready for new challenges.

Jim was originally hired to expand the College’s established biotechnology certificate program and implemented many grant opportunities for emerging technology and

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20 Years of Service • 2000–2020 outreach efforts, including equipment, supplies, and a 2,500-square-foot cleanroom training facility. These programs have directly affected thousands of students and many adjuncts who benefited from the opportunity to teach a range of novel biology courses. In 2012, the program was archived but the outreach continued in earnest.

To date, the program has reach over 50,000 students in the SCV. Additionally, Jim helped to coordinate the biotechnology course offerings via the summer community extension program. This effort uses outreach equipment and student volunteers to bring hands-on labs to junior high school students. Former student volunteers have not only helped with outreach efforts, but volunteered with community extension and have actually taught the courses last year and were slated to teach again this summer. Concurrent with these volunteer efforts, Jim has been a life-long supporter of our MESA chapter and is working hard to explore how biotechnology outreach can be used to reach students who now need the hands-on science skills more than ever!

As a lifelong advocate of face-to-face instruction and open labs, Jim found himself teaching from home, right next to his 15-year-old son Ramy. Ramy was taking an AP biology course; and in many respects the high school class’s online elements were just as challenging as the Biology 100 courses Jim taught for decades. With his wife looking on, Jim told his son the one thing he has learned about how to do well in a science lab: pick a great lab partner! Welcome to the new normal…

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25 Years of Service • 1995–2020 Dr. Jane Feuerhelm

Director, Disabled Students Programs and Services Before coming to COC, Jane worked at the Hart District for 15 years! The first two years she taught severely emotionally disturbed students and then spent 13 years as a resource specialist. Then, Dr. Van Hook hired her in August 1995 as the learning disability specialist. After two semesters, Jane became the director of DSPS. When she came to COC, DSPS was a small department serving approximately 50 students. DSPS has grown over the years and now serves over 1,400 students. Jane says that she has been “fortunate to work with wonderful people who have become close friends. DSPS functions as a team based on mutual respect for one another and the work we do.”

This year Jane is proud to be celebrating her 25th year at College of the Canyons! After her pending retirement, she plans to spend more time with her 2-year old granddaughter, Noelle, and hopefully begin to travel again!

Jane’s other hobby is gourmet cooking. After watching a show on the Food Network she became interested in cooking exotic meats. Her plan is to take more cooking classes and continue to develop new recipes for armadillo, elk, and venison. Whatever she ends up doing, she plans to stay in touch with her friends at COC!

Victoria Leonard

Instructor, Communication Studies Victoria joined College of the Canyons in 1989 as an adjunct instructor and became full-time faculty in 1995 in the Communication Studies Department.

Her work in building the COMS program in her 17 years as department chair includes writing much of the curriculum as well as creating certificates and associate degrees. Victoria is a club advisor for three clubs: Every Nation Campus, the Communication Studies club, and Sigma Chi Eta Honor Society, for which she was awarded advisor of the year at the national level. She is a two-time award winner of the Model Communication Studies Program through the Western States Communication Association.

Victoria participated in the Associate Program as an adjunct, and then became a facilitator, and ultimately the coordinator for the program. Her best memories come from the Associate Program retreats she went on for 20 years with faculty, many of whom are now retired. Victoria has served as a mentor in many capacities, helping both students and faculty. She is also a certified online instructor and is a Canvas mentor as well. Victoria was in the first LEAP group at COC and is proud of their contribution in creating the GO Program. Victoria’s committee membership is too long to list, but her work on tenure committees, the Honors Steering Committee, Civic Engagement, and CETL have been among the most rewarding. Among the many COC employees she has taught since 1989, she is always proud when those former students become success stories, such as college presidents or vice presidents. What makes her feel fulfilled is when her own students move on and then come back to become full-time or part-time faculty at COC! If you ask Victoria why she does what she does, she would tell you that her greatest goal has always been to help students find their voice and path in life, and to learn why communication is the key to any successful relationship.

Her commitment to COC led to becoming a legacy donor and starting two Leonard Family Scholarships in Communication Studies. Every day she is grateful for the career she has here and always seeks for ways to give back. Victoria shares her life with her husband Scott, who is an electrical engineer for Boeing. She lives only three miles from campus with Scott and her year-old Welsh terrier, Finn.

She has two adult children. Harrison, a grant writer for a cancer foundation in England, currently lives in Wales with his wife Ali and their two little girls, Trudy, age 3, and Sadie, age 7 months. Her daughter, Arielle, is a freeway flyer teaching COMS at three universities and colleges in Orange County. Victoria has less spare time these days, but her greatest joy is spending time in the UK so she can play with her granddaughters. Behind the scenes, she does event planning. Victoria also loves to decorate and chalk paint furniture. There is nothing better than a day of hunting antique stores, swap meets, or garage sales so she can find something to repurpose. She also is also an avid eBayer where she recycles her massive Brighton collection so she can feed her Brighton habit. Some think her favorite smell is leather.

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30 Years of Service • 1990–2020 Leslie Carr

Director, Professional Development Leslie Carr has been with us, believe it or not, for more than half her lifetime. She started at age 18 in Community Extension. Then, for ten-and-a-half years, she worked in Admissions & Records before spending the last 20 years as director of our award-winning Professional Development program. She has worked diligently to grow the program during her tenure, expanding professional development opportunities for all employee groups. She also LOVES coordinating numerous campus events, including the Service Awards, Halloween Party, Holiday Party, Classified Appreciation Week with her good friend Jim Temple, and the Retiree Celebration. She has also been a member of the LEAP Coordinating Team since LEAP began in 2008.

Leslie is an active member of the California Statewide Professional Development organization, 4CSD, having served as the board president for 10 years. She is the conference co-chair, and works with her fellow board members to organize their annual statewide conference. She is absolutely selfless with her time, energy and enthusiasm. “I can always count on Leslie to care about every detail and to make sure things go off without a hitch. She is a consummate professional and an amazingly kind and fun person. I am blessed to work with her every day” said her supervisor, Diane Fiero. Leslie is also a very shy person, who does not like public recognition, but 30 years is a big deal, and we are proud to honor her accomplishments.

Leslie says what she enjoys most about working at COC is the fact that she gets to work with all of the employee groups: administrators, classified, faculty, and aAdjuncts.

Leslie is very dedicated to her work in Professional Development and to serving the campus community. She always gives 110 percent and pays attention to all the necessary details. We are so very lucky that she has chosen to pursue her career here with us at COC and all of us have benefitted from her commitment, enthusiasm and willingness to persevere. She is a friend to many on this campus and a treasure to our organization.

Leslie and her husband Mark have two beautiful daughters. Ashlyn is a graduate of COC’s nursing program and

currently works as an RN in the intensive care unit of Palmdale Regional Hospital. Ashlyn and her husband Tyler are expecting their first child – a daughter – this September. Leslie and Mark are beyond excited to become grandparents! Their daughter Ciara (pronounced Sierra), who graduated from Antelope Valley College in 2017, married her husband Austen this summer. Leslie became ordained and officiated their ceremony, which was so special to her!

Mark has also caught the COC bug and now works as a lab tech in the Construction Technology Department at the Canyon Country Campus. Mark and Leslie will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this September.

They make their home up in Palmdale and enjoy going to amusement parks, especially Disneyland, movies, and Las Vegas. Leslie is a huge fan of all things Christmas, a master scrapbooker, and avid reader. She has two dogs she adores named Faith and Trixie. We cannot thank Leslie enough for her service to our college. Congratulations, Leslie, on 30 years of devoted service!

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40 Years of Service • 1980–2020 Mojdeh Mahn

Associate Dean, Learning Resources and Director TLC After working as a part-time tutor, classified staff member, and tenured faculty member, Mojdeh now serves as associate dean of Learning Resources and director of The Learning Center. Mojdeh knows COC as more than just a place; she has worked as a full-timer for a brief 40 years.

She was a student here before that, but COC was a lot more than a school for her. Just 17 years old, married, newly emigrated from Iran, and without understanding English, she started at the college unsure of almost everything. But, then as now, she had style! She found many caring people at the college; unlikely people who took her under their wings and helped her to grow. There were the Guernseys, a husband and wife team at the college who were as “Santa Clarita” as “Santa Clarita” gets. There were many others who were a positive influence in her life: Rebecca Lord, who recognized a kindred spirit in Mojdeh; Lee Corbin, who believed so much in every student; and John Drislane, who, having seen her blossom at the college, hired her. And finally, there was also Jan Keller, who mentored and guided her.

Mojdeh, a LEAP graduate, earned her master’s degree at CSUN to teach at the college with the conviction and zeal of her role model, Lee Corbin. She became the TLC Lab Director so she could help those other students find their way and guide people who have ability but are maybe afraid, perhaps even a little lost, when it comes to college.

COC has been a family undertaking. Her daughter started at the Child Development Center and graduated from the college. A few years ago, her son graduated as valedictorian!

She helped to design and plan the operations of The Learning Center upon its move, from 5,000 square feet in Bonelli to its current 41,000 square feet next to the Library. Most of all, Mojdeh takes pride in the team of tutors, staff, and faculty she has created to help all of our students succeed. Over 40 years, COC has had a special place in Mojdeh’s heart. It has been her safe haven in times of trouble, and her home away from home where

she could go to find comfort and friendship. In return, she dedicated herself to doing all that she could to support students, staff, and the college’s mission of student success.

It’s been a meaningful relationship for her, and one that she treasures deeply, just as we treasure her!

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS | Opening Day Celebration 2020

SPECIAL THANKS! Master of Ceremonies: Eric Harnish Logo and Graphic Design: Public Information Office, Nick Pavik and the Graphics Staff Photo Collages of COC: John Green Printing: Derek Fujimoto, Jeff Coart and the entire Reprographics Staff Service Award Bios: Dr. Diane Fiero and the HR Staff Opening Day Video: Joe Lanthier Student Performance Compilation: Jasmine Foster and Jennifer Smolos

OPENING DAY COMMITTEE

Opening Day Coordinators: Kristina Hancock Retiree Coordination: Leslie Carr Audiovisual Production, Setup and Coordination: Joe Lanthier and Shawn Irwin

Today would not be possible without the help of our amazing volunteers!

Diane Fiero, Mary Ramirez, Diane Rausch, Jamie Page, James McLaughlin, Jocey Hogan, Chellie Louis, Susan Tuminaro, Jasmine Foster, Tammie Decker, Maria Sanchez, Tina Tran, Samantha Weber, Theresa Zuzevich, James Kneblik, Hsiawen Hull and others!

Student Resource & Success Fund

Our Students Need You!

The Student Resource and Success Fund will help students overcome the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of our students are facing extraordinary and unexpected challenges such as: • Loss of employment • Cancellation of childcare • Increased healthcare costs • Lack of technology for remote learning • Inadequate food supplies • Your help is needed now more than ever!

Donate Now! canyons.edu/Foundation

SA N TA CL A R I TA COM M U N I T Y COL L EGE DIST R IC T

26455 Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 259-7800 • www.canyons.edu

••••••••••••••••••••• BOA R D OF T RUST E E S ••••••••••••••••••••• Dr. Edel Alonso • Mr. Michael D. Berger • Ms. Michele R. Jenkins • Ms. Joan W. MacGregor • Mr. Steven D. Zimmer