Teacher takes on new role

New full-time professor returns to teaching a er maternity leave

Richie Zamora Roundup Reporter

The walls of this office are bare. A few boxes are still packed with what will fill the empty bookshelf. The occupant of this faculty office moved in last semester but hasn’t had time to properly settle in.

Marra Kraemer has been an adjunct professor at Pierce College since 2001. This is her first year as full-time professor in the English department, previously having been a part-time instructor at the college.

Caleb Johnson Features Editor

From shiney custom cars to beaters only for transport, the Feature Automotive Service Technicians (F.A.S.T.) club had it all at their most recent meetup at OCD Chemicals in Panorama City on Friday, March 21.

The F.A.S.T. club is one of the newer clubs on campus, boasting 60 total members and around 20 active members. The club meets on Tuesdays in Applied Technology Room 3040 at varying times depending on plans.

President of the club Dennis Collatos says their mission is to provide an environment to encourage “gearheads” and transform the automotive students into mechanics.

“We just started last year, so we’re trying to build, build, build,” Collatos said. “We’re aspiring technicians.”

Some members have even found jobs through teachers at the school, encouraging those in the

“Pierce has actually helped us join the workforce doing what we love,” Collatos said.

José Barrera is one of the club members, a 26-year-old Automotive Technology Services major. He has been part of the club since its inception, and is now their Public Relations Officer.

“It’s a field that will never stop growing,” Barrera said, explaining that there is always room for people to join the field and enjoy themselves.

Other automotive clubs from the community joined in as well, among them the group from OCD Chemicals, a California State University Northridge club.

Dan Poppell is another one of the founding members. Even though he’s no longer in the club, they still spend time together in and out of club meetings as a friend for the other members.

“What we wanted to do is to make sure that you’re doing it right - that’s a common goal we all share,” Poppell said. “I think that’s what really sets us apart.”

This year held another first for her as she recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth to a baby girl, Cora Jane Kraemer.

“I was pregnant in the interview,” Kraemer said. “I was so grateful and happy to be hired. At the same time it coincided with a major life change, which was a little difficult but the staff here, the faculty, the English department has been very welcoming and helpful with the transition.”

Kraemer didn’t start out studying English. While in college she initially began as a pre-medical major, but with one year left before graduation she came to a conclusion about her educational path.

“I was a year away from finishing when I realized I hated pre-med, and I thought ‘well that’s ridiculous why would I do that for the rest of my life if I hate it now’,” Kraemer said. “I went to see a counselor in tears because I had one year left and I didn’t know how I was going to finish.”

While reviewing her options Kraemer discovered that she could build a different degree on other classes that she had taken. These clases hadn’t been for her original