Stand-Out Staff

EQUITY COORDINATOR NAMED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

The college’s Administrator of the Year award went to Adolfo Corral, who with his wife Mary Jane Becerra Corral, died tragically on a Sunday in early February. He was not only an excellent administrator in his position as Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency Coordinator, he also motivated and inspired students and staff each day of his 15-year career at SBCC.

In his most current role as Equity Coordinator, Adolfo supervised the day-to-day activities and personnel for the Center for Equity and Social Justice (CESJ), Umoja Center, Food Pantry and Tiffany’s Closet — while working in collaboration with other programs to support equity-related services. He previously served as the STEM Transfer Program Coordinator. In both positions Adolfo excelled at what he did best: Championing the underrepresented student populations on campus and providing them with tools to succeed.

“Adolfo was truly committed to student equity, diversity and inclusion of our SBCC students and I was able to witness this in his work with STEM,” says current STEM Coordinator Virginia Estrella.

“Adolfo was only in his role as the Coordinator of Equity, Diversity, and Cultural Competency for about seven and a half months, but in that time we came to know him as an incredibly kind, caring and compassionate supervisor,” says Roxane Byrne, who worked under Adolfo as CESJ Coordinator and was recently hired as the new Coordinator of Equity, Diversity, and Cultural Competency. “He was committed to supporting students through the various programs he oversaw including the Pantry, Umoja, and CESJ. Adolfo was always available to assist a student or staff member in need and he impacted many lives in the time he spent with us. He is missed every day and I can only hope that we do his legacy justice as we try to move forward.”

“He always remembered and never forgot,” adds Umoja Coordinator Casey Ysaguirre. “Weeks later, he would say, ‘oh, here’s the thing you asked for!’” Knowing him, even for a short time, she says, “was a beautiful experience and a true blessing.”

Adolfo set a meaningful example for students and his fellow staff alike. He and his wife Mary Jane, also an educator in the Goleta Union School District, will be missed.

Q&A WITH STUDENT PROGRAM ADVISOR, JANNA MORI

Janna Mori has worked at the Career Center for a little over five years, and in that time has advised countless students on finding fulfilling job and career opportunities — and defining themselves in the process. Janna came to SBCC after working in education at both elementary and college levels.

What would you like students to know about the Career Center you think they might not know?

There is a misnomer that career centers are where one has to decide a career after walking in the door. That is daunting! In fact, the Career Center is a place where students learn about how their personalities, strengths and values can help them discover and plan for a satisfying and meaningful work environment. It is not atypical to have students tell us that they have no clue as to what they want to do with their lives; we enjoy walking through the process of figuring things out with them.

What are your goals for the Career Center?

I work with the Director, Chris Phillips, on plans for the Career Center, and right now we are talking about how best to build upon our efforts that support student career readiness and employability through virtual platforms. While we were already headed in that direction, particularly after the build-out of the new website last summer, the pandemic has forced us to move more quickly.

What are your thoughts on students seeking jobs and careers in a post-COVID 19 world? How can the Career Center help?

The job market is going to be difficult to navigate for some time. Students will need to be patient, creative and flexible. They may need to be open to delaying working at their dream job, and instead work at a different job where they can build transferable skills. As during any season, we would advise students to reach out to us to learn which occupational areas are growing, attending workshops and job fairs, and creating a LinkedIn account to increase networking opportunities.

What makes students who seek your services stand out and how have they inspired you?

We see students who are at all stages of career development, from everything between the dual-enrollment high school student to the typical college student, and the mature adult transitioning to a different career. A common theme is that students are often working very hard to overcome obstacles in order to reach their goals and dreams. I am always inspired and humbled by students’ vulnerability, courage and persistence, [and that they] take advantage of the many resources available.

RETIRING STAFF LEAVE LEGACIES

We bade farewell to more than 20 retiring classified staff, managers and administrators in 2020. The retirees leave behind more than 450 cumulative years of tireless work supporting the college and its students — in almost every department and on all three campuses. We wish them well in their lives beyond SBCC!

Sandra Allain, 33 years Paul Bishop, 14 years Erika Blos, 15 years Annette Boatman, 8 years Anita Cole, 29 years Angie Esqueda, 20 years Sandy Evenson, 21 years Andy Harper, 11 years Clarice Hillebrand, 12 years Guadalupe Huerta, 31 years James Ingram, 17 years Mayuree Leelahatorn, 34 years Martha Lizalde, 20 years Juan (Carlos) Macias, 33 years Marcella Poitras, 9 years Luis Ruiz, 30 years Elizabeth Smith, 18 years Beverly Jo Stephen, 12 years Jerry Lee Thomas, 25 years Elaine Tomatore, 23 years Gordon Vander Sal, 15 years David Linn Wong, 35 years