F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 | V O L U M E 1

On Tuesday, May 14th, the 10th Annual Transfer Celebration was

held in the Performing Arts Center. The event was organized to

celebrate and honor about 120 students who are graduating from VVC

and will be transferring to a four-year university.

The celebration began with a warm welcome from Transfer

Counselor Lorena Ochoa, who congratulated the students on their

accomplishments.

Superintendent/President Dr. Daniel Walden shared a few

encouraging words for the students saying, “The experience I had in

community college has gone on to flavor everything that I have done

since then.”

Transfer students receivecommemorative send-offBy Sophia Mancillas

@VictorValleyCollege@vvcedu @vvcedu

VICTOR VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

Brought to you by the Associated Student Body

MAY 2019 │VOLUME IV

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VVC students transferring to four-year colleges celebrate during the 2019 Transfer Celebration. (Fabian Guillen)

“So our congratulations to you are not just for getting your

degree, not just for passing your courses, but for that desire

that you have and the grit to just keep going. Because that

really is the value of education — knowing that you can

accomplish anything.”

ASB Public Relations Senator Amber Scott gave the second

congratulatory address. She first reminded students to

thank the people who have supported them.

“Know that your determination, grit, and passion which led

you to this moment must forever stay burning and lit like

the flame that must never die,” Scott said. “Your dreams,

more opportunities, and a new beginning await you all ...

You should leave Victor Valley College feeling headstrong,

proud, and empowered.”

Stephanie Martinez, one of the graduating transfer

students, was a keynote speaker. She is set to attend the

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, receiving an out-of-state

scholarship to earn her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“I was a first generation college student, first generation

American, and the first in my family to pursue law

enforcement,” Martinez said.

She shared that she began her studies at VVC “at the very

bottom,” taking remedial courses, but she fought to finish

her goals with the help of support staff at VVC and her

family’s support.

“In fact, I am where I am today because I

chose to work in community colleges

because of the effect that it had on my life,”

Walden continued. “I am telling you that

this experience that you had here will stay

with you for the rest of your life … Don’t

back up, don’t give up, don’t let anyone

distract you, and go onward.”

The first congratulatory address was given

by Vice President of Student Services Dr.

Karen Engelsen.

“The most important lesson that you have to

remember is that you did it. And if you did it

once, you can do it again, and again, and

again,” Engelsen said. “

Stephanie Martinez speaks at the Transfer Celebration (Fabian Guillen)

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The second keynote speaker was transfer

student Edward Freer. At 51 years old, he will

be attending San Diego State University to

major in communication studies.

Freer shared that he was “bit by the

addiction bug” when he was younger,

causing him to “waste” nearly 10 years of his

life. After a certain time, he realized the

problem was that he had no foundation in

his life. But things really changed when his

16-year-old son was accepted to UC Riverside

and he asked his dad why he hadn’t gone

back to school.

“He said, ‘Dad, if I can do it, you can do it.’

And in my family, that’s like throwing down

the gauntlet,” Freer said.

Edward Freer speaks at the Transfer Celebration (Fabian Guillen)

The words his son said would repeat in his head as he struggled through classes and reached his goals. Freer ended

with an encouraging message to students: “I hope that each and every one of you understand the importance of what

you’ve just achieved. You built a foundation that will get you through any situation you come across in life.”

“An educated workforce works out well for everybody,” Brady said. For this reason, he served as the former President of

the Mojave Regional Economic Development Council and the Chairman of the High Desert Economic Summit, now

operated by the VVC Foundation.

Brady is all about making connections, which is one reason he recently attended the Community College League of

California Trustees Conference, where he was able to network and share ideas. Upon return, he completed a report on

the value of the conference, which speaks to one of the lessons that serving as a trustee teaches — accountability.

“People want to know what you’re doing,” he said. “It also teaches you to do your homework and to be engaged.”

He noted that when he first joined the board, it was “an extremely toxic environment,” but that the hiring of former

VVC superintendent/president Dr. Roger Wagner helped change that.

“He was able to — through the board — establish credibility and good working relationships with our constituency

groups,” Brady said.

Brady is proud that during his time on the board, VVC has been able to get rid of its structural deficit and provide raises

to its constituency groups. He's especially proud that while he was president of the board, the leaders of Barstow

Community College and Victor Valley College held meetings together for the first time in 50 years.

“That was monumental, and I want to do it again next year," he said.

Now Brady is confident that new Superintendent/President Dr. Daniel Walden will help take VVC to “the next level.”

“I would like to think that 10 years from now we’ll be one of the top community college in California,” Brady said.

One of the upcoming projects that Brady believes will boost VVC’s service to the community is the proposed

construction of a stadium and multi-purpose conference center, a goal he’s consistently pushed in his time on the board.

“When I’m out in the community, people constantly make it very clear they appreciate the direction the college is going,”

Brady said. “When you have a student come up and give you a hug and say thanks for what you’re doing, you can’t get a

better accolade than that.”

When Joseph W. Brady applied to join the Victor Valley

College Board of Trustees in 2011, he was up against 23 other

candidates vying for one seat.

He secured the appointment then, and has “never turned down

a great fight” since.

As President of The Bradco Companies — the longest serving

commercial, industrial, and land brokerage firm serving the

High Desert — Brady has made a significant contribution to

the economic growth in the region.

He has been committed to strengthening the community since

he moved here in 1988 and because of this has always had a

connection to the college.

Meet the trustees: Joseph W. BradyBy Charity Lindsey

“At every turn I try to push that this should be the first place students choose,” he said. “And I treat every kid as if

they’re my kids. I won’t push anything that I don’t think will be good for my own kids.”

Pinkerton said that since he was elected in November 2012, one of the lessons that has been most consistently

reinforced is that of collaboration among the board members.

“We’re not just five people up there that are interchangeable — we’re five very distinctive personalities,” he said.

He noted that he and trustee Joseph W. Brady are “a classic example of two polar opposites.”

“It was rough in the beginning, but we’ve found a way to work together,” Pinkerton said. “We put our partisan

differences aside, our philosophical differences aside, and I can tell you the college is a much better place.”

The “common bond,” he describes, is the desire to move the college forward.

“We’re going at lightspeed towards those building projects,” he said. “I am so pumped about our projects. We’re moving

more quickly than I believe our college ever has.”

The most exciting of these projects to Pinkerton is that of the proposed multi-purpose conference center and stadium.

Discussed during the March board meeting, the project includes a stadium that will accommodate about 5,000 people

and a conference center that will hold about 500 for various events.

“Can you imagine having a beautiful graduation in our own facility? I am so looking forward to that day,” Pinkerton

said. “I saw what it did for Silverado when we got our own stadium in 2015, and I can’t wait for the same at VVC.”

When asked what motivates him in his role as a trustee, Pinkerton said simply, “The community.”

“I am determined — and I think every board member feels the same way — to leave our school and community better

than we found it,” he said. “Sometimes it’d be easier to go along and get along, but we’re determined to give the best

service to the community that we’re able to give.”

John Pinkerton chose to join the Victor Valley College Board of

Trustees because it “seemed like a very natural fit” for him. As a

longtime counselor at Silverado High School and an even

longer-time High Desert resident, he’s a passionate supporter of

local public education.

“I’ve seen the growth of this area firsthand … There used to be

nothing but jackrabbits and Joshua trees,” Pinkerton said. “I got

to see Silverado go from a fledgling teenage brat to a mature

institution very well established in the desert. I want to see my

all-time favorite college become the same way and establish a

culture for taking care of kids.”

During each monthly board meeting, Pinkerton makes an effort

to state at some point that VVC should be “the first choice” for

local graduating students.

Meet the trustees: John PinkertonBy Charity Lindsey

VVC automotive grant extended to local high schools

Three years ago, the Victor Valley College

Automotive Technology Department

obtained a clean fuels grant that helped

create new and improved curriculum.

The California Energy Commission /

Advanced Transportation and Renewable

Energy grant also supported increased

professional development and the purchase

of state-of-the-art classroom equipment.

As a recent extension of the award, VVC

partnered with Victor Valley Union High

School District to channel funding from the

energy commission to developing pilot

training programs at two local high schools.

By Charity Lindsey

Adelanto and Victor Valley high schools were two of just eight schools in the state to be awarded. VVC officials joined

representatives from the energy commission, Strong Workforce Transportation Sector, and VVUHSD at an award

presentation last Wednesday.

“It was a really cool day,” said VVC Automotive/Industrial Technologies faculty member Steve Coultas. “It reinforces

the linkages between us — there'll be a much clearer transitional pathway from their propulsion programs to ours.”

Both high schools now have “Switch Lab” kits from Switch Vehicles, Inc., allowing students to build fully-functional

electric cars from start to finish.

“Building an electric car is an experience I

would have never thought I’d be a part of

during high school,” Adelanto student

Jayden White said to the crowd during the

award presentation. “This project has been

an amazing experience and it is something

I will always remember.”

In October, Coultas attended a Switch Labs

training workshop along with auto

instructors from the awarded high schools,

Robert Carlos from Victor Valley and Dave

Mendoza from Adelanto.

“The automotive industry is evolving, and

so are our automotive programs,” VVUHSD

CTE Coordinator Dr. McKenzie Tarango

said.

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Two Victor Valley College nursing

program graduates — husband and wife

Steve and April Early — have both

recently been promoted to hospital

emergency department administrators.

April, a VVC graduate of Spring 2014, was

named the Emergency Department

Director at Bear Valley Community

Hospital (BVCHD), while Steve was

named the Emergency Department

Manager at Mountains Community

Hospital (MCH).

VVC nursing alumni spotlight:Husband, wife both named emergency room directors

By Charity Lindsey

April was promoted to the position by the BVCHD Administrative Team on March 25th, according to a post on the

hospital's website. She is a long-time resident of Big Bear who has worked at BVCHD on and off since she was 18.

"BVCHD is so happy to have April take on this position," the hospital website states. "We look forward to seeing what

new and exciting things she has planned for the Emergency Department!

According to a Big Bear Grizzly newspaper story, April began as a clerk in the BVHCD emergency room soon after

graduating high school in 2004, while becoming certified as an EMT.

"I was inspired by my coworkers as I learned what nurses can do (in emergency medicine)," Early told the Grizzly.

"Emergency medicine was my original plan out of school. I like the excitement, the adrenaline. I felt I was making a

difference."

“We are working with VVC to train a new generation

of electric car technicians to meet the needs of the

industry while providing students exposure to the

high-wage careers of today and tomorrow.”

While the high schools received vehicle kits with

direct current (DC) propulsion, VVC’s auto program

ordered a kit with alternating current (AC) propulsion

thanks to funding from the Strong Workforce

Program.

Arriving in time for a class in the Spring 2020

semester, it will compliment and advance what

students coming out of the local high school

programs have already learned.

“We have increased the rigor of our program by about 25 percent (in light of the industry changing rapidly),” Coultas

said. “Thankfully, because of the grant funding, we’re a year ahead of other schools.”

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Both Earlys decided to attend VVC to continue their education and earn their nursing degrees.

“I think that is the smart way to go,” Early told the newspaper. “Victor Valley (College) has a great reputation.

Community college leads to an associate’s degree that lets you get to work.”

Both Steve and April also recently obtained their masters degrees in nursing.

Steve has been working in emergency rooms for the past 17 years, according to a post on ROTWNews. He began as an

EMT after he was honorably discharged from the military after 10 years of service. He most recently worked at

BVCHD.

“(Steve) is excited and very honored to be given the privilege of leading the ER at MCH,” the post states.

Multicultural college tour takes students to new heights

By Sophia Mancillas

In April, 44 Victor Valley College students attended a Multicultural College Tour in Washington, D.C. Most of these

students were from either the UMOJA program at VVC or the PUENTE program.

The trip was fully funded by the Student Success & Support Program (SSSP) and Student Equity & Success. The

students were chaperoned by the Director of First Year Experience (FYE), Malia Carpenter, and six additional staff

members.

The group stayed at a hotel in the heart of DC — 10 minutes walking distance to the White House. Everyday they

would have breakfast at the hotel and take a bus ride together to visit various universities in the area.

The universities they visited included Georgetown University, Howard University (HBCU: Historically Black

College/University), Hampton University (HBCU), and Old Dominion University (MSI: Minority Serving Institution).

Students had guided tours and were provided lunch by the campuses. After visits, they would go back to their hotel and

share what they experienced and learned with one another.

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They incorporated an internship component through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU),

which places students in federal paid internship opportunities.

Janiah Woods, a student in the FYE program said, “It was a good experience, meeting people for one. I didn’t know a lot

of people here at VVC, so it was nice to network and explore colleges.”

The students were also able to admire many historical sites, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King,

Jr. Memorial, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Independence Hall/Pennsylvania State House (where the

Constitution was written and signed), and the Liberty Bell.

Lyman Insley, VVC counselor and PUENTE Coordinator called it “a collective experience," adding that "they felt very

humbled by the environment, almost jarred out of their everyday life."

“They were confronting very relevant issues when you consider the tension and the political atmosphere today … They

were able to connect theory to practice.”

Prior to the trip, PUENTE student Armando Castillo wouldn’t have expected to become friends with his peers who also

attended, he said. “But after the trip, it helped kind of glue people together who want to achieve success in college, not

just go to college,” Castillo said. “It was more of like a networking of like-minded individuals with the same endgame.”

Ochoa described it as an “eye-opening experience” for everyone involved. “I think it helped them grow as students, not

just with their grades but in terms of being a paraprofessional — networking, advocating, and being sensitive to

diversity and culture is important,” she said.

Juan Manjivar, a VVC alumni who now

attends Georgetown University, was a

guest speaker during the trip. He shared

his experience of coming from the High

Desert to the D.C. area and inspired

students to go wherever they want to go.

“We really touched upon a diverse set of

universities, ranging from the privates

to the HBCUs,” said Lorena Ochoa,

bilingual counselor at VVC. “This

wasn’t just a trip about universities

though — it was a cultural trip."

All the while, students were assured that they would have a clear and concise path to follow in order to get through

college and gain employment in their fields of study.

It is Engelsen’s belief that the college must be student-centered in all it does, which is why on June 13th, from 10 a.m. to

4 p.m., she will host another student focused event, the Campus Communication Caucus.

This event will be an information and suggestion-gathering session on how communication can be improved between

the school and the student body and how we, as a campus, can improve.

“Just come and be willing to talk about their experiences in a real way, so we (the college) know what works and what

doesn’t,” Engelsen requested.

Please consider joining us next month at the Campus Communication Caucus, where your voice will be heard.

Students wanted at CampusCommunication Caucus

It has been one year since the Victor Valley College Foundation met

with Vice President of Student Services Dr. Karen Engelsen to go

over what she hoped to accomplish in the past year.

One of her goals was to become more “student-centered.”

“If we are truly student-centered, then all we have to do is ask the

students what it is that we (the college) need to do,” Engelsen said.

This communication was emphasized through the Guided Pathways

focus groups she hosted last May.

Students were asked for their thoughts on various issues involving

the college, including the changes that are occuring as VVC

successfully adapts to new guidelines related to Assembly Bill 705.Vice President of Student Services

Dr. Karen Engelsen

By Nicole Fox

VVC