Santa Barbara City College update for May 16 — Commencement 2019: The sky’s the limit

by Community Contributor • May 16, 2019 • Comments Off

Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter

May 2019

Commencement 2019: The sky’s the limit

The rainy weather on May 10 subsided long enough for more than 600 new SBCC graduates to receive their diplomas at La Playa Stadium, as proud family and friends cheered on. Speakers included Interim President/Superintendent Dr. Helen Benjamin and student speaker Leslie Marin, the first in her immigrant family to graduate college. A member of the SBCC Promise program, Marin will transfer to UCSB on a full ride scholarship in the Fall. Big congrats to all of our SBCC grads!

Click here for the Graduation Gallery…

SBCC Trustee Kate Parker: From Parent Classroom Volunteer to Education Advocate

Parker was elected to the SBCC Board of Trustees in November 2018. Her role as a leader in education started as PTA president and turned into a lifelong commitment to building a strong educational system. Trustee Parker was recently honored with the Hope Award from the Santa Barbara Education Foundation. Read the Noozhawk story…

Photo by Brooke Holland/Noozhawk.com photo

SBCC Dual Enrollment student finishing SBCC with two degrees before high school graduation

Sydney Schapansky, a junior at San Marcos High School, has been taking dual enrollment classes at Santa Barbara City College since her freshman year. In May she is scheduled to graduate from SBCC with an associate degree in science and math, and another in liberal arts and humanities. In 2020 she will graduate from San Marcos High School.
Read the story in Noozhawk…

Forbes Magazine: “We should celebrate—and invest in—
America’s best community colleges”

Five years ago SBCC was awarded the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence by the Aspen Institute. Last month Forbes Magazine noted “the Aspen Prize reminds us of the deep, and often undervalued, impact that high-achieving community colleges make as engines of opportunity.” Read the full article…

Former SBCC football player signed by the San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers announced on April 30 that they have signed Mitch Wishnowsky to a four-year deal. As a Vaquero in 2014, Mitch played in 11 games and registered 63 punts for 2,509 yards (39.8 average). According to Niners Wire News, “Wishnowsky was considered by some the best punter in the draft. San Francisco scooped him up with the No. 110 overall pick.” Read the full story…

SBCC Culinary Arts alumnus to collaborate with winery on local, organic farming of heirloom corn

Conrad Gonzales attended SBCC’s School of Culinary Arts before embarking on a 15-year career as a chef, restaurateur and founder of a wine country catering company. Last month he officially announced plans to collaborate with Buttonwood Farm Winery for a new planting of five varieties of organic heirloom corn. Read the full story…

SBCC team wins International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition

The SBCC ethics debate team won first place in its division at the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition held at the Hilton Center for Business at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Read the press release…

Atkinson Gallery hosts student exhibit, awards scholarships

The 2019 Annual Student Exhibition made its public debut on Friday, April 12, showcasing works by 38 students in various media, including painting, printmaking, sculpture and 3D design. Art Department scholarships and Exhibit Awards totaling $10,700, funded by private donors and community organizations, were also presented.

Energy Club creates solar powered table to charge devices

According to a recent article in The Channels, “Students can enjoy the Santa Barbara sunshine and still remain attached to their devices, thanks to the City College Energy Club’s newest project—a solar powered picnic table equipped with charging ports.” The project is one of several alternative energy projects the group is working on to help create a more sustainable, clean-energy campus. Read the story in The Channels…

SBCC Office of Communications receives five statewide awards

SBCC’s Office of Communications was recently honored with five awards from the Community College Public Relations Organization (CCPRO). Awards included First Place in the Media Success category; Second Place in Social Media Management, Social Media Marketing, and Manipulated photos; and Third Place for the college’s staff newsletter “Cliff Notes”. Read the press release for more…

Dr. Helen Benjamin receives AACC Leadership Award

In April, Dr. Helen Benjamin was honored at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Florida, where she received the AACC Leadership Award. AACC’s Leadership Award, an annual tradition since 1982, is presented to individuals whose accomplishments and professional contributions to the community college field have been outstanding.

Dual Enrollment high school students jump start college careers

Through partnerships with local K-12 districts, students eligible for high school have the opportunity to begin their college careers while paying no tuition for college classes. Registration is now open for two 2019 summer sessions:
Summer session 1: May 20-June 28
Summer session 2: June 29-Aug 9
Visit the Dual Enrollment website for info…

School of Extended Learning offers free career skills classes this summer

This summer over 60 Career Skills classes are being offered in the areas of business, design and technology. All of them are tuition-free and provide the opportunity to improve skills in everything from the art of negotiation and collaboration to using Facebook for business, to understanding branding and design basics.
See the list of summer classes…

Upcoming SBCC Board of Trustees Meetings: May 23, June 13

The next meeting of the SBCC Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 23, at 4 p.m. at the main campus in room A211. The first June meeting is scheduled for June 13 at 4 p.m. at the main campus in room A211. The agenda for Board Meetings can be found at least 72 hours prior to the meeting on the Board webpage. SBCC Board meetings are recorded or live streamed and archived for public viewing. C lick here to watch previous or live Board meetings.