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Dear Pirate Crew,
Choices and a favor…
I want to talk about the power of choices in this timely message to you. Daily, we are all confronted by external forces around us…rainstorms, pandemics, wildfires, economic recessions, and more. These pressures in conjunction with extra personal or job-related stressors can make the important work of education difficult or even feel impossible. We can take a fatalistic perspective and just give up, or we make a different choice.
There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist,
or accept the responsibility for changing them.- Denis Waitley
My choice is to change the narrative!
The choices we make, determine our destiny- Brandon October
Our destiny is not written for us, but by us.- Barack Obama
As the current gaurdians of Ventura College, it is incumbent on us to chart its future course. Ventura College was established almost 98 years ago (est. 1925). It has a proud history of educating our community and shaping the future of all of those who work and attend classes here. Our mission is to place “students at the center of their learning experience, supporting them in achieving their personal, academic, and career goals in an anti-racist, liberating, and inclusive environment…” Together we have great opportunities and responsibility to do right by our students, community, and each other.
Too often, individuals focus on the negative and I have witnessed this on occasion at VC. We are our own worst enemies at times because we are especially critical and hard on ourselves.
I honestly believe each of us is committed to working hard and to our mission. So why do we choose to make our work harder than it needs to be? If we are to move past the choice to focus on the negative, what would Ventura College look like? What differences would we see? Would our environment be more positive and more supportive?
Believe it or not, choosing to see the glass half-full versus half-empty can make a big difference. There is strength in choosing positivity. Listen to the TED Talk and consider a “Good Vibes” jar.
Those who know me realize I definitely lean toward the positive. I have my moments where I fall down but I pick myself up, put a smile on my face, and move forward. I believe in each of you and hope you have the same belief in me and know that everything I do and every decision that I make is intended to support our students and employees. It sounds mushy but I really do care about you and this institution! Otherwise, I would move on and explore other options. Our work is critical to creating an educated population and community.
Compassion is not a virtue -- it is a commitment. It's not something we have or don't
have -- it's something we choose to practice.- Brené Brown
As we celebrate and remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions, it is fitting to recognize his choice to advocate for his dream of a better, equitable, and inclusive world. He paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.
Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in
the darkness of destructive selfishness.- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here is my BIG ASK….
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Will you help me change our narrative?
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Will you work together with colleagues to make an asserted effort focusing on the positives?
- Can we give each other the benefit of the doubt?
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Can we believe that each of us are working hard and committed to doing our best by each other and our students?
Thank you for considering my “ask” to course correct and focus on the many positives about Ventura College. We have strength in numbers with our highly dedicated employees!

Let’s do this,
Kim
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