February 27, 2023

During the 2022-03 academic year, the Association is honoring the 50^th 

anniversary of the passage of Title IX by recognizing and paying tribute to those who have helped promote, exhibit and live the ideals the historic law has provided.

SCC Assistant Athletic Director Alison Aubert will be recognized as one of those individuals. She said “When I entered the field in 1979, there were very few women working as athletic trainers. We experienced pushback and a feeling that we didn’t belong in this male-dominated career. However, woman are now finally making an impact in athletic training and are breaking in at the college and professional levels.”

Congratulations to several of our former SCC students who recently passed the bar exam and are now looking forward to a career in law.

Flora Feizi

Solano college: Graduated 2015

Law school: McGeorge Law, graduated with Distinction, May 2022 

Concentration: Trial & Appellate Advocacy 

Admitted to the California Bar: November 2022

Flora was a member of Solano's first cohort in the Community College Pathway to Law School (CCPLS) Initiative.  Flora is an inspirational example to those around her. She is selfless and possesses a giving attitude, most accurately highlighted by her willingness to function as the primary financial provider for her mother and siblings while simultaneously attending to a full academic load during her undergraduate career. She has always been hard working and determined from the moment she stepped foot on Solano's campus.  Flora's outgoing personality and desire to set and achieve high standards only speaks to the caliber of person and contributor she is and will continue to be to the community as a member of the legal profession.  

Austin Turner 

Solano college: Graduated 2016  

Law school: UC Davis Law, May 2021; 

Concentration: Environmental law and public service 

Admitted to California Bar: November 2021

Austin enrolled at Solano as a first generation college student, not entirely sure of his path, but passionate about advocacy. As a member of the first cohort for the Community College Pathway to Law School (CCPLS) Initiative, he found a place to help focus his advocacy and passion for justice and ethically sound principles. He has always been able to navigate difficult circumstances and possesses an ability to remain level-headed even when facing situations of high stress and anxiety. He's been rooted in Solano County for the majority of his life and persevered through various challenges never wavering from his goal. These defining character traits will absolutely ensure his continued success as a legal advocate for others in the communities that he serves. 

Courtney Prado 

Solano college: Graduated 2015 

Law school: Chicago-Kent College of Law, July 2021; Concentration: Mediation, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Admitted to Illinois Bar: May 2022 

Courtney has always had a passion for social justice, and as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Community College Pathway to Law School (CCPLS) Initiative, she found a way to combine her passions and personal interests with a law degree in order to help people and organizations protect their interests and reach their goals. Growing up Courtney realized there were so many people who were unaware of their basic rights as citizens and certainly had no experience navigating the legal system. Since then, she's been committed to serving people and communities that have been preyed upon and fall victim to systemic inequities.

In honor of Black History Month, the Department of Social Justice & Ethnic Studies has partnered with SCC Library on a project called the “Gift of Black Thought.” We'd like to invite Black/African American-identified members of our campus community—both SCC students and employees—to contribute to an annotated list of works by Black authors, artists, inventors, change makers, LGBTQIA+ advocates, and contributors to STEM disciplines that are most important to you. You can share your recommendations here: https://forms.office.com/r/ke1JWSpRhn

The project will include a celebratory gathering on Thursday, March 2^nd from 3pm to 5pm in the LRC (Bldg. 100; note time correction). In the meantime, be sure to check out SCC Library's Black History Month Reading List, the BHM book display at the Fairfield Campus Library, and the entire program of BHM events and displays.

On Thursday, March 2, 12-1:30 PM, Solano Community College and the City of Fairfield will sponsor “From Pen to Purpose,” a poetry reading to feature Solano Community College creative writing students. The event will take place in the Quinton Duval Reading Area of the Solano Library and Learning Center (First Floor, Building 100). The reading will be co-hosted by Fairfield Poet Laureate, Suzanne Bruce, and Solano Community College English Professor, Michael J. Wyly. A reception will follow to meet the students as well as to learn what courses and opportunities the College has to offer. 

Parking for the event is free in all lots designated Student Parking.

The event will also be hosted virtually at: 

https://solano-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUof-yupjwjHdYASByczwOuYU3zCZDGNg10.

Contributing Solano students and poets include Danielle Jones, Xiomar Gonzalez, Samantha Roach, Carina Davis, AJ Tobias, Izaiah Siluis, Trevor Timms, Audrey Duremdes, and potentially others.

On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, the Accessibility Services Center held an open house to celebrate the change of their program name from Disability Services Program to Accessibility Services Center.

One of the welcome speakers was Ron Nelson, the first Coordinator/Counselor of the Accessibility Services Center. Ron provide some historical context to the disability rights movement and services provided at Solano Community College. Below is a summary of that welcome.

Ron Nelson’s Speech for the History of Accessibility Service Program ASC at Solano College

We, People with Disabilities are the Largest Minority Group in the US – and the Social Justice causes of each of the other minority groups are ours as well. I mention this and show part of the movie “Crip Camp” along with the disability rights movement because this is what allowed Solano College to start the Accessibility Services Center for students with disabilities at Solano College in 1975 by hiring me to coordinate it.

The Netflix Movie I showed a portion of is “Crip Camp” featuring Judy Heumann, who is considered the mother of disability the rights movement in the early 1970’s - and The Washington Post has referred to her as “she's a 'badass”. She and the other disability rights advocates from the “Crip Camp” did a protest sit in and in the early 1970’s in the San Francisco Congressional offices for the stalled 504 Regulations Act of 1973, which was not being enforced for equal access for people with disabilities. President Nixon also vetoed the 504 Regulations (it cost too much). Then Judy Heumann and other people with disabilities went to Washington to protest, and on 28 April 1977, and victory had been achieved after 24 days, making this the longest sit-in of a federal building in American history, a record that holds even today.

The other disability activist, who prepared Solano College for services to students with disabilities was Ed Roberts - Ed Roberts is often called the father of the Independent Living movement. He protested UC Berkeley’s denial of admission, which was due to him attending classes in an iron lung on a gurney. Roberts was admitted in 1962. In 1972, the first Center for Independent Living was founded by disability activists, led by Ed Roberts, in Berkeley, California.

Also, it should be noted that in 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which increased the disability access of the 504 Regulations. 

During all this activism in 1973 I was in the Fresno State University MA for Rehabilitation Counseling granted in 1975.

1975 state college funding called Enabling Programs for Community Colleges’ students with disabilities. Solano Hired me – We then called the Solano program for students with disabilities “Your Enabling Services (YES)”. At that time, we had 60 students with Disabilities. That quickly increased with outreach to the disability community and the Solano County disability services agencies.

One of my first tasks was a grant for our Solano College Adaptive PE Program, which started about 1976.

Also, a first task was the Advisory Committee (Community and Campus) for the “Your Enabling Services – YES.”

With increased State funding for Enabling Programs (changed state-wide to Disabled Student Programs and Services – DSPS) we hired a full-time counselor and with a new grant later we hired an instructor for Assistive Computer Technology and another grant for an Alternate Media Specialist for the print impaired – text to speech. There also was another grant that we applied for, and received, for our own accessible vans to transport students with disabilities to Solano College, since Solano County public transportation was not disability accessible.

After I retired as Disability Services Coordinator/Counselor in 2004, I stayed on part-time and developed a series of 5 classes for students with Developmental Disabilities and others Academically Challenged to prepare them for the job market, or college classes, plus 5 Adapted Horticulture classes. 

Nationwide Disability Services Programs are moving to some version of “Accessibility Services” both at Community Colleges and Universities, so that we are more welcoming to young people and veterans. Welcome to our updated Solano College “Accessibility Service Center – ASC)” program.

Did you know that you can read digital magazines through Solano Community College Library using Flipster? Flipster offers an easy, browse-able reading experience. Users can browse magazines by category as well as perform searches for specific periodicals. An online newsstand provides a carousel of

the most recent issues, as well as a carousel of all issues allowing for quick access to magazines. The table of contents contains links for quick access to articles of interest and hotlinks within magazines are hyperlinked, opening in separate tabs when clicked. In addition, there is an option to zoom in and out

for better readability. Get instant access to the most popular magazines you know and love through Flipster!

You can search our magazine collection and read directly on your computer, or download the Flipster app to your mobile device and manage your magazine reading there. You will need a library card to use the Flipster app.