March 13, 2023

Automotive Tech (ATEC) won the CITEA (CA Industrial and Technology Education Association) award for best automotive training program in the state of California.

The award will be presented on March 11 at Palomar College, as part of CITEA’s annual 3-day conference.

A CITEA board member came to tour the ATEC facility to verify CITEA’s choice for the winning program with a tour led by ATEC instructor Ricky Marshall.

The Beta Mu Gamma chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society at Solano Community College (SCC) has been named a Five-Star Chapter, the international honor society's most prestigious designation. 

This five-star designation marks the first-time the SCC chapter has been awarded this honor. It is the culmination of a multi-year progression, beginning in 2020, when the chapter led SCC in its adoption of its land acknowledgement. 

Founded in 1918, PTK recognizes and encourages scholarship, leadership, and service at two-year colleges nationally and internationally. Beta Mu Gamma-sponsored activities in 2022 included a series of listening sessions and guided discussions to learn from indigenous voices to honor Indigenous People's Day in October and Native American Heritage during the month of November. The development of these listening sessions included collaboration with Professors Amanda Morrison (Ethnic Studies) and Maria Isip-Bautista (Social Justice) of SCC, and they culminated in multiple learning experiences, including a lecture and discussion with Dr. Rose Roza War Soldier, Professor of Ethnic Studies at CSU, Sacramento. 

Beta Mu Gamma also authored and submitted its Honors in Action research project, "Nostalgia, Play, and the Native American Experience," to investigate how "play" may contribute to cultural dispossession and how the act of play may be re-envisioned to support SCC in becoming a better ally to Native peoples and nations. 

To be eligible for PTK membership, students must earn a minimum 3.5 GPA and have completed a minimum of twelve units. Members are eligible to apply for over $246 million in scholarships. Additionally, awards and leadership opportunities are available to PTK members. Last year, BMG chapter President Andrea Solis and Vice-President Cherry Quitugua were selected for the 2022 California Academic Team. And, in Fall 2022, five of its members attended the Nevada-California Regional Leadership Conference in Los Angeles. 

Current PTK officers are President Andrea Solis, Vice-President Cherry Quitugua, Recording Secretary Cindel Jones, Promotions Secretary Karissa Brown, and International Delegate Scott Ferguson. Advisors are Professors LaNae Jaimez and Michael J. Wyly.

Congratulations to SCC employee Tingan Weng who was presented with a CISOA Technology Excellence award at its annual summit for her work in creating the Unofficial Transcripts for our Incarcerated Students. 

The Chief Information Systems Officers Association (CISOA) Technology summit is the premier, annual conference for California Community College IT professionals. CISOA in association with our partners, California Community College Banner Group (3CBG), California Community Colleges Colleague Users Group (4CUG) and California Community College Amazon Web Services Users Group (CCC AWS), present an outstanding array of educational conference sessions of interest to those who are part of the information technology arena in California’s Community College system. 

Future Falcons is a program for K-12 students intended to increase interest in college and Solano College specifically. The pilot event was held on Saturday, February 25th at the Vacaville campus and was Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) themed. The event was organized by Solano College chemistry faculty Commodore St. Germain and Brothas Raising Up His (BRUH) CEO Edward Russell Jr. and funded using Student Equity and Achievement (SEA) funds.

There were 12 participants ages 8-17 from Vallejo, Fairfield, and Vacaville and are from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM and/or first-generation students.

The Future Falcon students participated in a DNA presentation and discussion and then extracted DNA from bananas. Lunch was provided in the Biotechnology building lobby where students interacted with everyone and played with the Solano College Makerspace games. After lunch they met in the lab again to discuss college, Solano College, and STEM. This was a quote from a parent after the event - “Any time the conversation has come up [participant] has always said she doesn’t want to go to college in the past.

Today she said she could see herself going to that college! Ty!! Ty for opening that door for her!”

The next Future Falcons event will be March 25, 2023 at the Vallejo Automotive Technologies center.

Sign up at https://www.comstgermain.com/. Special thanks to Lisa Neely, Shirley Lewis, Flor deMaria Cruz, Alfredo Hernandez, and Henry Ingle for helping this event move forward.

Trustee A. Marie Young was recognized by the Vallejo Education and Business Alliance (VEBA) for her contributions to SCC, the community, and to the STEM field. Congratulations, Trustee Young!

About A. Marie Young...

A. Marie Young to you. Born in the segregated south, she considered becoming a legal secretary. But, she listened to her high school counselor to go into the STEM field, eventually receiving a B.S. and M.S. in mathematics with the highest honors. She taught mathematics to junior high and high school students and also taught college students at Solano Community College (SCC) for 35 years. At SCC, she successfully created a math lab for all students and served as faculty advisor for several campus organizations and committees. She also was an active member of several campus organizations and committees. Marie was also elected as board trustee for Vallejo/Area 2 for SCC for five four-year terms. She retired from SCC in 2005 and volunteered at an elementary school several times a week (before school started) as a math tutor to help 5th graders on their STAR exam. Additionally, she tutored mathematics to high school students in an after school tutoring program – Linked To Success. Marie has an incredible educational background with countless awards, memberships, and experiences that showcase her commitment and love for academics and volunteerism and beyond.

She not only has made large local impacts but she has done incredible work nationally and internationally. She was the National Program Director of Jack and Jill of America and has been a member of numerous honor societies. Listing all of her work would be nothing short of a sizable novel! She was there at the very beginning of VEBA and serves as the First Parliamentarian. We are in awe of her work in the Vallejo community and are thankful for the paths she has helped pave for us to walk on.

The Vallejo Center started their first community ballet lessons (four sessions total) on Saturdays. These are ballet classes for children and adults offered for free and led by instructor Adrienne Cary.

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class will start on March 17, 2023 here at the Vallejo Center. State of the art equipment has already been delivered and set in place in the CNA upgraded classroom so students can learn with the latest technology available. The Vallejo Center has unique opportunities

from ballet to CNA.

Solano Athletes Excel in the Classroom

Solano College is proud to announce that a record 81 student athletes will be receiving the Athletics Director Certificate as they completed 12 units or more with a 3.0 GPA or higher. 61 Student athletes achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher. 19 Student athletes had a perfect 4.0 average. The ceremony will be on Monday March 31. The overall team GPA’s were also outstanding as the Department were led by Women’s Volleyball with a 3.63 ( to include 4 student athletes with a straight A ) and Women’s Basketball with a 3.53 ( also to include 4 student athletes with a straight A).

Player of the Month for February Conner Ross, Baseball

The Solano Freshman had a great month. The infielder, who leads the BVC in hitting, was impactful during the Falcon’s stretch of winning 4 of 5 games. He was 10x14 with 2 doubles, 2 HR, 1 triple, 3 walks, 5 runs scored, and 7 rbi. He also made 3 run saving plays defensively. 

Solano Athletics Hall of Fame

On Saturday May 20 , Solano Athletics will introduce its 2023 HOF class. At this Gala, Solano will also recognize several distinguished athletic alumni and an athletic alumnus of the Year. Additionally, Solano Athletics will announce a student athlete of the Year as well as the AD Award for the Team that has excelled in the Four Pillars of Solano Athletics: Excel academically, excel athletically, display good citizenship and be engaged in the community.

SCC Dance has been thrilled to have dancer, teacher and choreographer Gem out this week to the campus to place a hip-hop piece on the dancers for our upcoming May concert. It has been a lot of fun working with Gem and has been a great opportunity for our students!

Gem is 28 and has been dancing for 12 years and teaching for 10. Gem is trained in street dance styles such as, hip-hop, vogue, waacking, locking, popping and does a fusion of styles for choreography. Gem has had the opportunity to dance professionally for two years at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, competed for the US Championship title at Hip-hop International. Gem loves to take classes and bring it to the classroom.

In other dance news: SCC Dance Club Event Friday March 24^th from 12:30-1:30 in studio 1740. Everyone is welcome to come over watch or can dance.

Left to Right: Nicholas Haystings (Executive Director, Square Root Academy), Nathan Evans (Hard Hat Scholar & Program TA), Kristoffer Bridges (Project Manager, Kitchell)

In collaboration with Kitchell and Square Root Academy, Hard Hat Scholars (HHS) is an immersive dive into the world of AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) for scholars grade 9 – 12. Lead by culturally reflective professionals from the AEC industry, HHS explores a myriad of topics through hands-on education, field trips and mentorship to construct the next generation of great innovators.

Now in its second year, the Hard Hats program has added additional curriculum structured around professional development and community engagement. Last year’s program culminated in a summer internship for scholar Nathan Evans (pictured above). Half of his 6 week experience was spent with the Solano Kitchell team where he aided in the administration of projects under the Measure Q Bond Program.

Program Snapshot

• Curriculum includes instruction and hands on exercises in BIM (Building Information Modeling),
• 3D Modeling and Design, Project Lifespan, etc.
• 3 Field Trip Experiences to Construction Sites
• $1,000 Scholarship for all Participants who complete the program
• Paid Internship opportunities for youth participants

2022 (the Program’s inaugural year) Hard Hat Scholars by the numbers:

• 20 youth participated
• 82% identify as part of minority populations
• 37% identify as female
• 25% received internships
• 100% expressed interest in pursuing a career in AEC
• $17,000 awarded in scholarships

Our Puente co-coordinators, Isabel Anderson and Rebecca LaCount, as well as VP of Student Services, Lisa Neeley, attended the Puente Project's annual training and 40^th anniversary celebration in Riverside from March 1-3. 

The training offered a variety of sessions focusing on healing and justice in education, as well as a celebration of 40 years of the Puente Project, including a reception at The Cheech and a performance by Ozomatli. 

Then, on March 9, supporters had the opportunity to contribute to the annual Puente scholarship drive benefiting Puentistas across the state of California and in Washington state and Texas. 

Puente primarily serves first-generation Latinx students and has been at Solano College for nearly 30 years.

On Thursday, March 2, SCC and the City of Fairfield sponsored a poetry reading which featured our creative writing students.

The event took place in the Quinton Duval Reading Area of the Solano Library and Learning Center. The reading was co-hosted by Fairfield Poet Laureate, Suzanne Bruce, and SCC English Professor Michael J. Wyly.

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

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 from 6-8 p.m.

Join us in Room 1303 at 6 p.m. to create a beautiful collage led Solano College Arts faculty. At 6:45, we'll walk over to the Theatre Lobby in 1200 for some light snacks before enjoying a concert performed by the SCC Choir and Orchestra!

More information:

https://fb.me/e/2Ze1PkfZ8

We want to hear from you about the new Quad space! Look for the survey in Canvas within the next two weeks and please share your feedback!