April 17, 2023

Congratulations to the 2023 Phi Theta Kappa All-California Community College Recipients:

• Nihal Grewal
• Cindel Jones
• Danielle Jones
• Leanne Lumanug

PTK Recognizes President Esposito-Noy

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) will recognize six college presidents with the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction during PTK Catalyst 2023, the Society’s annual convention on April 20 – April 22.

One of those six presidents is Solano Community College’s Superintendent-President, Celia Esposito-Noy.

The award recognizes college presidents who support high-achieving students and developing student leaders on campus.

“These college presidents have made it a priority to support student success both inside and outside the classroom,” says Phi Theta Kappa President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner in a press statement. “This award is special because it comes directly from the students, and it is evidence of the gratitude they feel for the support for them and students like them.”



The SCC Beta Mu Gamma chapter of the PTK chose Esposito-Noy in recognition of her ongoing support and dedication to the SCC PTK chapter and its members.

Five-Star Chapter

In other news, the SCC Beta Mu Gamma chapter of the PTK 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,” said SCC in a press statement. “It is the culmination of a multi-year progression, beginning in 2020, when the chapter spearheaded SCC’s adoption of a land acknowledgment honoring the indigenous peoples who are the original stewards of the land the college sits on. In order to become recognized as a Five-Star Chapter, SCC PTK also developed an Honors in Action Project. The SCC PTK chapter has become involved at the international level of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and its initiatives.”

The SCC Beta Mu Gamma chapter of the PTK is led by faculty advisors LaNae Jaimez and Michael Wyly.

National University offers a holistic approach to student support and well-being called “Whole Human Education.” Our career-relevant degrees, convenient online courses, and exceptional student services can help you achieve success.

• 4- and 8-week online courses
• Year-round enrollment
• Scholarship opportunities (25% to 46%)
• Wellness resources and counseling
• Free tutoring and mentoring
• Prior learning credits

Learn more here.

Solano Community College and Arizona State University Partner to Offer Transfer Pathways with MyPath2ASU™ Collaboration.

With a focus on academic preparedness, collaborative support and term-to-

term persistence, students are ensured a smooth transition to the university and the support necessary for student success. Through MyPath2ASU™ students are able to take the steps needed to successfully plan their transfer to ASU while working towards their degree at SCC.

The Solano Community College MyPath2ASU™ transfer experience is available to students and staff that support them. Diverse MyPath2ASU™ degree options can be tailored based on Solano Community College needs (within ASU degree requirements).

Solano Community College and Sonoma State University Offer Guaranteed Admission.

Community College students will be eligible for one of twenty-four additional scholarships of $2,000 through this guaranteed admissions process. 

SCC student who complete their CSU GE, including the CSU GE areas A1 (speech), A2 (English composition), A3 (critical thinking) and B4 (GE Math) with a C- or better, a 2.0 minimum grade point average and 60 transferable units with 30 of those units being general education courses with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for non-impacted majors will be guaranteed admissions to Sonoma State University (Guaranteed Admissions does not apply to Impacted Majors as they have their own set of criteria that need to be met). 

SCC students seeking Guaranteed Admission to SSU must complete an ADT or transfer pathway, submit a Cal State Apply Application to SSU and pay the application fee by the application deadline, and be in good standing in the Fall or Spring term prior to their admission entry term at SSU.

Solano Academic Counselors are available to help student build their education plan to meet these requirements. Call 707-864-7101, email counseling@solano.edu, or book an appointment here.

For more information on this guaranteed admission and ways to complete a Bachelor’s degree from SSU while staying local, go here.

To audition, send a videoclip to shirley.lewis@solano.edu by April 24. 

Solano College and Diablo Valley College (DVC) co-hosted the Big 8 South Conference Tennis Tournament from April 6-8, which brought together some of the most talented tennis players from the region. The tournament was a tremendous success, with the participating teams displaying their skills and competitive spirit. 

The Solano College Men’s and Women’s tennis team put up an impressive performance throughout the tournament, with several of our students qualifying for the State Tennis Tournament in Ojai in April. This is a testament to their hard work and dedication throughout the season, as well as the support and guidance provided by our coaching staff. 



We would like to congratulate our students who have qualified for the State Tennis Tournament in Ojai and wish them the best of luck as they compete against some of the best players in the state.  



• In women's singles, Katelyn Crismon made it to the semifinals, while in women's doubles, Katelyn Crismon and Denise Feria made it to the semifinals as well.  
• In men's singles, Hunter Bradac made it to the finals, while Connor Ard and Lorenzo Biatta made it to the quarterfinals and backdraw winner, respectively. 
•  In men's doubles, Hunter Bradac and Connor Ard were named the winners of the Big 8 South Conference Tournament, while Lorenzo Biatta and James Pullin were backdraw doubles winners. 

Overall, the Falcons will be bringing six qualifiers to the State Championships in Ojai from April 27-30. Furthermore, Connor Ard has achieved back-to-back Big 8 South Conference Tournament Championships after winning the title in 2022 with partner Jackson DeVries. Finally, Hunter Bradac has reached the finals in singles two years in a row, eventually winning a title in doubles with partner Connor Ard.  

Future Falcons is a program for K-12 students intended to increase interest in college and Solano College specifically. This event was held on Saturday, March 25 th at the Automotive Technology (ATEC) center and highlighted the ATEC program.

The event was organized by Solano College chemistry faculty Commodore St. Germain and facilitated by ATEC faculty Andrew McGee and Julene Calvo. There were 24 participants from Vallejo, American Canyon, and Fairfield and this was funded by Strong Workforce Funds and Perkins Funds.

The Future Falcons participated in a tour of the ATEC facility followed by a presentation about ATEC and Solano College. Lunch was provided in the conference room where we talked about everyone’s various paths through life and how they got there. After lunch there was a smorgasbord of hands-on activities such as changing tires with an impact wrench, using a diagnostic computer to troubleshoot automotive problems, using a transmission and transaxle trainer, and also using various automotive control module

trainers.

Last, but definitely not least, the group was able to test fire an engine that current Solano College students rebuilt for their class. The event ended by sending off participants with their own custom ATEC shirts and custom ATEC tire pressure gauges.

A parent emailed after the event saying: “This tour was amazing, very insightful, and well organized… My son is unsure about his future so I have been exposing him to several trades so he can identify the path he would like to pursue. After this tour my son thanked me for taking him and showing him another opportunity, he can pursue.”

Keith, a Solano College employee said: “I’ve never been at an event at Solano where every participant had such big smiles on their faces when they were leaving."

The next Future Falcons event is not scheduled, but we are working to expand to all of the middle schools and high schools in Vallejo and eventually county-wide. Email commodore.st.germain@solano.edu if you would like to be involved in organizing. Special thanks to Kevin Anderson and Jeanette Ramos for helping this event move forward.

The 2023 President's Circle Donor Recognition was held on Saturday, March 25^th in the LLRC. It was a joyous event to thank and recognize donors to the Facility Naming Program by the SCC Educational Foundation. Nearly $500,000 has been donated to the College through this program. Donors were recognized with permanent plaques at the entry to various rooms and at study desks.

If you’re considering a meaningful way to leave a legacy and honor an important person in your life, your family, or organization, this may be program for you. Donations may be directed to College programs or endowed scholarships. Opportunities are available at any level of investment.  

Prominent spaces, such as a building lobby or biotechnology laboratory, start at $100,000. Room naming starts at just $2,500 for a small group study room. Individual study desks in the Library are $500, and theater seats in the Performing Arts Center are $200 to $300.   

Visit this link at the Foundation website: 

https://foundation.solano.edu/create-a-legacy/

SCC dance had a former dance student and dance assistant create dance piece for an SCC upcoming dance concert.

Suzy has been dancing since she was 10 years old and has enjoyed learning many styles of dance over the years, including Irish, tap, hip hop, ballet, jazz, and modern. Eight years ago, she came to Solano Community College to take dance classes and was happy to further her skills and have the opportunity to be Professor Cain's dance student and dance assistant for several semesters. Suzy came out of the area from several miles away to come to Solano to work with the dance students. She is excited to participate in this year's dance concert by choreographing a piece. 

The dance club had a "Picture Perfect," successful fundraising event. It was a great turnout. A lot of folks came out to join all the fun and creativity. 

The dance club had another exciting K-pop dance event just recently. The dancers danced for a straight hour and half without a break. It was high energy, a great turnout and a lot of awesome dancing.

To keep our SCC community informed: During the month of March the Vacaville Center hosted a couple of field trips, had a career fair, and had a movie day for our student population. Although the process to

building community and bringing more activities to the center is gradual, the efforts brought forth by all who have contributed to the progress has not gone unnoticed. Thank you!

On March 14th, the center hosted a job fair in partnership with Solano Agency Water who was looking to hire students for several part-time positions and internship opportunities.

On March 16th, the center hosted a Movie Day for students, although there was not a big turnout, the students that attended had a great time. They watched a movie, laughed, interacted, ate, and enjoyed some snacks and popcorn. We will continue to show up for our students, create consistency and continue encouraging engagement and participation.

On March 24th, the Center had about 65 students from Kairos Public School visit our site. Professor Silva from the Biotechnology team gave a tour of the site, engaged the students with lab activities, and did a great job at making sure the students had a great time. The kids were engaged, had fun, and left the site with a high spirit.

On March 29th, the Center hosted a Calistoga High School senior student field trip. Professor Silva gave a tour of the biotechnology and biomanufacturing labs along with engaging the students in some lab activities. He also had a great discussion about educational pathways and their association with career

pathways, cost of education, career readiness, and attainment. As well as, discussed on disparities, inequities, underrepresentation, and misrepresentation. Later that day, Genentech professionals joined

the team, gave a presentation on careers in Biotech and engaged with students during lunch.

As part of Kitchell’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which we work and live, we are hosting a Diaper Drive benefiting Her Health First – Black Mothers United. This Diaper Drive is one small way we can help mothers who may be struggling to afford the basic necessities for their babies, which can contribute to postpartum depression or a mother’s mental health. If you are interested in and able to contribute to this Diaper Drive, you may drop off any size of diapers at the Measure Q - Kitchell Bond Office Trailer (Room 1102) on the Fairfield Campus in person by Wednesday, April 26, 2023. The Kitchell team working on the Measure Q Bond Program will take any donations dropped off at Room 1102 to the Kitchell Sacramento office in time to combine those donations with others received at our Sacramento office location.  

We appreciate your support of this worthwhile cause and hope to bring awareness to the issue of postpartum depression and mother’s mental health through this Diaper Drive.

Our delivery lockers are here! Students at the Fairfield campus can now request textbooks to take home over the weekend outside of our normal operating hours using these lockers We are hoping that this service will offer access to students with irregular schedules and could benefit from weekend access to their resources. We are excited to use this new service and to eventually expand it to our center locations over the summer. Please see our website @ https://libguides.solano.edu/reserves for more details. As always, you can contact our team through email or in person for any questions and suggestions. We are here for you! 

After suffering massive supply chain issues compounded by the pandemic, then firmware and compatibility issues, there is now proper wireless coverage in the new LLRC. Students, staff and visitors can connect to the PUBLIC wireless network, no password required. District devices will connect to the

wireless networks they are programmed for. Thanks for your

patience!

When in doubt, contact us: helpdesk@solano.edu, or check out more resources on our website.

On March 10, Wellness Center participants went head-to-head and

competed in the Double Fair Game at Red Door Escape Room. Two teams worked together to beat the Carnival Themed room. Students had a blast together.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed a fabulous meal at Super Duper Burger! Students enjoyed the competition, laughter, food and building community!

“Today was truly amazing and meant so much to me. Life hasn't been the kindest to me, but I haven't been easy on myself. I am going through a lot but today reminded me to just breathe. I really felt alive again." Yolanda Otero

“The escape room activity in Concord was a lot of fun for the Wellness Center as a whole. It exemplified what our community that formed there is capable of regarding our ability to work as a team to solve problems, and more importantly to have fun! I’m more than happy to continue spending time with the Wellness Center friends whenever I can. Cheers to the Tea Garden next month!” Drew

Remaining April Events: