Nisreen Al-sabie: Finding a home at Cuyamaca College

Nisreen Al-sabie

She fled a war-torn Iraq and sought safety in Jordan before moving with her family to El Cajon. Now Nisreen Al-sabie, 19, is on the verge of completing her studies at Cuyamaca College and transferring to the University of California, Riverside, en route to a career with the United Nations or perhaps as a human rights attorney. 

“I’ve been fortunate in a lot of ways, really,” Al-sabie said. “I just feel bad for the people who are still in Iraq or Jordan, or the whole Middle East really, who are my age and don’t have the same opportunities that I have here.” 

Al-sabie was born in Baghdad and was living there with her family when war broke out in 2003. That’s when her mother, who worked at a United Nations compound, was injured during a bombing and needed life-saving medical treatment in London. Al-sabie was shuttled back and forth between Iraq and Jordan in the ensuing years before she and her family made the journey to the United States four years ago. 

High school students learn theater skills at Grossmont College's Summer Conservatory

Students in the 2015 Summer Conservatory, which
performed "Cinderella."

High school and college actors, actresses, costume designers and stagehands are preparing to team up once more for the 2016 version of Grossmont College’s Summer Conservatory program, which culminates with a musical adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in Eighty Days.

 

An open casting call is set for May 16.

 “This really is the most incredible of programs,” said Theatre Arts Department Chair Beth Duggan. “The Summer Conservatory provides a valuable opportunity to nurture the artists of tomorrow and enables us to guide those who want to work both on and off the stage.”

Hot Wheels, cool competition, live bands at Auto Skills Day and Coyote Music fest

Cuyamaca College is revving up its annual Automotive Skills Day set for 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.  Saturday, May 7, showcasing its automotive technology program with high school and college students turning wrenches in head-to-head competition. 

The skills competition takes place from 8:30-10:45 a.m., in the Automotive Technology complex (Building K) followed by a slew of auto- and technology-related activities and games, lunch, and ending with the awards presentation. Visitors can then head to the Grand Lawn for the student-run Coyote Music Festival taking place from noon to 4 p. m. Both events are free, as is parking, and open to the public.

District a finalist for safety award from American Association of Community Colleges

From left: Grossmont College students Elijah Descoteaux,

 Michael Garate, Chavez Bridgewater, Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Jimenez,  

 Campus and Parking Services Specialist Tiffany Hungerford, 

and  student Carol Bianchi.

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has been selected as one of four national finalists for an Award of Excellence from the American Association of Community Colleges for its comprehensive system to keep its two colleges safe and prepared for emergencies.

The East County district was a finalist for the award in the category of Community College Safety Planning and Leadership at the 2016 AACC Awards of Excellence ceremony this month recognizing exceptional work among the more than 1,100 two-year colleges in the nation.

Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges: We're here for you this summer

Colorful bus wraps you will see on some East County routes.

Need extra college credits or want to learn new job skills? Check out the more than 400 classes being offered this summer at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges.

Most classes begin June 13 and are four, six or eight weeks long. Registration for current students begins April 25, with open registration starting May 9 and continuing until June 12. At just $46 a unit for California residents, the average class only costs $138. Many students qualify for fee waivers, and financial aid is available.

Coyote Music Festival Returns to Cuyamaca College May 7

Six local bands with styles ranging from flamenco jazz to country rock will be featured at the 2016 Coyote Music Festival on the afternoon of Saturday, May 7, at Cuyamaca College.

A musician at a recent Coyote Music Festival

The annual festival, now in its eighth year, is organized, produced and promoted by students in Cuyamaca College’s Music Industry Studies program and culminates a semester’s worth of work. Cuyamaca College offers the county’s only degree in music industry studies, and it is among the few schools in the region offering a transfer degree program that combines training in music theory, literature and performance with studies in music technology and business.   

Admission is free.

 

Job Opportunities at East County Career Expo at Cuyamaca College

More than 50 employers from throughout the region will converge on Cuyamaca College May 4 to recruit applicants for an array of available jobs during the 2016 East County Career Expo. 

Among those taking part in the Expo are Heaviland Landscape Management, Scantibodies Biologics, the Grossmont Union High School District, the YMCA of San Diego County, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.  

“Employers are looking to hire and there are plenty of opportunities for people to find jobs or move into a new career,” said Kate Miller, Cuyamaca College’s Career and Technical Education Support Specialist. “This is a wonderful opportunity to find out what is available and introduce yourself to company representatives.”

 

Grossmont College hosting underwater robotics competition

The Grossmont College pool will be transformed into an underwater maze April 16 for the fifth annual SeaPerch San Diego’s Regional Qualifying Tournament.

Between 75 and 100 middle- and high-school students will be on campus to operate their student-built robotic submarines in a high-tech competition where they attempt to release and capture Ping-Pong balls from containers positioned in deep water. This is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education competition.

Grossmont Gives Back: Month of Service

Starting in April, Grossmont College is launching its first Grossmont Gives Back: Month of Service, a campuswide event in which students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in a series of volunteer projects on and off campus.

Grossmont Gives Back is a joint effort by the Grossmont College Community Service Learning program and Student Affairs to encourage everyone to get involved in the campus and community and to be exposed to new learning opportunities.  It is an expansion of the Day of Service that both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have sponsored for the past five years, primarily for student leaders.

Spring Garden Festival set for April 23 at Cuyamaca College

Wondering why your roses aren’t blooming or considering xeriscaping your lawn?

Get some tips and a lot more at Cuyamaca College’s Spring Garden Festival Saturday, April 23, a family-friendly community celebration of spring and a greener future. Like hummingbirds drawn to nectar, garden and landscape enthusiasts by the thousands flock each year to the popular event, set for 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

From Grossmont College to the Big Apple

Chris Cuilao

From making sure “The Tonight Show” cameras are properly set up for filming a performance by Adele to arranging the sound for a Coldplay concert on “The Today Show,” Chris Cuilao is taking a bite out of the Big Apple as a result of the audiovisual skills he learned at Grossmont College’s Media Communications Department. 

“Grossmont College and the Media Communications Department allowed me to test my skills, focus on my future and find a new career,” said Cuilao, 33, who works as an audio and camera technician on “The Today Show” but who also moonlights on “The Tonight Show.” “Before I enrolled in the program, I really didn’t know much about what I’m doing now.” 

The Grossmont College Media Communications Department enjoys a statewide and national reputation for excellence in preparing students with the skills to succeed in journalism and audio/visual production. It’s also home to Grossmont College’s award-winning student news media, including Griffin Radio and The Summit news magazine.