College district wins NCMPR marketing, PR awards

The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Marketing and Communications Office took home one gold and two silver Medallion awards Thursday from a national marketing organization for two-year colleges.

At its District 6 conference in San Diego Sept. 29, the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations lauded the district with:

• A Gold Medallion in the College Promotional Video category for its entry, “The Higher Edge Promise,” highlighting a scholarship program that will provide a free year of college to qualified graduates of the Grossmont Union High School District, starting in 2019.
• A Silver Medallion for feature writing for its entry, “Iraqi refugee credits Grossmont College for reigniting her hopes for the future,” about 2016 student commencement speaker Sandy Adwer.
• A Silver Medallion for original photography for its entry, “Soccer Goalie,” posted on the home page for Cuyamaca College.

Cuyamaca College hosting political discussion series

With Election Day just around the corner, here’s an opportunity to get a historical perspective of voting in America.

The Cuyamaca College Department of History, Social and Behavioral Sciences will present “Politics: Past and Present Series 2016,” through the month of October to focus on a variety of political discussion topics, including voter suppression, gender, foreign policy, local propositions, and the role of persuasion in politics.

Cuyamaca College nets $6 million STEM grant for Hispanic students

Students in Cuyamaca's STEM center

Cuyamaca College has been awarded a five-year, federal grant totaling nearly $6 million to boost the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates who transfer to the California State University and University of California systems.

 Cuyamaca College will receive nearly $1.2 million annually for the next five years through the U.S. Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Program, a program assisting Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Surfer-turned-teacher Lauren Halsted finds tranquility in classroom

Five instructors at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have been selected by their peers as the academic year’s best faculty members. The honorees were lauded at fall convocations for exemplary service to the East County campuses.
At Grossmont College, art history professor Marion de Koning received the Distinguished Faculty Award, and Administration of Justice instructor Shaun Donelson was picked for the adjunct award. At Cuyamaca College, English instructor Lauren Halsted and math instructor Terrie Nichols are co-winners of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award, and Arabic instructor Aklas Sheai received the award for adjunct faculty.

Here's a profile of one of the recipients, one in an occasional series: 

 

Lauren Halsted

English instructor Lauren Halsted’s first job out of college was as a freelance writer for Surfing Girl Magazine – fitting for someone who’s been hanging 10 from the time she was a kid growing up in San Juan Capistrano. These days, with her busy teaching schedule at Cuyamaca College and two young children, she’s had to cut back her daily surfing to about once a week.



Hired as an adjunct faculty member in 2005, she became full-time in 2008, melding teaching with service on numerous committees.

Like fellow instructor Terrie Nichols in the math department, Halsted has been at the forefront of Cuyamaca’s accelerated learning initiatives since 2011. Over the years, she has helped shepherd English acceleration by writing curricula, leading workshops and creating a UC San Diego extension course preparing educators to teach accelerated classes. Halsted also started a mentorship program at the college and served on the English subcommittee of the East County Education Alliance, a partnership between the college and local high school districts.

Student success profile: Carolyn Fisher

Scholarships totaling more than $81,000 were awarded September 10 to 135 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students at the fall scholarship banquet held by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. Every student has a compelling story about the impact that community college has had on their life. Here's one student's story.

Carolyn Fisher

It’s not every day that a five-time world arm wrestling champion is told to get a life, but that’s what Carolyn Fisher’s son and daughter suggested to her after they grew up and moved out of the house, leaving Carolyn with a classic case of empty-nest syndrome. 

“They said it in a loving way,” laughed Carolyn, “but they were right.” 

Carolyn got a life at Grossmont College, where she started taking classes three years ago and found her passion in communications and public speaking. Now a full time student who spends most of her waking hours at the El Cajon campus, the 54-year-old Spring Valley resident works as a tutor in the Communication Department, has a 4.0 grade point average, is on track to graduate with three associate degrees in the spring, is set to transfer to San Diego State University to further her studies, and is eyeing a future as a communications professor – at Grossmont College – after earning her master’s degree. 

Her dedication led to Carolyn being honored with a $500 Betty D. Krueger Memorial Scholarship and a $500 Osher Scholarship, both of which were presented at a Sept. 10 awards banquet sponsored by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. 

AOJ instructor brings the realities of thin blue line to classroom

 Five instructors at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have been selected by their peers as the academic year’s best faculty members. The honorees were lauded at fall convocations for exemplary service to the East County campuses.

At Grossmont College, art history professor Marion de Koning received the Distinguished Faculty Award, and Administration of Justice instructor Shaun Donelson was picked for the adjunct award. At Cuyamaca College, English instructor Lauren Halsted and math instructor Terrie Nichols are co-winners of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award, and Arabic instructor Aklas Sheai received the award for adjunct faculty.

Here's a profile of one of the recipients, the second of an occasional series

Shaun Donelson
With 31 years in law enforcement, including 22 with the San Diego Police Department, Grossmont College Administration of Justice instructor Shaun Donelson engages his students and Police Academy cadets with real-world scenarios that are both thought-provoking and challenging.

At a time when police and community relations have been the focus of national scrutiny, Donelson is keenly aware of the importance of the lessons he brings to his students about the proper use of force and respecting others.

Matt de la Peña kicks off Grossmont College’s Fall 2016 Reading Series

Matt de la Peña

The Grossmont College English Department's Creative Writing Program is presenting the Fall 2016 Reading Series, Thursday, Sept. 29 – Monday, Dec. 5. 

• Thursday, September 29 (2-3:15 p.m., Griffin Gate): Banned Books/Banned Lives Reading featuring New York Times bestselling novelist Matt de la Peña, author of six young adult novels, including “Mexican WhiteBoy” and “We Were Here,” and the first Latino to win the Newbery Prize in literature. San Diego native de la Peña’s “Mexican WhiteBoy” was banned from classrooms in Tucson, Arizona in January 2012, when a law targeting Mexican-American studies courses that were perceived as anti-white, was enacted. This event will be hosted by English instructor Alan Traylor.

Grossmont College 2016-17 theatre season gets underway

Cast of "Blood Wedding"

William Shakespeare’s classic comedy The Taming of the Shrew and a bilingual performance of Frederico Garcia Lorca’s once-banned Blood Wedding are among the productions set for the 2016-17 season at Grossmont College’s Stagehouse Theatre.

     The fall season opens with Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding, a story set in Spain and inspired by a sensational crime detailed in a newspaper clipping. The play, which includes both Spanish- and English-speaking actors, unveils how a bride runs from her groom on her wedding day and into the arms of a former lover – the son of the man who killed her father. Essentially left at the altar, the groom vows to set out to find and kill his would-be wife’s lover. The play, considered a classic of 20^th century drama, was banned during former Spanish dictator’s Francisco Franco’s reign. Directed by Rob Lutfy, performance dates are Oct. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m.

   

Classroom is canvas for art professor Marion de Koning

Five instructors at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have been selected by their peers as the academic year’s best faculty members. The honorees were lauded at fall convocations for exemplary service to the East County campuses.

At Grossmont College, art history professor Marion de Koning received the Distinguished Faculty Award, and Administration of Justice instructor Shaun Donelson was picked for the adjunct award. At Cuyamaca College, English instructor Lauren Halsted and math instructor Terrie Nichols are co-winners of the Outstanding Faculty Member Award, and Arabic instructor Aklas Sheai received the award for adjunct faculty.

Here's a profile of one of the recipients, the first of an occasional series:

Marion de Koning

Art historian and a Grossmont College instructor for 18 years, Marion de Koning’s credentials as an art scholar are impressive, but when asked if she is herself an artist, she responds with a laugh.

“I have a few paintings at home, but they are only for my personal viewing,” said the Netherlands native, who emigrated to the United States in mid-‘80s, earning her associate degree from Palomar College, her bachelor’s and master’s in art history from San Diego State University and her doctorate, also in art history, from the University of Southern California. The Phi Beta Kappa member speaks English, Dutch, French, German and conversational Spanish.

Student success profile: Cuyamaca College student Moises Morales

More than $81,000 in scholarships were awarded to 135 Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges at the fall scholarship breakfast on Sept. 10. Here's the story of one student who was honored.

Moises Morales

Moises Morales knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges. After all, the 23-year-old San Diego resident hasn’t let cerebral palsy keep him from excelling as a business administration major at Cuyamaca College or playing as a midfielder with the U.S. Paralympic National Soccer Team. 

“When a person starts thinking and has it in their mind, ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that,’ then you’re already limiting yourself,” said Morales. “You can’t limit yourself. You just go out and do what you can do.” 

It is that type of outlook that led to Moises being honored with a $500 Barnes & Noble Textbook Award, which was presented at a Sept. 10 scholarship banquet sponsored by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. 

Scholarships awarded to 135 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students

EL CAJON - More than $81,000 in scholarships were awarded Saturday to 135 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students who excelled academically while many of them overcame life-changing challenges. 

Fall 2016 Osher scholarship recipients

“These are remarkable students from all walks of life,” said Cindy L. Miles, chancellor of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. “We are tremendously proud of all that they have accomplished.” 

Grateful students said the scholarships — ranging from $200 to $2,500 — will enable them to continue their education and pursue their dream careers.

 “I’m so blessed to be receiving this award,” said Monserrat Gonzales, a Cuyamaca College student who received the Navy Seals Foundation Scholarship. “As a mother of three and married, it’s difficult to provide for the books and the schooling. This is definitely helping me out.”

 

Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges celebrate Latino Heritage Month

The Grossmont College Latino Film Festival and a Cuyamaca College Latino Heritage Celebration highlight an array of special events honoring Hispanic Heritage Month at the two East County colleges, Sept. 15-Oct. 15. All of the events are free and open to the public. 

Win a bus pass on Facebook!

 Have you spotted the bus with the Grossmont & Cuyamaca College ad? Snap a photo and post it to our Facebook pages for a chance to win an MTS bus pass!* Our partners at MTS are giving away 1 bus pass to someone who posts a photo to either the Grossmont College, Cuyamaca College, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, or the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges Facebook page. Good luck!

Rules and Regulations: Grand Prize value varies based on the type of Transit Pass awarded (e.g. College Student, Adult, Senior, Disabled, Medicare, Youth). Winner will be chosen at random and announced via Facebook pages on Monday, October 3. Winner will receive communications with details on prize pick up. By posting a photo, you grant Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges the right to reproduce the photo(s).

Student success profile: Grossmont College student Meron Cholagh

Scholarships totalling more than $81,000 were awarded September 10 to 135 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students at the fall scholarship banquet held by the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. Every student has a compelling story about the impact that community college has had on their life. Here's one student's story.

Meron Cholagh



To call Meron Cholagh ambitious is a bit of an understatement.

Fluent in four languages, the Iraqi immigrant, honors student and financial aid ambassador at Grossmont College is set to graduate with three associate degrees and two certificates before transferring to San Diego State University next fall as he pursues a career in international business.

He has earned a Community Service Award from state Sen. Joel Anderson. He volunteers regularly at his church. He has been on the Honor Roll at Grossmont High School and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society at Grossmont College. And he does not believe in barriers, as evidenced by his participation with the Grossmont College chapter of the Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness (HOLA) Club, which promotes educational and cultural awareness of the invaluable contribution that Latino cultures have provided.

Grossmont College hosting free Latino Film Festival

As part of Latino Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Grossmont College is presenting a Latino Film Festival, with free, public screenings of films that explore Latino/a culture and history at 7 p.m. every Tuesday evening Sept. 20-Oct. 11 in Building 26, Room 220.

Latino Film Festival programming is coordinated by the Latin@ Alliance at Grossmont College.

New coordinator selected for East County Education Alliance

Amber Hughes

As a parent of two teenagers attending El Capitan High School in Lakeside, Amber Hughes has more than a professional stake in her new job as coordinator of the East County Education Alliance, a partnership between the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and the Grossmont Union High School District.

The Alliance was created between the two East County districts in 2014 to make the high school-to-college or career transition more seamless. A major component of the program is the Higher Edge Promise, a scholarship that provides a free year of classes at Grossmont or Cuyamaca colleges to qualified East County high school graduates, starting with the class of 2019.

La Mesa couple keeping the arts alive at Grossmont College

Bob and Laura Duggan

Bob and Laura Duggan haven’t forgotten their roots. 

“Both of us come from modest means and neither of us had much growing up in Brooklyn,” said Laura. “I had medical issues when I was a kid, and other people paid for my medical costs. You don’t forget things like that. Now that we’re in a position to help others, we’re not going to hesitate in paying it forward.” 

Their most recent gift to the community: A $20,000 matching grant ensuring that the 4^th Annual Summer Conservatory at Grossmont College is fully funded in 2017. Open to high school and college students alike, the Summer Conservatory Program enables student performers and technicians to learn what it’s like to work in a professional theatre through daytime and evening classes that teach specialized skills. High school students earn college credit, and the course culminates with several performances at a packed Stagehouse Theatre. 

“When you give to Grossmont College, you know you’re going to impact a lot of lives,” said Bob Duggan. “The Theatre Department alone produces so many wonderful opportunities for so many students from so many backgrounds. It’s really an honor to be in the position to support them, and we’re hoping our donation will encourage others to give.” 

Colleges offering eight-week classes starting Oct. 17

Interested in earning college credit in just two months from Grossmont or Cuyamaca colleges?
 
Eight-week courses beginning the week of Oct. 17 are a great way to pick up general education or subject-specialty classes in less time, but at the same affordable cost of regular semester-length classes. The classes ending Dec. 10 offer from one to five credits at a cost of $46 per unit. They consist of traditional, online and hybrid classes, which require both in-classroom and online attendance.

District receives national diversity award

For the second time, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District has received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award, a national honor recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

In the awards announced Wednesday for 2016, the East County college district was one of nine community college districts nationally and the only one in California to be selected. The district will be featured with 82 other colleges and universities across the country in the November 2016 issue of Insight into Diversity magazine, the oldest diversity-focused publication in higher education.