Winter 2013
magazine
olar SFarm
Harnessing the Sun to Cut Energy Costs at West Hills College
Living the Good Life in Small Town America Once You Go Here, You Can Go Anywhere ‌ And They Did
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Allow Me to Introduce Our Magazine
magazine
Copyright 2013 by West Hills Community College District. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited. WEST HILLS MAGAZINE, Winter 2013, Number 1, is published Winter, Spring and Summer/Fall by the Office of Marketing and Public Information, WHCCD. Contact us by mail at the address below, or, by phone or email at: West Hills CCD Marketing Office 9900 Cody St. Coalinga, CA 93210 (559) 934-2132 tomwixon@whccd.edu
ADVISORY BOARD
Frank Gornick Chancellor, WHCCD Carole Goldsmith President, WHCC Don Warkentin President, WHCL
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mark McKean, President, Area 5 Nina Oxborrow, Area 1 Steve Cantu, Area 6 Edna Ivans, Area 3 Jeff Levinson, Area 7 Jack Minnite, Area 2 One seat is vacant
EDITOR
Tom Wixon Director of Marketing
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Amy Seed
WEBMASTER Carlos Posadas
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dennis Gallegos, Kelly Peterson Amy Seed, Tom Wixon
GRAPHIC DESIGN Merili Loucks
WestHillsCollege.com
I’m pleased to introduce to you our new magazine, designed to inform and educate readers in our district about how we are doing with respect to our responsibilities, both fiscal and educational. (There will be a print version as well as an online version.) This first issue of the magazine will answer questions you may have about West Hills Community College District, which covers some 3,500 square miles in Fresno and Kings counties and is home to West Hills College Coalinga, West Hills College Lemoore and the North District Center. The two separate community colleges and the educational center are governed from our district office in Coalinga. Each year, we educate more than 6,000 students. As you look through the table of contents on the opposite page, you’ll get an idea of the many ways in which we impact our community. In Coalinga, Lemoore, Firebaugh, and many other small towns in the region including Huron and Avenal, we help put the community in community college. There’s a new solar field ready to come online. It will pay for itself in a short time, and continue to save the district money long after that. This field will help expand our Farm of the Future operation, which you’ll be able to read about when you turn the page. Be sure to see the stories about a pair of our students, Katelyn Vargas and Matthew Warren. They’re just two of the many success stories on our campuses, where we grow and nurture future farmers and research scientists and change countless other lives. If you wish to be part of our growth and expansion, you can help by contacting our college foundation. There are endowment funds to fund or expand programs at our Farm of the Future as well as for the popular President’s Scholars program, which gives local high school seniors a path to a bachelor’s degree by starting here at West Hills. It’s a tax-deductible opportunity to help the new generation of students who are coming to our campuses. In these pages you’ll learn that we are proactive at being good stewards of our public and private funds, relentlessly focused on innovative ways to help students stay in school and reach their goals, and constantly striving to serve and improve the communities we touch.
Very truly yours,
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Frank Gornick, Chancellor West Hills Community College District
table of
contents
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The Hundred Million Dollar Woman Cathy Barabe shares how she brought in over $100 million in 13 years as director of grants at WHCCD
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West Hills’ Innovative Approach Noted WHCCD receives high praise after a visit from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
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Coalinga Student Earns Prestigious International Ag Internship Katelyn Vargas lands an “e-Internship” with the U.S. State Department and the Madrid Virtual Intern Program for agricultural research
Came First, the 16 Which Chicken or the Avian Flu? WHCL alumnus Matthew Warren won an award for his research presentation on how effective chickens are at fending off avian diseases
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Living the Good Life After coaching jobs in several locations, WHCC basketball coach Mark Arce discovered the charm of small-town life in Coalinga
WHCCD Has Strong Fiscal Position, and It’s No Accident Through proactive steps and the cooperation of faculty and staff, WHCCD manages to stay fiscally stable while some other community colleges struggle
olar SFarm
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Cover Story
Harnessing the Sun to Cut Energy Costs, Expand Crops The new solar farm is scheduled to go online in February, bringing more innovation and opportunity to the Farm of the Future Cover Photo: Tom Wixon
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Golden Eagle Arena Becoming Go-to Site for Community Events From its completion in 2011, the Arena has earned quite the reputation as a center for big community events
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Education Plans Popular, Lead to Improved Retention and Success West Hills College makes ed plans a priority, which students say is increasing their focus and academic success
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President’s Scholars Program Opens the Door for Local High School Seniors The President’s Scholars Program makes college a reality at little to no cost for local high school students who meet academic standards.
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Solar Farm
Will Lead to New Prog Expanded Crop Produ
C
onstruction is all but completed on a $2.5 million solar power project in a 4.5 acre section of the 213 acre Farm of the Future at West Hills College Coalinga. The “net zero” project is designed to pay for all the power needs for the farm operation, including classroom buildings and shops – as well as the recently completed rodeo complex.
The project will lower the cost of pumping water for crops at the Farm, and lead to further expansion there. The power should go on in January, according to Chris Addington, AP Architects, who said final touches are nearly finished at the facility. The January date is an estimate from PG&E, which has to perform some critical power line work before the systems can be energized. A study shows the college can expect to save more than $4.8
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million in electrical energy costs over the next two decades, once the initial cost is paid for in energy savings. The implementation of solar energy production at this location will allow West Hills College to further expand its agriculture education programs at the Farm. The project is partly funded by Measure C, a bond issue approved by local voters. The college will take out a loan for the balance, or $1.8 million. The energy savings add up to more
Visionary Project Becomes Reality
grams, uction
The Farm of the Future is a visionary project launched a decade ago after the Allen family of Coalinga donated the acreage for use as an educational facility. With new infrastructure in place, much of it underground, a shop and classroom building and a rodeo complex with several outbuildings, West Hills College Coalinga is focusing on expanding the Farm. Several recent developments promise to push the project into what WHCC President Carole Goldsmith calls a new “foundational� stage. The immediate goals include bringing in new courses and programs and putting resources behind the farm to achieve additional college goals for the Farm. For the fall semester, WHCC has hired three new faculty members and appointed an interim director of the Farm. The new faculty members have strong backgrounds in agriculture and a wide range of expertise. Tim Ellsworth, Ph.D., teaches agriculture technology, geology and environmental science. His expertise is in soil science with a focus on precision agriculture and nutrient management. He has 23 years as a professor and an international reputation. Sherri Freeman is from a Fresno cattle family and has been teaching for 17 years. She developed a new agriculture program at a San Diego County high school and received her advanced degree at Cal Poly Pomona. She is currently working on her doctorate. Norman Oilar has been teaching agriculture mechanics, animal science, ag business and natural resources
than the monthly payments, including 2.8 percent in interest, according to the cost analysis performed by AP. The project is expected to pay for itself in the seventh year. Addington estimates that well pumps currently operate at less than 50 percent capacity, due to high energy costs and peak demand rates. With on-site solar power generation, the pumps can operate at maximum capacity which will increase crop production. AP also factored in the cost of increased energy needs for the newly completed Farm of the Future buildings and rodeo grounds, as well as future facilities at the site. The Farm of the Future generates income from the sale of crops, including corn, wheat, almonds and pistachios.
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since 1996. He worked for 25 years in the construction business and has taught welding at both the high school and community college level. He has a master’s degree in Agriculture Education from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The three new faculty members join an experienced, dedicated and highly educated team. Merlin Welch, who runs the heavy equipment program at WHCC; Bruce Hunt, the head rodeo coach whose teams have won 10 regional championships and placed often in national competition; and Chris Chaney, who is the welding instructor at Farm of the Future. Clint Cowden continues to run Precision Agriculture, an academy-style program, which he helped create in 2003. David Castillo became interim director of the WHCC Farm of the Future in summer 2013. Since 2007, he has served WHCCD as director of the Westside Institute of Technology and several other programs.
Money for scholarships and industry support through internships are the Foundation’s twin goals.
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Foundation Seeking More Partnerships to Help Grow the Farm
WHCCD Chancellor Frank Gornick and Foundation Executive Director Frances Squire are leading a $4 million endowment for the Farm, to guarantee continued growth and expansion of the program. Additional money for scholarships and industry support in providing internships are the twin goals. “Our desire is to create a facility here that can serve as a showcase for agriculture education in the Central Valley of California,” said Gornick. Harris Ranch, an outfit that put Coalinga on the map, has been supportive in the planning of operations at the Farm of the Future, helping WHCC make it what it is today. Partnerships are the key that will unlock that door, according to Squire. “An endowment will allow us to expand and offer specialized classes, despite what happens year to year with the state budget,” she said. This past year, the Farm partnered with two agricultural giants in the region. Topcon Precision Agriculture, a subsidiary of Topcon Positioning Systems, an international $1 billion company, has provided WHCC with “the use of
Above: Students at WHCC’s Farm of the Future gather in front of one of several computerized learning devices that are provided by various industry partners. Jose Machado, a rodeo student studying to become a licensed pest control adviser, is seated. Standing are Ashlynn ‘Stormy’ Baxley, Precision Ag and rodeo student, Jason Stevens, welding student, and Clint Cowden, instructor.
a state-of the-art simulation machine that allows students to get experience operating heavy equipment without burning diesel,” said Goldsmith, the college president. The student sits in a unit with a large screen and hand controls; when it’s turned on, the screen lights up and displays, say, a pile of dirt which the student then has to pick up and move and deposit in another location, all on screen. The screen records mistakes and even calculates the dollar amount of the damage caused if the student gets it wrong. Paramount Farms, a division of Roll Global, one of the largest agriculture outfits in California with over 125,000 acres of nut trees in production, yielding 450,000 pounds of nuts annually, recently chose WHCC for a summer agriculture academy. This summer, 50 eighth grade students from nearby Kettleman City and Avenal, home to many of Paramount’s farm workers, lived in dorms on the WHCC campus for two weeks and – in between working out at the gym and At left, the newly completed rodeo facilities, one of the finest among western colleges.
swimming in the municipal pool – learned valuable handson lessons about agriculture careers. “We opened up the opportunity for them to see that ag careers were much more diverse than the farm worker jobs many of them were familiar with, and that they could make a good living in agriculture if they stayed in school,” said Stephanie Droker, vice president, educational services at WHCC.
School children of Paramount’s farm workers lived on campus and learned that education leads to good careers in agriculture.
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COLLEGE TEAM BRINGS IN
$100
MILLION
IN GRANTS FOR STUDENTS, CAMPUSES AND COMMUNITIES
Cathy Barabe got her start as a grant writer by writing one for an automotive training program at Fresno City College, a condition of the part-time employment she was seeking. “In effect,” she said, “they told me, write the grant and if we get it, we’ll hire you to coordinate it.” She got it, they hired her, and now, 28 years later, she has retired from West Hills Community College District where she served as director of grants for 13 years and holds what must be a world record. In this small 6,000-student college district 70 miles south of Fresno, she has written grants that brought in more than $100 million. “I’m sure it’s at least that much,” she estimates as she swivels in her chair, refers to an Excel file on her screen and traces her finger along the column to the bottom of the page. The total is $106 million and change, an average of more than $8 million dollars a year since 1999. How’d she do it? Not all by herself, she says. “I had a really good team.” That would be Maria Cavazos, her assistant who worked beside her from day one, and more recently Anita Wright, former director of special grants since 2010, and Joy Cowden, coordinator of special grants, who joined the team in 2006. Together with college leadership that green-lighted the process, they’ve created a grant culture at West Hills and been a formidable force. Obviously, these people shared a tremendous work ethic. “When I came, we had few grants,” Barabe said. “We got busy and wrote and took them to the Fresno County Department of Human Resources. They had 14 grants available and we came in with all of them. They said they’d never seen that before. We got two and that started things rolling.” Chancellor Frank Gornick, who started at WHCCD in 1994 as president and superintendent of what was then a one-college district, hired Barabe as a full-time grant writer. To say he’s been impressed with her performance is an understatement. “This is a record that is probably unmatched in the history of community colleges,” Gornick said. “In bringing in those hundreds of millions of dollars, Barabe provided educational opportunities for both the students and the communities served by our district’s two colleges (in Coalinga and Lemoore,
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two farming communities located on either side of Interstate 5) in what’s often referred to as the middle of nowhere. They write fewer grants these days, averaging one a week, sometimes two or three, because the grant world has changed. “Grants have gotten larger, but there are fewer of them,” Barabe said. She points to the big one: $19.9 million from the Department of Labor for job training in the Central Valley, a grant written by the entire team on behalf of a consortium of 13 Central Valley colleges. Similar grants were awarded in other parts of the country but only one in California and West Hills is the lead college on that TAACCCT grant. The far-reaching grant funds colleges in their effort to streamline the job-training programs throughout this region – which consists largely of farm workers who face high seasonal unemployment rates and whose annual income is way below the national average. It’s a fertile agricultural area dotted with large corporate farms and oil companies. There are jobs here that go begging, not because everyone is already working. “It’s because employers can’t find people who are trained for the jobs that are available,” said Gornick. “This grant is designed to change that.” Carole Goldsmith, recently named president of West Hills College Coalinga, ran the workforce development office at WHCCD and worked with Barabe for years. She was the lead writer on the C6 Grant – the informal moniker given to the Department of Labor job training program created by the $19.9 million grant. Barabe is so successful at winning grants because “she thinks regionally and on a statewide basis,” Goldsmith said. “Her work focuses on the students because she thinks about the families involved. She is leaving a legacy to these communities and to the state. You don’t always get that with grants officers. She was raising funds before it came to be in vogue.”
‘We’re America’s bread basket … and yet we have communities and people who have a hunger not just for food but also for education.’ Carole Goldsmith, WHCC President
The Board of Trustees of WHCCD created a new student award named in honor of the former grant director, Cathy Barabe, who will be forever known as the Hundred Million Dollar Woman. The Cathy Barabe Student Engagement Award will be presented annually to a student who “exemplifies the spirit and dedication” demonstrated by Barabe “in assisting the communities we serve,” reads a resolution presented to Barabe by Chancellor Frank Gornick (above).
Interim Director of Grants Anita Wright (top) and Maria Cavazos, who worked with former grants director Cathy Barabe from day one along with Joy Cowden (not pictured) comprise the team that created a grants culture and brought in more than $100 million. Grants helped fund regional child development centers. A $19.9 million DOL grant led to training programs such as the psychiatric technician program.
Goldsmith said a sense of what the community needs is part of why Barabe and her team have raised so much money. “We’re America’s bread basket, the world’s, and yet we have communities and people who have a hunger not just for food but also for education. And their needs were not being met. When I was at Fresno Unified (School District) she was working on a grant for K-12s as well as other community colleges, not just her own, and that was something that hadn’t been done before. It’s one thing that made me want to go to work at West Hills. I owe my professional career, my life really, to Cathy Barabe. One third of the people who work in the college district are here because of a grant she wrote, including me. She’s transformed people’s lives. She’s an angel of God. I love her to death.” A similar grant was awarded to West Hills to create a psychiatric technician training course. The need exists because California built a brand new State Hospital near Coalinga in the last decade. “The grant to build our psych tech program means that hundreds of people are now employed as a result, and the economic impact on our community has been huge,” said Barabe. She is most proud of a series of grants that built child development centers in several rural communities in the valley. “We expanded a small facility in Coalinga and created an 11,000-squarefoot child care center,” she said. “It used to serve 75 kids, now it’s 200.” Similar child development centers, all bearing the name of West Hills College, dot the regional landscape in communities such as Huron, Mendota, Firebaugh, San Joaquin and Avenal – where there are three facilities, two of them at elementary schools. “These centers are extremely important because they free up parents to attend classes which lead to better jobs and more job security,” Gornick said. “And it puts our name in every community we
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serve, which in time boosts our enrollments. We now have graduates who became teachers and now are teaching at the very child development center they attended when they were children.” This kind of outreach to neighboring communities has meant sometimes the college wrote grants that benefited the cities themselves. One example is a HUD grant that built a workforce training center for at-risk kids in tiny Huron, population 6,800. Barabe also found another grant that beautified downtown Huron, an example of the team’s holistic approach. “I grew up near there, at Five Points,” said Cavazos, who used to travel to Huron as a kid and thought it looked a bit run down. “We got a grant for a main street beautification project for Huron, and now it’s so beautiful. If a community looks attractive, people want to live there. It now includes a hands-on learning facility which provides workforce training for at-risk kids. If you can change one child, that’s one that’s not lost.” Barabe chimed in: “Another benefit is that now Huron is willing and eager to collaborate with the college. It has changed the tone of the region, ended the isolation, and brought about a spirit of cooperating where the cities see themselves as a valley, a region.” Is all this the kind of thing a college is supposed to do? “Yes,” said Gornick. “That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do.” Barabe retired several months ago but has stayed under a contract to work some limited hours part time. Wright, now interim director of grants, said Barabe “understood and believed that with grant funded programs, the district could be a catalyst for change in our communities. She worked diligently to locate funding to bring innovative academic and career technical education programs to our campuses. She also searched for funding to improve and beautify our rural communities. She had a profoundly positive impact on our campuses and our service area.” Under Wright’s guidance, the “grants culture” continues. Recently the college was awarded a $3.2 million Title V Grant for Technology that will help upgrade equipment to better serve students and will also fund a handful of new jobs. “And we continue to be very busy,” she said. “In recent months we’ve applied for more than $40 million in grants and we’re waiting to hear how some of those turn out.”
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Because of grants awarded to the district, WHC has opened child development centers in nearby cities including Huron, Firebaugh, Mendota, Avenal and San Joaquin. The district was also able to expand its child development center in Coalinga which used to serve 75 children; it now provides care and learning to 200.
More than 690 students have been trained in the WHCC psychiatric technician program and placed in rewarding jobs at facilities such as Coalinga State Hospital which opened in 2005. The training course was made possible because of a proactive effort by the WHCCD grants team, which applied for and was awarded a grant to launch the job training program.
WHCCD
Praised for High Standards
West Hills received high praise from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges after they visited the district in September. Their leadership was at Lemoore to attend the meeting there of the CCC system’s Board of Governors. In the highlighted section of the letter (above), they lauded WHCCD for setting the bar high for rural community colleges in California.
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GOLDEN EAGLE A
R
E
N
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DRAWS CROWDS FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS After the Golden Eagle Arena at West Hills College Lemoore was completed in 2011, the grand opening drew major media attention – not only because of the new landmark campus building built with $20 million in bond issue funds, but also because of its first guest speaker, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. At the time, Palin had yet to announce whether she would run in the 2012 presidential election after being the vice presidential running mate to Sen. John McCain in 2008. But the media buzz generated by her speaking engagement was what the college hoped for in turning the arena into a central hub for community events. “This event probably single handedly put West Hills Lemoore on the map,” said Don Warkentin, president of WHCL. “It set the stage for the arena to become a venue for cultural and civic events, and to say the least, provided free advertising for the college.” The arena contains 52,000 square feet and can seat up to 2,400 people. The facility includes equipment and laundry rooms, three conference rooms, four locker rooms, two team rooms and a fitness center with an aerobics room. It also holds coaches’ offices and a training room. It is home to Golden Eagles basketball games and campus dances. But student activities aside, the arena is also host to major community events like the recent Jose Ramirez professional boxing match, billed as a homecoming of sorts for the Avenal-based fighter who is a former Olympian and now a pro boxer with a 7-0 record.
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The boxing match was labeled the “Fight for Water,” a nod to one of its co-sponsors, the Latino Water Coalition. Ramirez is a member of the coalition, and they used the event as a forum in part to draw attention to water allocation needs in the Central Valley. “The Golden Eagle Arena is truly becoming a community venue as demonstrated by the variety of national speakers who have graced our arena,” said Warkentin. Other public figures, such as former first lady Laura Bush and educator, activist and author Dr. Cornel West were invited to speak at the arena. In September 2013, Honor Flight screened its new documentary in the arena, which also included a live introduction by guest speaker Congressman David Valadao. Entertainers Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis played concerts there as well as Little Joe y La Familia and Lady Tremaine Hawkins. WHCL held its 10th anniversary dinner in the arena and it was also
‘The stage has been set for the arena to become a venue for cultural and civic events.’ Don Warkentin, WHCL President
In 2013 the Arena hosted the California Community College Athletic Association wrestling championships, which attracted college teams from throughout California. The Arena was originally envisioned as a facility for sporting events but since its completion in 2011, a variety of other special events have also been held there, including noted public speakers, concerts, and local and regional fund raising dinners.
the venue for WHC Coalinga’s 80th anniversary dinner. In December 2012, WHCL hosted the California Community College Wrestling Championships at which WHCL placed third. The women’s basketball team also won their first-ever home game in the arena against Alan Hancock College last year. Those events were only the beginning. The Lemoore Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual dinner there in January, and the arena has been booked by the National Rifle Association for
its annual fundraising dinner in March; the NRA used the facility for last year’s dinner and loved the facility and its location. “All of the feedback that we have received concerning the arena has been very positive,” said Warkentin. “People are just amazed that such a quality facility is right here in Lemoore and in the West Hills Community College District. It has a state-ofthe-art sound system, and there is not a bad seat in the house.”
The Golden Eagle Arena has welcomed a diverse group of guests for public events, such as professional boxer Jose Ramirez, philosopher and author Cornel West, and former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
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Coalinga Student Earns Prestigious
International Ag Internship
Katelyn Vargas hopes to gain a broader understanding of international agriculture “while sharing with the rest of the world my love for the 300 agricultural commodities grown and raised in my backyard,” she says. That’s what she’ll be doing as an International Ag Intern for the U.S. State Department.
S
he grew up in rural Turlock, Calif., and while her parents weren’t farmers, Katelyn Vargas joined Future Farmers of America (FFA) in high school and was soon showing livestock at the county fair. Now, several years later, she’s just been accepted to a prestigious internship program with the U.S. State Department where she’ll do agricultural research and report to a Foreign Service officer based in Madrid, Spain. Vargas, 20, is in her third year at West Hills College Coalinga, studying agriculture science and technology and earning credits for transfer next fall. She’ll receive an AS degree when she
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graduates in May. She plans to apply to a number of four-year schools, including UC Davis, Iowa State, and Cornell University, and major in international agriculture. The internship fits perfectly into her plans. “It gives me experience with the State Department, and if I major in international agriculture, there’s a possibility I might work for them some day,” she said. The unique program is called the Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) and in the age of computers, email and smart phones it is also an “e-Internship,” which means she won’t go to
Madrid but will remain in the Central Valley and report to the U.S. Embassy there. “Interns will conduct some preliminary research to identify some of the myths and misperceptions that U.S. agriculture faces in the EU and other markets,” she was told in an acceptance letter from the Madrid Virtual Intern Program. “I hope to gain a broader understanding of international agriculture while sharing with the rest of the world my love for the 300 agricultural commodities grown and raised in my backyard,” Vargas said. She’ll do that by doing local research and providing Madrid with written information, videos and blogs. “I’ll be going on a lot of regional field trips,” she said. The unpaid, one-year internship is a coveted position. From hundreds of applications, only three were chosen: the other two are also women, fourth year students at UC Davis and Princeton, respectively. Vargas is the youngest and also the only one chosen from a community college. Clint Cowden, agriculture and industrial science instructor at WHCC’s Farm of the Future, has nothing but praise for her. “Katie has been an exemplary student and a real leader among her peers,” he said. “She’s someone you can always count on to be there, to help with recruiting and events. Being accepted for this internship is a significant honor and she has really earned it. She epitomizes our college slogan, that if you go here, you can go anywhere.” Vargas has been president of the WHCC Agriculture Ambassadors, which recruits students to the Ag Science program at the college’s Farm of the Future and promotes higher education. She’s also been active in organizing and participating in ag-related events, such as the FFA convention this year and as a Topcon Precision Agriculture intern and a representative at the World Ag Expo event held in Tulare. She also served as a Resident Assistant at the campus dorm that houses foreign students, where she had the opportunity to work with and advise students from Brazil, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and Russia. When Vargas got the news that she’d been accepted into the program, she said, “I’m excited about getting my foot in the door. I really wanted this internship. It will make me more familiar with the work I want to do and it gives me something to push toward. I’m hoping it will also help me get into the college I want.” Wixon is editor of West Hills Magazine and Director of Marketing/Consultant at WHCCD.
Story by Tom Wixon Photos by Dennis Gallegos
‘I’m excited about getting my foot in the door.’ Winter 2013
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Which Came First, the or the
Chicken Avian Flu?
Former WHC Lemoore Student Makes It His Life’s Work to Find Out Matthew F. Warren has a passion you might not be familiar with: He’s into birds and immunology. You’ve heard of the bird flu? Warren, who graduated from West Hills College Lemoore and is now in his second year at UC Davis, is studying to be an avian immunologist. Studying birds (including chickens) and the ability of their immune systems to fend off disease is what he does.
He’s good at it. Earlier this year he won a national award for
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He’s good at it. Earlier this year he won a national award for a presentation he made to MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences). He won first place and $300, received a lot of recognition, and was asked by the Dean of Agriculture at UCD to present his winning research at Davis’ undergraduate research conference. He was the subject of a photo shoot and was featured on UCD’s website. Warren was in Sacramento to present his research after one of his professors urged him to enter the national contest. His presentation was “The Analysis of Bacterial Killing Assay Using Chicken Plasma Samples.” Warren explains: “I was collecting blood from chickens and separating the plasma, and analyzing how efficient it was at killing bacteria. The point was, how effective were specific chickens at killing the bacteria and defending against it, based on their different levels of antibodies in their immune system?” In 2011, Warren was a student at WHCL. Now he’s finishing up his bachelor’s degree requirements at a university recognized as one of the best for agricultural studies. He plans to graduate in June 2014 with a degree in animal sciences with an emphasis in avian sciences. His goal is to go on to grad school for a master’s in immunology and pursue research. Warren’s parents, Charlie and Celia Warren, live in Lemoore. Matthew had a military upbringing (his father is a retired Petty Officer First Class, U.S. Navy), and it shows in conversation. When interviewed, Matthew’s replies are sprinkled with yes-sirs and he is prone to agree with you by saying, “Roger that.” Warren says his parents have always encouraged him to succeed academically. “My father grew up in a family that valued hard work and dedication, and he instilled that in me. He told me he’d Matthew Warren is on a path to become an avian immunologist, and it all started at West Hills College Lemoore. He graduated from WHCL in 2011 and transferred to the University of California, Davis where he’s pursuing an Animal Science degree.
Photo Credit: Gregory Urquiaga, UC Davis
support me in any way he could for my college education, as long as I was willing to see it through to the end. My mother wanted all of us to be successful and made sure that my siblings and I all went to college. She encouraged us not to give up.” He’s certainly disciplined, according to his instructors and administrators at WHCL. “Matthew has definitely established a very impressive list of accomplishments in a short period of time since leaving West Hills College Lemoore,” said Dave Bolt, vice president, academic services. “Matthew has many more ambitious educational and career plans for himself. If they all work out we will be reading more about his successes in a few short years.” Warren was on campus recently between classes at Davis and visited Brian Abela, his chemistry instructor and a close friend and mentor, as well as Kurt Sterling, his microbiology instructor, and Vera Kennedy, his honor society advisor. They were great mentors at Lemoore and he’s quick to credit them for the path he’s on. Ironically, the winning presentation he made in April was based not just on research but oral presentation skills, which Warren says he did not always possess. He said Kennedy is responsible for pointing that out to him when he went to college in Lemoore. “She gave me advice about having more of a social life in order to be successful in my career. She said my old habits of being a bookworm and not being very social were going to be taxing to my personal growth at this level, so I’d better try to change them.” A link to an online article about Warren is on the UC Davis web page: www.ucdavis.edu/one/stories/students/warren.html.
His parents encouraged him to succeed academically and to never give up.
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LIVING and LOVING Life in a Small Town By Tyler A. Takeda
After a series of coaching jobs, Mark Arce came here 12 years ago as the men’s basketball coach and became immersed in the community. His wife, Sharon, works at Coalinga High School and their oldest son, Brett, is an assistant for the WHCC team.
For years he moved from town to town for a series of coaching jobs but the West Hills College men’s basketball coach Mark Arce has found a home in Coalinga. This season he’s entering his 12th year as the coach of the West Hills College Coalinga Falcons and has no intention of finding another coaching position. “I think I’m settled,” he said. “I don’t see any moves in the future for me. I think this is where I’m going to finish up. With coaching, you never know, though. I’m not actively looking. I’ve had some opportunities, but I like it here so much.”
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Since coming to Coalinga 12 years ago, Arce has immersed himself into the Coalinga culture. With his wife teaching at the high school and all three of his children attending Coalinga schools, he feels they are true Coalingans. “It seems like we’ve grown up here and, in many ways, we have. Our kids went to school here and this is the longest we’ve been anywhere. I just feel like I’m part of the community.” Mark and Sharon, who celebrated their 33rd anniversary in July, have three children — Brett, 23, Megan, 21 and Troy, 17. Brett graduated from West Hills College and then recently graduated from Stony Brook University and will coach offensive line for the football team and help his father with the basketball team. One of the community events that Arce participates in is the
annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser during basketball season. Every community college in the state participates in the fundraiser and WHCC is one of the top fundraising schools. “That’s a big deal,” Arce said. “The thing is that it’s fun to do these activities. It’s a part of our social life that we look forward to every year. It’s more recreational than anything. We enjoy the people we are around with what we do here. It’s a positive thing.” He also actively fundraises for his program, holding a fundraiser that has a standing-room-only crowd in February. He is also involved with Coalinga High School and helps out at the annual Thanksgiving feast for the WHCC students. “The fundraiser is one of the highlights of the year for the community,” Arce said. “One of the greatest things is when we feed the students for Thanksgiving. That’s one of the most moving events that I’ve ever been involved in. I’m so glad to be able to participate in that.” In addition to his activities, Arce is proud of how his children have grown up to be a positive influence on younger people. “I’m proud of the positive environment Coalinga has been for them,” he said. “I’m looking forward to where Troy will end up in college. I hope he follows his brother and sister and comes here for a couple of years. It was pretty good for them and I would like to have the opportunity to coach him. He’s a pretty darn good point guard.” Arce is also proud of the positive impact his wife has had at Coalinga High and proud of the great friends he has made. He is also one of the founding members of the Save Our Sports foundation, which helped raise funds to keep Coalinga High School athletics going. With all of his activities, Arce still finds the time to do what he is paid to do — teach and coach. On a normal day, Arce is up at 5:30 a.m. and teaches a weight lifting class at 8 a.m. He practices from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then is off to Firebaugh two days to teach two health classes and a physical education class. The other days, he has a health class at WHCC. In the evening he is back at his office making calls, recruiting or watching film. However, he does find time to head to Coalinga High School football and basketball games to watch Troy. With Arce, there is no summer “vacation.” He spends his summers teaching summer school and recruiting. This season, he is also the interim athletic director at WHCC while long-time athletic director Mark Gritton takes time off to coach the football team. “I’m helping to do all the stuff for next year,” Arce said. “We’ve recently hired a new baseball coach and an equipment manager.” On top of that, Arce was out every weekend this summer attending football or basketball camps with Troy. Arce notes that Gritton has been his right-hand man at most of his events, but also said that he couldn’t have done anything without the help of numerous other people. “None of us would do our jobs without Gina Tollison
“I tell people all the time, you don’t know how good it is until you live here or spend a bit of time here. I like that you don’t sit at a stoplight forever. I like that I can be at work in five minutes. I like that it’s safe. I like that the community will do anything to help... (WHCC athletics administrative assistant),” he said. “She keeps all of us organized.” One of the highlights for Arce was the opportunity to coach his son in basketball and that was topped when Brett helped his father last year on the coaching staff. Brett will do the same this year. “It’s really cool and it’s really been fun,” Arce said. “Maybe getting the opportunity to coach Troy next year is pretty exciting. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to play at a higher level, but if he played for me, it would be pretty good.” Arce couldn’t think of a better community to raise his three kids in. “We have been to a lot of places, but this is my favorite spot,” he said. “It’s been unique. I tell people all the time, you don’t know how good it is until you live here or spend a bit of time here. I love the mountains. I like the location. I like that you don’t sit at a stoplight forever. I like that I can be at work in five minutes. I like that it’s safe. I like that the community will do anything to help anybody. I’ve never been anywhere like that where people will come out of the woodwork to help people in need.” Arce uses the quaintness of Coalinga as a major selling point in recruiting players to West Hills. “The players really help spread the word about us and Coalinga,” he said. “We get kids from everywhere. The biggest selling point for here is that it’s small and the community is involved with our program. We have the best game atmosphere in the conference and the best in the state, for sure. The fact that you can walk from one end of the town to the other and it’s safe is another selling point. We’re in the center of the state and we can play all over the state and increase exposure for the players. Most of our sophomores graduate and go to a university. It’s an easy sell.” Tyler Takeda is the sports editor and editor of the Madera Tribune and the Coalinga Recorder. A version of this story originally appeared in a special section of the Coalinga Recorder. Used by permission.
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Dametric Sanders, Isavel Cancino and William Woelk help spread awareness that students need to have an ed plan to qualify for priority registration.
Education Plans Popular With Randy Williams was a student at West Hills College Lemoore for one month before his counselor encouraged him to get a student educational plan back in 2011. He didn’t hesitate to take advantage of an opportunity he knew would set him up for academic success. Williams noticed a substantial difference after working with his counselor to create the plan, which mapped out all the classes he needed to take and when. It left him feeling more confident and less stressed during registration each semester. “It was better for me to create an ed plan instead of just taking classes that I didn’t need and wasting money,” said Williams. “And ever since I’ve had the ed plan, I haven’t had any problems. I’ve been able to stay on track and get on with meeting my goals.” Williams followed the plan exactly and is now preparing to graduate on time and transfer to a four-year university. His story is mirrored by a number of other students who feel better prepared by having an ed plan. Freshman at WHC Coalinga and President’s Scholar Cesar Rodriguez said he had no academic plan before he enrolled in college. Because President’s Scholars are required to have an ed
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plan as part of the program, Rodriguez said it helped him figure out what he needed to do to be successful in college. “Before I came to West Hills, I didn’t exactly know what I was going to do,” he said. “I was kind of just wondering and thinking, I’d get general ed done and then see what I do after that. I know what I’m going to do now, and I don’t have to worry.” Long before the state recently began to insist on them, West Hills Community College District introduced ed plans to students as part of its commitment to student success. When ed plans were first introduced at WHCCD in 2005, 27 percent of students had one and 73 percent went without. Data from 2013 shows a flip in those percentages: Now, 73 percent of students have an ed plan and only 27 percent go without. “Students who know what they need and have a plan are more successful than students without one,” said Erin Corea, outreach counselor at WHCC. “We have been doing this for a long time, so keeping up with the mandate has been fairly easy for us.” Joel Ruble, director of categorical programs at WHCL, said he has seen an increase in student success and retention since the college improved its education planning process.
Total Students Seeking Degrees, Certificates and/or Transfer with and without Educational Plans With Ed Plan
Without Ed Plan
73%
76%
76%
72%
66%
50%
34%
27%
27%
27%
24%
24%
28%
34%
50%
66%
73%
73%
Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011 Fall 2012 Fall 2013
Students and Improve Success “When a student makes informed decisions about their direction in education, they are more likely to commit the resources necessary to achieve those goals,” said Ruble. “I think that the process of planning for one’s education creates a generally better prepared student who will retain and succeed at greater rates. Our data reflects these increases.” Ed plans are now a requirement for students who desire priority registration, which allows them to register at an earlier date than students without ed plans and helps them get into the classes they need sooner. WHCCD found that not only are ed plans essential for student success, but students are eager to take advantage of this tool that helps them stay on track. WHCC student Dominique Hill said students should consider getting one. It made her college journey smoother, and she said it gave her a head start on finishing her associate’s degree quickly. Because she plans to transfer after graduation this May, the ed plan eliminated the guesswork in choosing classes that would transfer to her desired school. “I never thought I would make it to college, and once I made it here, I knew I needed a plan for my future,” she said.
WHC students like Dominique Hill are finding that having an ed plan takes the uncertainty out of the college experience. An ed plan, required for priority registration, maps out all the courses students need in order to graduate as well as which classes are transferrable to their desired university.
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President’s Scholars Progr a m
Opens the Door for Local High School Seniors By Amy Seed
When Georgia Oxford started thinking about college, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to afford it, let alone graduate on time. Her parents’ income was enough to disqualify her for financial aid, and medical bills due to an off-road vehicle accident and a chronic illness made affording college a stretch. Oxford said the accident and resulting emergency room costs put a damper on her plans to attend college. That’s when she found out about the President’s Scholars Program at West Hills College
Coalinga and received a scholarship to cover two years’ tuition. “The scholarship actually let me get my degree,” said Oxford. “Without it I probably wouldn’t have been able to.” Oxford is now preparing to graduate in May with a liberal arts degree with plans to transfer and become an elementary school teacher. She is just one of over 400 students who entered the West Hills Community College District as a President’s Scholar in the last 10 years. More than 90 students enrolled in the program this past July, the largest number ever.
The largest ever contribution was made by Brian and Dixie Welborn, who donated $500,000 after their deaths in 2009.
Ryan Miller is a President’s Scholar and cross country runner at WHCL.
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The scholarship program was founded in 1996 and is overseen by the West Hills Community College Foundation, which raises money to provide these scholarships every year. As a President’s Scholar, students receive a scholarship for two years, $250 per semester for books and priority registration to ensure they get into the required classes. For these students, class waiting lists do not exist, and they will never have to
delay graduation because they couldn’t get into a class they needed. This is a growing problem for UC and CSU students who try to enroll in lower division courses. “Our growth’s just been explosive,” said Frances Squire, director of the WHCCF. “Students are realizing that they can do their first two years as a President’s Scholar, have priority registration, and get those classes.” This year, the Foundation launched a drive to secure $1 million in endowments to support the program. Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU), based in Fresno with branches throughout the region, recently made a $100,000 pledge over five years. The largest ever contribution was made by Brian and Dixie Welborn, who designated a share of their estate to the Foundation in the form of $500,000 after their deaths in 2009. In order to qualify for the program, high school students must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA throughout all four years. They must also have four semesters of California Scholarship Federation eligibility and fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For high school students who meet these qualifications and are considering applying to WHC, there’s good news: at this time no qualifying applicants are turned down. As recognition of this program grows, an increasing number of high school students apply each year. The vast majority of these students come from Hanford High School, Coalinga
President’s Scholars, Fall 2000-Fall 2013 President’s Scholars enroll at West Hills College from three primary areas: Hanford, Coalinga and Lemoore. In recent years, an increasing number of President’s Scholars have come from Hanford area high schools, which now draw the most applicants for the popular program which provides free tuition, money for books, and priority registration for those who qualify.
High School
Students
Hanford High School
119
Coalinga High School
104
Lemoore Union High School
86
Hanford West High School
43
Avenal High School
31
Faith Christian Academy
21
Kings Christian High School
18
Laton High School
13
Mendota High School
10
Corcoran High School
9
Lemoore Middle College
8
Tranquillity Union High School
7
Sierra Pacific High School
6
Firebaugh High School
6
High School and Lemoore Union High School. Each of these schools brought in over 80 students to WHC between 2000 and 2013. So while the program attracts more students to the district, students aren’t the only ones to benefit. Squire, the foundation director, said the program has done several things for the college, including increasing its number of full-time students. “These top students know they can come here, get their first two years for virtually no cost and then they can save money, go on, and a lot of them will qualify for financial aid as well,” said Squire. “If they save that money, then they’re more set for their four-year degree.” Scott Terrell couldn’t agree more. With the money he saved by attending WHC Lemoore as a President’s Scholar, he was able to transfer to CSU Fullerton debt-free last May. “If it were not for the president’s
scholarship, I would have had to attend school completely reliant on loans,” said Terrell. “I was able to finish all of my lower division requirements with no debt, and also work two jobs at the same time to save up for when I transferred.” Along with a two-year scholarship, President’s Scholars are set up for academic success. They are required to attend orientation, take placement tests and put together a student education plan with their counselor. This plan maps out all the courses each student needs to take and is organized by semesters. Statistics show course success and retention rates for President’s Scholars are significantly higher than the general student population. The success rate for President’s Scholars sits between 80-90 percent while the rest of students in the district average between 60-70 percent. Of 370 President’s Scholars to enroll at WHC from 2001-2011, 73 percent, or 270
President’s Scholar Carmen Velazquez is in her second year at WHCC.
students, received a degree or certificate from WHC or transferred to a four-year university. “In a time when mediocrity seems to be the norm in our society, it was so refreshing to have hard work and success recognized in this way,” said Terrell. “I will be eternally grateful for receiving this honor, which allowed me to start my education in a financially smart way.” Amy Seed is the assistant to the director of marketing and public information at West Hills CCD and a former newspaper reporter.
‘… students receive a scholarship for two years, $250 per semester for books and priority registration …’
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WHCCD
Has Strong Fiscal Position,
and It’s No Accident
WITH THE
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From left to right: Tammy Weatherman (associate vice chancellor of business services), Ken Stoppenbrink (deputy chancellor) Debbie Gore (grant accounting supervisor) and Anne Jorgens (budget services supervisor)
T
he economic fallout of what’s called the Great Recession has heavily impacted many of California’s 72 community college districts. Several institutions have suffered financially and are now working their way out of calamity. This is not a new problem; back in 1986, a state study showed that 25 percent of the then roughly 100 colleges were having moderate to serious financial problems. West Hills Community College District, which governs two Central Valley colleges, West Hills College Coalinga and West Hills College Lemoore, and a thriving Center in Firebaugh, is on solid financial footing. “Over the past several years the West Hills Community College District (WHCCD) has engaged in a very conservative path for fiscal stability,” said Ken Stoppenbrink, deputy chancellor. He served as the head of human resources at the district until 2004, when he became vice chancellor, business services, and the district’s chief financial officer. “The positive results of these actions were no accident but rather due to a conscious effort to position our fiscal house to weather financial shortfalls from the state’s budget mismanagement.” The CFO said the cooperation of faculty and staff made it possible for the district to draw the line on spending and maintain healthy reserves over the past five years. “A lot of the credit goes to faculty and staff for the collegial way in which they approached the problem we all shared, namely that we didn’t have the revenues we used to have and something had to give. We could not have achieved what we did without the sacrifices they were willing to make.” “West Hills College is very fortunate to have a cooperative spirit working within the district,” according to Mark McKean, president, board of trustees. “That spirit has resulted in a healthy financial position that has allowed the college to forge ahead with new and innovative ideas while many districts have had to focus on financial survival.” Keith Brock, president of CSEA, the employee’s union, agreed. “During the fiscal crunch, our negotiation team
worked with the district (on furlough) agreements, in order to avoid layoffs. The entire association membership voted to accept furloughs rather than see our members laid off. As employees retired or left for other jobs during this time, many members accepted additional duties and responsibilities to allow those positions to remained unfilled until funding improved.” Ken Sowden led the negotiation team for the faculty association. “We acknowledged that the budgetary challenges were due to circumstances which originated at the state level,” he said. “Our willingness to endure increased class size and accept temporary furlough days played a big part in helping the district regain fiscal health. Certificated, classified and administrative personnel all acted in concert toward this end, which illustrates our ability to put differences aside and work together to support and serve our students.” We asked Stoppenbrink, who oversees a budget of $128.1 million a year, to outline some actions the district took to keep its fiscal boat afloat in hard times. The questions, and his answers (in italics), are below: What steps have you taken to protect the district’s legally required reserve fund? In many cases we did not fill vacant positions or waited several months to fill them, in some cases up to two years. We also implemented furloughs and cut expenses which cut costs and helped increase reserves.
Does WHCCD have a “rainy day fund” for emergencies or to cover budget shortfalls? Yes. The Capital Outlay account was used to set aside additional resources to be used to fund scheduled maintenance projects or to transfer funds back into the general fund when the state began cutting funds to the community college system. The district uses this fund as its rainy day reserve when necessary.
Expenditures by Account Type
WHCCD’s strong financial position is demonstrated in this chart. The total expenditures for faculty and staff salaries combined with employee benefits is 71 percent of the budget. Statewide comparisons show that many college budgets devote considerably more to those same costs, in some cases 90 percent or above.
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What other financial tools have you been able to use to safeguard the budget? Other means of strengthening our fiscal stability included the use of the new market tax credit program (NMTC), which provides tax credit incentives to private companies, typically banks, to invest in local communities and at the same time provides resources to participating agencies. Some projects under consideration for this method of funding include the Student Center in Lemoore and a new instructional center building in Firebaugh.
What’s being done about “unfunded liabilities” that haunt some college districts? Like many of the districts in the state, WHCCD has a post-employment retirement health benefit provided in their collective bargaining agreements. This creates a
IN
liability that must be funded and there must be a plan in place to fund it. Some districts haven’t kept up, but ours has set aside these funds each year and those investments are in an irrevocable trust. Based on the current forecast of budgeted plus investment earnings, this liability should be fully funded by 2017.
How has the college spent its general obligation bonds that were passed by voters? The district has issued GO bonds for the past 14 years. In 1998 there was an issue of $19 million. In 2008 there were three bonds authorized for a total of $55.4 million of which $30.4 million has been expended so far. These dollars provided necessary facilities upgrades and new buildings to continue to support the mission of the district and colleges.
MEMORIAM
West Hills College Trustee Bill Henry Bill Henry, a longtime valley educator and sitting member of the Board of Trustees of West Hills Community College District, died Friday, Nov. 1 at the age of 71. The one-time community college student served for 26 years on the WHCCD board, starting in November 1987. He lived in Lemoore with his wife, Paddy. He went to college at Fresno City College; California State University, Fresno; and Fresno Pacific University. “His positive attitude, perceptive questioning and good sense of humor were always present at the Trustee meetings,” said WHCCD Chancellor Frank Gornick. “He was a member of a cohesive team whose members have served an average of 24 years. He was part of unique group that operated more like a family than a governing body. He will be greatly missed by his fellow trustees and colleagues. More than a board member, he was a friend to all of us at West Hills.” Henry was active in community affairs and his affiliations included the Kiwanis Club of Lemoore and the Tulare Kings All-Star Football Game Committee. He served on the board of the West Hills Community College Foundation. He was previously named Lemoore Citizen of the Year.
Former WHCC Coach and Hall of Fame Inductee Robert Hobbs Bob Hobbs, a former West Hills College Coalinga instructor and coach, died Thursday, Oct. 31 in Merced at the age of 73. Hobbs became an instructor, football coach and head baseball coach at WHCC in 1965. He was named the athletic director three years later and was also inducted into the Hall of Fame twice. Hobbs worked at WHCC until 1971 when he accepted a job at Cuesta College and later a job coaching football at Merced College. He retired in 2002. Hobbs not only loved athletics, but he loved working with youth. He was known as a mentor to many and could rarely walk around town without hearing, “Hey Coach,” with a bear hug to follow. He was active with the Youth Accountability Board and was a member of the Elks for close to 50 years. He became a charter member of Merced Sunrise Rotary Club in 1985 and became club president in 1999. His involvement continued as he served as the district governor of District 5220 for the 2006-2007 term. Bob was a member of Central Presbyterian Church and was a fourth generation resident of Merced County.
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