President Schilling’s Board Report for April 25, 2023
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
Presented by Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, Ph.D.
on April 25, 2023
Congratulations to our 20 newly tenured faculty! It is an honor to celebrate this milestone with the following faculty members: Donivan Howard, Art; Jennifer McMillin, Theater; Tony Maher, Photography; Jeannie Mitsch, Counseling; Cassie Rodriguez, Counseling; Taylor Anderson-McGill, Biology; Sarah DeMartino, Mathematics; Joseph Trevino, Mathematics; Jaclyn Magginetti, Anthropology; Myev Rees, Philosophy/Religious Studies; Karen LeCornet, French; Mihoko Terada Luther, Japanese; Ashton Politanoff, English; Sergio Cutrona, Kinesiology; Mark Canner, Kinesiology; Anthony Brown, Psychiatric Technology; Jeanette Jones, Culinary Arts; Jacqueline Aguet, Aviation; Thomas Sutfin, Aviation; Enrique Aispuro, Automotive Technology.
We are thrilled to announce our 2023 Presidential Scholars of Distinction. We are celebrating our fifth year of acknowledging the scholars who have exhibited leadership, overcome adversity, and best represent their academic pathway. Each scholar is nominated by their respective division faculty, awarded a generous scholarship at the President’s pre-commencement reception, and will lead their pathway at commencement. They are: Jesse Chang, Business/CIS; Sabrina Tosti, CTE; Azusena Zamarippam, We Journey Together; Preston Harris, Fine Arts; Stephanie Wood, Health Science; Anthony Delgado, Kinesiology; Olivia Tetrault, Language Arts; Mia Nguyen, SEM; and Selwyn Gibson, Social Sciences. Congratulations to all these outstanding scholars!
The Chargers Baseball team currently stands in a three-way tie for second in the Orange Empire Conference with a 20-7 record. After throwing out the first pitch in the win against Saddleback on April 11, Dr. Schilling also threw out the first pitch for the Women’s softball game against Fullerton on April 19 in their 3-1 win against the Hornets. Women’s softball also sits atop the OEC standings with a 24-3 record and ranks #3 in the state rankings. Things are looking bright as we go into the playoffs. Go Chargers!
Dr. Schilling and Dr. Olivo participated in a panel discussion, Talent Pipeline: Shifts and Needs for Community College Employment at the Learning Exchange Forum on April 22, sponsored by the CSUF Community College Specialization doctoral program. Also participating were Santiago Canyon’s President, Dr. Jeannie Kim, and Riverside College’s Dr. Inez Moore. It was an honor to discuss how to best develop and support the talent pipeline for future leaders in community colleges.
Save the Date for our Cypress College Foundation Scholarship Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 12 at 3:30 p.m. Last year the Foundation gave over $400,000 in scholarships, and we hope to provide at least this amount again. This year we had another record number of applicants. Please join us as we celebrate our students!
On April 26, the Health Center will host our annual Denim Day Resource Fair in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Denim Day allows us to educate our campus about sexual assault, and our Health Center will focus on the many resources we make available to our students. Community partners such as the Clothesline Project, Radiant Futures, AltaMed, and others will be in attendance. The resource fair will be in the Gateway Plaza from 11:30-1:30 p.m. and will focus on topics such as affirmative consent, communication in relationships, safe sex practices and mental health.
We are thrilled to announce that after months of working with Mazda Corporation, we will be bringing a new program, MAST, to our Automotive Technology program, much like our partnership with the Toyota T-TEN program. Beginning in fall 2023, we will be offering degrees and certificates in collaboration with Mazda, who will be providing vehicles for training, professional development for our faculty, and tool and technology support and internships for students. In addition, Mazda will be offering up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursement and $1000 dealership signing bonuses. Thank you to faculty members Marty Orozco, Enrique Aispuro, and Michael Klyde for helping us create this important partnership with Mazda.
On April 18, the Cypress College English Department hosted Visiting Writer Babak Lakghomi. Babak is the author of South (forthcoming 2023) and Floating Notes (2018) and shared his unique experience of writing and publishing while also working as a full-time engineer. The Q&A was followed by an optional workshop, in which Babak guided students and participants through activities aimed to encourage playfulness in the act of writing, giving everyone the courage to simply write. Thank you to Ashton Politanoff and Kendyl Covey for bringing this opportunity to our campus and students!
On April 25, Cypress College is hosting the 5th annual Superintendent’s Cup. This competition features the culmination of the efforts of 315 students in seven high schools, three middle schools, and eight elementary schools who compete throughout the year in the Cyber Patriot Program. These young people practice coding, work in teams, and learn the math and science skills to succeed in a series of cybersecurity challenges. The winning district has their name engraved on the Cup to mark their success. This is a great evening bringing together our community, educational partners, and making learning fun. Thank you to Henry Hua, our Dual Enrollment team, and our mentors and coaches who work with these teams throughout the year!
Yom HaShoah will be held on April 26 @ 7 p.m. in our Campus Theater; tickets are sold out. This year’s featured speaker will be Joe Alexander, a 100-year-old survivor of 12 concentration camps. To make a donation to our Holocaust Education Fund, please visit our Yom HaShoah web page.
There’s still time to catch a performance of Mr. Burns: A Post- Electric Play in our Studio Theater playing April 21, 22, 28, 29 at 7 p.m. and April 23, 30 at 4 p.m. Also coming up on May 12, 13 at 7 p.m. and May 14 at 4 p.m. is our Spring Dance Concert. Please join us!
Schools First will be honoring our Classified Staff at Angels Stadium on May 5. Classified of the Year honorees Ayman Gadalla and Tori Felipe and their respective guests will be invited onto the field for a special tribute honoring the work of classified staff across Orange County. Classified employees Mark Jaunzemis, Summer Justice, Dawn Sontag, Rebeca Laveaga, Taylor Thomas, and Yvonne Olive will also be provided with two tickets each to attend the game. Congratulations to all our classified employees, and thank you for all you do!
On April 21, Cypress College was pleased to host the first District A2MEND Student Charter and UMOJA event for Cypress, Fullerton College, and NOCE students. Held in the Legacy Center, the event was well-attended by students, faculty, and managers, who enjoyed lunch and presentations on Financial Literacy, presented by Dr. Tammi Brooks; and Resiliency: Facing Adversity and Building Resiliency with Students of Color, presented by Christopher Brown, Cypress College’s Racial Trauma Therapist. Thank you to Virgil Adams, David Booze, and Troy Davis for organizing this event to kickoff Black Student Success Week, which occurs April 21-24.
Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!