MOORPARK, CA – Moorpark College President Luis Sanchez has announced the appointment of David Mirisch as the new Executive Director of the Moorpark College Foundation. David Mirisch has helped produce over 2,500 fundraising events for organizations throughout the United States and in seven foreign countries, while in the process raising over $35,000,000. Local organizations for which he has recently worked include Conejo Recreation & Park District, Center4SpecialNeeds, Assisted Home Health & Hospice Foundation, and the Ventura County Animal Services Adoption Center in Camarillo. He is also a member of the Mirisch motion picture family that is well known for producing 72 motion pictures that have garnered 24 Academy Awards in various categories, including three Best Picture Awards. “The Board of Trustees is pleased to have David Mirisch join the Ventura County Community College District and looks forward to working with him as the Moorpark College Foundation continues to support the success of our students,” said District Chancellor Bernard Luskin.

The Rotary Club of Fillmore participated in a Dictionary Project last week. This is a project that has been repeated for about 20 years. Several members visited all five elementary schools, in our district and presented a dictionary to each third grade student and teacher. In total there were 13 classrooms. After presenting the dictionaries the members spent a few minutes pointing out some interesting pages in the book and having the students look them up. They enjoyed the chance to get familiar with their dictionary. The Club also donated a few dictionaries to the Piru School Library, the Boy's & Girls Club and One Step Al A Vez.. 384 dictionaries were handed out this year.

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TRL is our freshmen transition program where seniors and juniors mentor incoming freshmen for the entire year. We have put together a freshmen orientation program that goes beyond one day. At the heart of this program are successful upper classmen who mentors your freshmen, these mentors are called ambassadors. What I found in other freshmen transition programs is that most of their mentors are chosen based on achievements, both academic and athletic, but the freshmen who are mentored are not always that type of student, so it becomes hard for the mentee to connect with the mentor, and follow their actions.

What freshmen desire in a mentor is someone they can connect with, a peer that can lead them and know where they are coming from. To be an ambassador for TRL the student should be a leader that has credible relationships on campus, empowers students to do what’s right, challenges their own attitude, and leads by example. The TRL program gives the advisor and the ambassadors the ownership to customize the program to fit their school needs.

Keith Hawkins will train your ambassadors and advisor’s for a full day before your freshmen orientation. Most of the training focuses on the ambassador / freshmen relationship and the advisor’s roll as a TRL program director. Your advisor and ambassadors will be given the necessary tools to face the challenging, but rewarding school year. Your freshmen will benefit from having a mentor that will listen, lead, challenge, and help them become successful students at your school.

Derek Emery will be the only one who will conduct your training and TRL day. Keith has been training, organizing, speaking at freshmen orientations across the country for the past 20 years, and is considered one of the most knowledgeable orientation consultant in our country and will exclusively be there to help your freshmen program thrive and create a process that can be life changing for your students.

Camarillo, CA - Actress Nicole Brown and U.S. Astronaut Leland Melvin are the keynote speakers at an unprecedented teachers' summit taking place on the CSU Channel Islands (CI) campus July 31.

CI is one of 33 locations across California that will be hosting the "Better Together California Teachers Summit 2015," a one-day opportunity for all PreK through 12 teachers and teacher candidates to network, brainstorm, learn and share classroom practices.

The event is expected to draw about 20,000 teachers and teacher candidates around the state with about 250 gathering at the CI campus. Sixteen of the 33 locations hosting the statewide event are CSU campuses.

"First and foremost it gives teachers a chance to come together and share and have spontaneous conversations about their craft when they're relaxed during the summer," said Dianne Wilson-Graham, Executive Director of the California Physical Education—Health Project. "They'll be listening to other teachers' best practices and inspiring stories."

There are keynote speakers, but largely, the 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. conference is going to follow the fluid "EdCamp" model, an educator-specific conference model developed in 2009 by teachers in Philadelphia, Pa.

Unlike a regular conference set up months in advance, this "un-conference" doesn't have an agenda set up until the start of the event.

Instead of one person standing in front of the room and talking for an hour, educators will be encouraged to develop group discussions. Participants will then gravitate toward the session that most interests them.

Organizers have selected certain people to give "EDtalks," which are funny, poignant or informative stories designed to act catalysts for each spontaneous session.

Redwood Middle School teacher Elizabeth Dixon, who earned her Master's degree in Educational Leadership at CI, has been tapped to tell a story about the joy of teaching. She said it was one of the easiest homework assignments she's ever had.

"Kids are so inspiring, they will try anything," Dixon said of the age group she teaches at the Thousand Oaks middle school. "They are invincible right now, fearless."

Underscoring the talks will be stories about the most effective methods teachers' have used to teach the new California Standards.

"We have all the resources between us to be effective for our students," she said. "To give them enough challenge to unsettle them, but also to give them enough confidence to meet that challenge."

The keynote speakers are both advocates for education.

Nicole Brown, best-known for her role on NBC's "Community," recently joined talk show host Stephen Colbert with an initiative to fund education projects in South Carolina.

Leland Melvin, a football player turned NASA astronaut, exemplifies the galaxy of possibilities for someone with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education.

Melvin has served as co-chair of the White House task force charged with developing the nation's five-year STEM education plan. He also serves on the International Space Education Board, a global collaboration dedicated to learning about space.

The one-of-a-kind free summit is sponsored by the California State University (CSU) system; the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU); and the New Teacher Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the practice of beginning teachers.

The free conference is almost full, but teachers can register for any remaining spots at www.CATeachersSummit.com and follow #CATeachersSummit for up-to-date information.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) recently received approval from the Western Association for Schools and Colleges (WASC) for its first doctoral program, a Doctorate of Education or Ed.D. WASC is one of six regional college and university accrediting associations in the United States.

CI developed the Collaborative Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CODEL) program in partnership with CSU Fresno.

Students wishing to pursue an Ed.D. through the CODEL program, which includes the options of P-12 or higher education leadership, can begin in summer of 2016. The 60-unit program will take three years and include a dissertation.

"This step allows us to keep pace with the needs of our educational community," said CI President Richard R. Rush. "There is significant demand for qualified teachers and administrators in our area. We look forward to the day when we graduate our first cohort of doctoral students."

Associate Professor of Education Kaia Tollefson, Ph.D., one of the co-directors of the new Ed.D. program, is pleased to see a public option for those wishing to pursue doctoral studies in education in Ventura County.

"In order for us to be effective in promoting and building the public good, we have to have publicly-supported education at every level of the system," Tollefson said. "Supporting access to excellent educational opportunities for students at every level is fundamental to the public good."

A high quality, online doctoral program at a public university expands access and opportunity, making a doctorate in P-12 and higher education leadership a more feasible and affordable option for qualified applicants, she said.

The new doctoral program adds to the momentum that CI's School of Education has already achieved at the credential and graduate levels of study in Educational Leadership.

Of the most recent cohort of students who graduated from CI's Masters in Education and Administrative Services Credential program in spring 2015, six of 15 have already been offered jobs in school administration in Ventura County. Three are in the Hueneme School District; one is in the Pleasant Valley School District; one is in Fillmore; and one is in Simi Valley.

Tim Rummel, Ph.D., Program Coordinator for the Master's in Educational Leadership, says he believes the success of the program lies in a mix of faculty expertise and lecturers from the educational community who are working with talented and motivated students.

"Exceptional educators are choosing our program and the program has a strong faculty of practicing school administrators who are providing outstanding preparation for school
Leadership," Rummel said.

Merilyn Buchanan, Ph.D., Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Director of the School of Education for the 2015-2016 academic year, will oversee the program's implementation and the launching of its first cohort in June of 2016.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

Camarillo, CA - The public is invited to help CSU Channel Islands (CI) and the City of Camarillo and the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce welcome Special Olympics athletes, coaches and ambassadors set to arrive on the CI campus Tuesday, July 21 at 2:30 p.m.

Camarillo is one of about 100 host cities in Southern California who are treating the 7,000 Special Olympics athletes and their support teams to a taste of Southern California culture before the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, which begin on Saturday, July 25.

“Host towns are important because they help promote awareness and it gives the athletes a chance to adjust to the time change and the climate after flying across the world,” said Maureen Fedail, Director of Host Towns for Special Olympics World Summer Games Los Angeles 2015. “With the Southern California footprint from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, this gives all the Southern California communities a chance to welcome these athletes and partake in this historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Camarillo is hosting a total of 96 athletes, coaches and ambassadors from New Zealand and Saudi Arabia from July 21 to July 24. The 96 athletes, ambassadors and coaches from both countries will stay at CI’s residence halls.

“We are delighted and honored to host Special Olympics athletes at CSU Channel Islands,” said CI President Richard R. Rush. “We look forward to supporting these efforts and making friends for a lifetime.”

The four days will be packed with tours, cultural exchanges, good food and warm welcomes as Camarillo takes the world stage.

Three of the events are open to the public: the Arrival Celebration, a Thursday exhibition basketball game, and the Friday Departure Celebration.

The New Zealand athletes will arrive around 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. The delegation from Saudi Arabia will arrive later that evening.

The athletes and their delegations will arrive at CI’s Tree House Courtyard on Tuesday afternoon, where the community is invited to welcome the visitors and enjoy cookies and lemonade. Parking is free for the event; follow campus directional signs.

After the welcome celebration from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., the athletes and their delegations will settle into Santa Cruz Village, the residence hall where they will stay with the teams from Saudi Arabia.

At noon on Wednesday, July 22, the athletes will be picked up by Roadrunner Shuttle, one of many businesses offering their services for free for the athletes, and taken to the Camarillo Airport Museum where they will be treated to a lunch and tour of the museum by the Ventura County Ninety-Nines, a chapter of an international organization of women pilots.

After a lunch catered by Scofield Catering and Management, the athletes, coaches and support crews will hear from the Ninety-Nines; Ventura County Director of Airports Todd McNamee; California State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin; Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long; and Jason Barnes, a CI alumnus and representative from Congresswoman Julia Brownley’s office.

Then, there will be a fly-by of World War II-era aircraft flown by the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing; and demonstrations from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Helicopter Operations and the Ventura County Fire Department.

On Wednesday, the Special Olympics athletes will be guests for dinner at the Camarillo Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Because they need to be prepared for the Special Olympics, the athletes will train at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club all week.

On Thursday, July 23, the athletes will break for an outdoor lunch courtesy of Camarillo’s CMA or “Client-Minded Agents,” an organization of Camarillo real estate agents.

Later that night, the public is invited to a Saudi Arabia versus New Zealand exhibition basketball game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club at 1500 Temple Avenue. Parking is free and guests are asked to arrive by 6:30 p.m.

The public is welcome Friday morning, July 24, at the Departure Celebration, scheduled for 10 to 11 a.m. at CI’s Tree House Courtyard.

To attend the public events, visit: http://go.csuci.edu/SO2015

You can keep up with all the Camarillo Host Town events on Facebook’s “Host Town Camarillo” page.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Camarillo, CA - The skills of 62 aspiring engineers will be put to the test July 10 at CSU Channel Islands (CI) when the high school students break bridges they constructed out of dry spaghetti.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 10, the high school engineers will break their bridges in front of the John Spoor Broome Library on the CI campus to the cheers of family, friends, school and community leaders, and government officials.

The students will also receive awards for the successful completion of the Hueneme High School Academy of Engineering & Design Summer Bridge Programs at CI and Oxnard College. Students going into 11th grade attend pre-engineering classes at Oxnard College and 12th graders study engineering and physics on the CI campus with Associate Professor of Applied Physics Gregory Wood, Ph.D.

The spaghetti bridge project is the culmination of four weeks of university-level engineering instruction for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students entering 12th grade at Hueneme High School. The ceremony gives the students a chance to show their families the skills they've learned from Wood.

"We're going to add a hook at the bottom of the bridge and hang a basket," said Hueneme High School student Jesus Escalante, 17, of Oxnard. "We're going to add water bottles to the basket and see which bridge can actually stand more."

The Hueneme High School Academy of Engineering & Design Bridge Program at CI is a joint effort of Hueneme High School, CI, and the Ventura County P-20 Council.

"This program gives students a chance to become comfortable in a four-year university environment," said CI President Richard Rush, who chairs the Ventura County P-20 Council. "We hope to encourage those interested in pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or math, as companies are in need of individuals with those specific skill sets."

The grant-supported program gives 12th graders a chance to prepare for college-level engineering courses by being part of an engineering academy during the school year, and getting immersed in college-level engineering and physics classes during the Summer Bridge program, which began in June.

"My passion has always been engineering," Escalante said. "I'm excited to go to college. My mom works in a bakery and my dad is a butcher. They're very supportive."

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the students take hands-on classes and hear from professional engineers. Fridays are for field trips to museums, universities and science-related sites.

"The real value is in the hands-on aspect of the classes. They're doing real world activities led by a university professor," said Richard Duarte, Program Coordinator for the Ventura County P-20 Council. "Many of these students come from homes where they are the first generation to go to college. This gives them an opportunity to attend class and see what college is like."

Wood uses the pasta bridge project and two other assignments to allow students to use basic engineering concepts of force, torque and material properties as they create working designs. "I think if it's an environment that's a bit playful, they'll be willing to take more risks and come up with an innovative design," Wood said.

The teams' first assignment was to design a mousetrap that will trap a ping pong ball and keep it in the enclosure, even when the trap is rattled vigorously.

The second project is an egg drop in which the teams are given one meter of thread, one meter of masking tape, two coffee filters, two sheets of paper and a two-story building.

They are told to build something that will keep an egg from breaking if dropped off a two-story building. The teams had to calculate such things as weight and velocity.

One team fashioned a cone that crumpled when it landed, softening the impact for the egg. Escalante's team had a different idea. "We built a parachute out of the coffee filter," he said.

As with any experiment, there are successes and missteps in the engineering process.

"I get eggs in bulk," Wood said.

The program has been gaining popularity each year with almost twice as many students signing up for this year's program as compared to last year, which had 35 students.

The Hueneme High School Academy of Engineering & Design Summer Bridge Program at CI is generously sponsored by The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation, Bank of America, and Umpqua Bank.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will receive a $25,000 rebate from the state's Commercial Turf Removal Program after replacing 28,000 square feet of turf with more drought-tolerant landscaping.

Workers began removing turf this week from specific areas in both the north and south parts of the campus.

CI Director of Facility Support Raudel Banuelos said grass that used to extend right up to some of the buildings on campus will be replaced with drought-tolerant plants and landscaping that retains the curb appeal of the campus.

The process is familiar to CI, which has been aggressively searching for ways to conserve water for years.

"We're pretty close to running 100 percent on recycled water," Banuelos said. "Now we're trying to reduce our use of recycled water. We have been doing this a long time. We're ahead of the curve."

According to CSU Energy and Sustainability Analyst Michael Clemson, who oversees conservation efforts on all 23 CSU campuses, CI has cut its potable water use by 40 percent from 2008 to 2013, but facilities and sustainability staff are still working hard to find other ways to cut back.

"We're doing everything we can," Banuelos said. "We want to be good stewards in this drought situation. Now we're evaluating flushing toilets with reclaimed rather than potable water."

In April of 2015, Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order requiring the State Water Resources Control Board to reduce potable water use by 25 percent through February 2016. This is accomplished through water districts such as Camrosa Water District, which serves the CI campus.

The cost of irrigating one acre of lawn on campus with reclaimed water is $1,427.42 a year. Irrigating one acre of drought-resistant plants for a year will cost $203.98 a year, saving the campus $1,223.44 a year, or almost 86 percent.

While the facilities workers dig up the turf and replace it with colorful, drought-resistant plants, CI Associate Director of Infrastructure & Energy Jose Chanes works to find and apply for rebates through programs such as the Turf Removal Rebate Program and others under websites such as BeWaterWise.com and http://www.water.ca.gov.

Sustainability will always be a foremost consideration as the campus continues to grow.

"We continue to plan for future improvements that go hand-in-hand with our water conservation strategy," Chanes said.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University has received $2.28 million from the estate of an alumna’s parents to advance programs in three fields that were important to the family – ministry, science and education.

Darlene and Wilbert Carlson, Camarillo residents who died in 2013 and 2014 at the ages of 84 and 85, respectively, left $1.4 million to establish an endowed chair in youth and family ministry, $584,700 toward the construction of a new science building, $300,000 for a summer research program in chemistry and $40,000 for an endowed scholarship for aspiring teachers.

The $1.4 million gift provides an endowment to help pay the ongoing cost of a faculty member to lead the youth and family ministry specialization within the theology and Christian leadership degree program. The program, currently led by assistant professor of religion Colleen Windham-Hughes, was launched six years ago in response to demand for professionals to lead church programs. The Carlsons were charter members of Mount Cross Lutheran Church in Camarillo.

The science center donation will help the university eventually build a facility that will connect to the current Ahmanson Science Center. The new building will house additional labs and classrooms for the growing number of students studying biology, chemistry, environmental science and exercise science.

The $300,000 gift will enable Cal Lutheran to reach its goal of raising $1 million to establish an endowed John Stauffer Research Fellows Program in Chemical Sciences. The John Stauffer Charitable Trust pledged a challenge grant of $500,000, and the university has now raised the matching donations required. The endowment will provide fellowships to about 10 students each summer to conduct original research full time for eight weeks with mentoring from faculty. It will also cover travel costs for the students to present their research at professional conferences.

Will Carlson’s focus within the sciences was aerospace engineering. He graduated from the Northrop Institute of Technology and worked his way into upper management in the aerospace industry in the San Diego area. In 1967, he began working at Northrop Corp. in Newbury Park and the family moved to Camarillo. He retired as the manager of manufacturing and engineering in 1988. Darlene Carlson worked for an electronics manufacturing company and an aluminum production shop.

The final $40,000 will expand the Wilbert and Darlene Carlson Scholarship for students preparing to become teachers. The Carlsons established the scholarship in memory of their daughter Dee, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal Lutheran in 1978. The adult education administrator died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 52. The couple’s other child died at birth.

Ventura, CA - Over $563,000 in scholarships were awarded to 284 Ventura College students in May. Awards ranged from $500 to $9,500 and were presented by the Ventura College Foundation to recipients by their respective donors at the 28th Annual Scholarship Awards Gala at the Ventura Beach Marriott. Students whose scholarship donors have passed received their awards at the 2nd annual Scholarship Awards Picnic.

Natalie Gallardo and Erica Garcia, both of Ventura, and Dayna Davis of Camarillo received the top scholarship awards, each receiving $9,500 from the Mary Guthrie Teaching Scholarship. The scholarship benefits students who plan to transfer to a four-year public university to become K-12 teachers. Also awarded was $8,000 each to Adam Braver and Kori Farrell, both of Ventura, and Oxnard residents Julia Osborne and Alina Rutschky as part of the Martin Hansen Family Scholarship fund for students transferring to a four-year public university.

Twenty-three students received scholarships up to $2,500 from the Gene Haas Foundation. Southern California Edison honored 51 students with scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000. The scholarships include the SoCal Edison STEM Scholarships for Women who are planning to attend a four-year university in the fall, and the Green Jobs Initiative Scholarship.

“The Foundation’s board is dedicated to supporting the educational arc of all our students, from starting off at Ventura College with the Promise grant and accessing our Textbook Lending Library, to receiving scholarships to help them transfer to four-year universities. We are fortunate that we can help so many students achieve success and hope to increase the number next year,” said Norbert Tan, Ventura College Foundation’s executive director.

The Ventura College Foundation received over 450 applications for the scholarships, which honor students’ academic achievement or their chosen field of study. To be eligible, students were required to write two essays, have letters of recommendation and have achieved a high academic standing. Multiple volunteer readers from the college and foundation reviewed each application.

Editor’s note: Students receiving a scholarship of $2,000 or more are listed by city below. For a complete list of recipients, contact Sarene Wallace at Mayerson Marketing & Public Relations at sarene@mayersonmarketing.com or 805-373-1100 x 1.

Camarillo
Samantha Smithers
Cynthia Banales
Brandon Burns
Pluton Gradeci
Anita Tambat
Dayna Davis
Ivan Santana

Fillmore
Marlene Carvajal
Esteban Casas

Malibu
Ryan Gallagher

Oxnard
Julia Osborne
Alina Rutschky
Thuy Tran
Angela Mireles
Maria Tapia
Christopher Palacios
Argeniss Figueroa
Gregory Vance
Maria Maldonado Oxnard cont.
Lorraine Miramontes
Eric Arteaga
Elaine Chavez
Jose Barrera
James Mallinson
Loren Gutierrez
Taylor Kroneberger
Chazney Markle
Corrine Perez
Karina Kays
Oliver Nguyen
John Trinh
Jeanette Rennie
Maria Gutierrez

Port Hueneme
Lydia Marie Gastelum

Santa Paula
Brigitte Kiesewetter
Nicholas Vandergeugten
Lucia Marquez
Vincent Chavez
Maria Villalon Landeros Thousand Oaks
Harindra Perumabaduge Wijesinghe
John Kim

Ventura
Natalie Gallardo
Erica Garcia
Adam Braver
Kori Farrell
Janette Moreno
Deborah Leonard
Stephen Cordova
Ryan Kielas
Jonathan Richmond
Chelsea Malone
Estefania Sanchez
Shannon Kenney
Alejandro Robles
Danikka Morrison
Olivia Rada
Pamela McCormick
Megan Bograd
Carly Bell
Christina Robinson
Pamela Denny
Heather Julius

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace, an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Norbert Tan at (805) 289-6160 or ntan@vcccd.edu. Also visit www.venturacollege.edu/foundation, and the Foundation on Facebook and Twitter (@VC_Foundation).

FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL
1ST ANNUAL TALENT SHOW
May 29, 2015
6pm-8pm
Gymnasium

Please come and enjoy the great performances by staff and students.
It promises to be a fun-filled evening with over 7 staff acts and more than 9 student performances.
There will be a reading/dedication to our Senior Class of 2015. Please encourage your graduate to attend.
Your presence and support to Fillmore High School’s Got Talent program is greatly appreciated.
Admission is only $5.00 and $3.00 for our graduating Class of 2015.
All proceeds go to the Drama program.

CSU Channel Islands (CI) History Lecturer Scott Corbett, Ph.D. and Ventura College Sculpture and Ceramics Instructor Jenchi Wu will soon lead a trip to the other side of the globe to introduce Ventura College and CI students to the arts and history of China.

"I'm definitely excited about the Terra Cotta Warriors," said CI History Major Jaime Lapper, 22, of Simi Valley. "I've never left the country before. We're also going to the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. It's so overwhelming."

The spring learning odyssey to China is the capstone of a sequence of courses Corbett teaches on Chinese history. This international education student trip is called "Introduction to the Arts and History of China."

Eight students from Ventura College and 14 from CI will board a plane to Beijing, China with Corbett and Wu on May 27 and return June 8.

"Jenchi handles the art side of it and I handle the history side of it," said Corbett, who also teaches history at Ventura College. "This is the first time we've blended Ventura College with CI students on a trip like this."

After landing in Beijing, the students will visit the city of Jingdezhen, where Chinese pottery has been made for 1,700 years. As a master potter, Wu will be able to explain the significance of the ancient pottery tradition.

The group will then visit Camarillo's sister city, Shaoxing. Just as Camarillo is home to CSU Channel Islands, Shaoxing is home to Shaoxing University.

Corbett said the group will also see the well-known sights such as the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Forbidden City. They'll see Tiananmen Square and glittering Shanghai which will "knock their socks off," Corbett said.

CI History and Political Science double major Andreina Leon, 20, is excited about the calligraphy museum, and the chance to soak in an ancient culture.

"The Chinese have a lot of respect for their family unit," Leon said. "Being Latina, it's very similar. There is respect for the grandparents and the ancestors. It's a rich cultural tradition that goes back thousands of years."

Corbett is no stranger to China. He is the fourth generation of his family to be professionally associated with China.

"My great-grandfather was the longest-serving Protestant minister in China," Corbett said. "One of his sons, my grandfather, was on the founding faculty of Yenching University. I went and taught in China from 1985 to 1988."

Corbett and Wu have been brainstorming about the interdisciplinary trip ever since last year, when both attended a conference aimed at innovative teaching methods.

The two educators thought it would be ideal to combine art and history and to blend CI students with community college students who might one day want to continue their education at CI. The experience would give all the students a vision of their future that reaches over oceans and across cultures.

"We're hoping to inspire them to imagine their role in a global world," Corbett said. "To imagine what they'll be doing seven to 10 years from now instead of seven to 10 weeks from now."

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI's strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master's degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI's Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world's largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

Class of 2011 Valedictorian, Troy Spencer, was recently honored by Cal Lutheran for his academic achievements. 22 students were recognized for maintaining a 3.9 or higher GPA (on a scale of 4.0). Troy is an accounting major and also an FHS Alumni scholarship recipient. http://www.fillmorehighalumni.com/blog/2015/5/14/troy-spencer-2011-recei...

Camarillo, CA - Representing Austria, South Africa, the U.S., Sweden and the Republic of the Congo at different times taught CSU Channel Islands (CI) junior Nick Gomez to assess global dilemmas from all angles.

“It forces you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and look at issues through the lens of another country,” Gomez said. Gomez is a member of CI’s Model UN Team, a revolving group of CI students who regularly participate in intercollegiate Model United Nations conferences and recently brought home several awards.

The conferences allow college students from all over the U.S. to tackle global problems that confound world leaders, including religious freedom, the rights of indigenous people and treatment of women, to name just a few issues. CI students receive credit for coursework and conference participation.

“They prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate the Model UN conference rules of procedure,” said CI Professor of Political Science Andrea Grove, Ph.D., faculty team leader along with Political Science lecturer Christopher Scholl, Ph.D.

Each year, 15 to 17 students travel to the Western Collegiate Model United Nations (WestMUN) conference at Santa Barbara City College in March and the Model United Nations of the Far West (MUNFW) near Seattle, Washington in April.

“This time, one of the committees was dealing with human trafficking, another one with sustainable development issues and another with cyber-terrorism,” Grove said. “It’s an experiential way for students to learn about global issues. They have to do research on these global issues to prepare for the conference.”

At the conference, each student is placed with a delegation charged with representing a specific U.N. country.

“I’ve represented India, Austria, Ecuador, South Africa,” said CI senior Sara Sanders, 22. “Ireland was really interesting because it’s such a small island nation that is so dependent on the European Union.”

The participants serve on model U.N. committees such as the U.N. Security Council, the World Health Organization or UNESCO.

“They don’t call me Sara, they call me ‘the delegate from India’ or ‘the delegate from Ireland,’ Sanders said.

The students also compete for awards such as Best Speaker or Best Diplomat.
At WestMUN, Best Speaker awards went to CI students Nick Gomez, Jeanette Quiroz, Sebastian Navarro, and Hannah Senninger.

Best Diplomat awards went to Maria Barrios and Daniel Aspinwall with honorable mentions for Best Diplomat going to Victor Frausto and Jenny Arevalo. CI also swept the awards at MUNFW, where honors are given to delegations as opposed to individuals. Three of the four delegations populated with CI students won awards. They were: El Salvador, Austria and Tanzania.

“Also, graduating senior Sara Sanders was selected to be the Secretary General at the Western Model UN conference next year,” Grove said. “This is a fantastic honor.”

Sanders— graduates Saturday with a double major in history and political science—has been to nine conferences during her four years at CI. She said the emails and queries about the 2016 conference in March have already started filling up her inbox.

Aside from the valuable experience she gains from organizing next year’s conference, “I’m happy to have been selected because it gives me a good excuse to come back to California,” Sanders said.

Sanders, who hopes to be a university professor someday, is going on to pursue a master’s degree in political science at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world’s largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

California Lutheran University honored several top students for their academic achievements at the 44th Annual Honors Day Banquet this month.

Jared Berman of Westlake Village and Lauren Witman of Simi Valley both received the Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence as valedictorians of the Class of 2015. They had the highest cumulative GPAs for all college work. Berman is a biology major who has conducted research in genetics and developmental biology since freshman year. He is a member of the Tri Beta honor society and University Honors Program and has served as vice president of both the Scandinavian Student Club and the leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa. Witman is majoring in psychology and minoring in theology and Christian leadership. She is also a member of the University Honors Program and Omicron Delta Kappa as well as the Psi Chi honor society and has been active in campus ministry and community service.

Twenty-two new members of the Scholastic Honor Society were named. Upper division students qualify for the university’s highest academic honor by maintaining a grade point average of at least 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. No more than 5 percent of the students from each graduating class are invited to participate. The members are Michael Alvarez, a business administration major from Newhall; BJ (Jack) Bension, a physics major from Agoura Hills; Salvador Brito, a biochemistry major from Oxnard; Brooke Delao, a chemistry major from Simi Valley; Justin Fallon, an exercise science major from Burbank; Ryan Fleming, a political science major from Moorpark; Julie Griffin, an English major from Fremont; Rebecca Haas, an exercise science major from Moorpark; Brian Hix, a music major from Sisters, Oregon; Kevlyn Holmes, a psychology major from Gazelle; Adrienne Ingalla, an exercise science major from Glendale; Michael Maimone, a business administration major from Woodland Hills; Jadie Mathews, a liberal studies major from Moorpark; George Nasr, a computer science major from Newbury Park; Sarah Peterson, an English major from Pleasanton; Kelsey Pettijohn, a business administration major from Malibu; Jennifer Robinson, a history major from Simi Valley; Troy Spencer, an accounting major from Fillmore; Austin Swank, a biology major from Paso Robles; James Sweeden, a business administration major from Omaha, Nebraska; Courtney Vendetti, a psychology major from Northridge; and Taylor Will, an exercise science major from Santa Maria.

Kellie Warren, a Thousand Oaks English major, received the $1,000 Mark Van Doren Poetry Prize for a collection of poems. English Department faculty awarded Peterson the $500 Ledbetter Prize for Excellence in Writing for a literary essay that was deemed the best literary work by an English major. Matthew Ruffino of Moorpark received the $500 O. Fritiof Ander History Award as the most outstanding senior history major, and biochemistry major Trevor Hougen of San Diego received the $500 Smith Family Writing History Award for the best history paper submitted during the year.