Greetings, San Bernardino Valley College! 

 

I give thanks this week for all the blessings at San Bernardino Valley College.  Last week was another action-packed week with the Foundation retiree luncheon, BFSA links and drinks, Native American Day, Blue’s birthday, the 22nd annual Communication Studies Speech Tournament, and a full schedule of athletics competition as all 6 of our Fall sports competed in the postseason for the first time in school history last Saturday.  The cabinet is also busy conducting final interviews for a number of recruitments.  Special thanks Erica Mosley, Ben Dijkstra, and Stacy Holloway for all the support from Human Resources.

 
I am especially thankful for all the blessing in my life.  Personally, I give thanks for my family, my health as I continue my cancer-free journey for 2.5 years, and my Valley College community.  I give thanks every day for all of you, every member of our team that put love into our work transforming lives.  I want to give special thanks to President’s Executive Cabinet for joining my wife and I last Saturday handing out gift cards to our Valley College neighbors on Saturday.  Thank you, Leticia Hector, Yvonne Gutierrez-Sandoval, Keith Bacon, Dr. Jesse Neimeyer-Romero, Blake & Karla Bonnet,  Roger Robles, Gio Elizarraraz, and our loved ones joining us as we spread joy to our college neighbors.

 

Here are the highlights for this week:  

 

  1. WINTERFEST - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2025

Come enjoy winter festivities at Winterfest, 5 PM Wednesday, December 3, 2025! This is a huge annual event and a way to celebrate the winter season with the SBVC community. This year’s event, themed “All Aboard the Polar Valley Express,” will feature MORE fresh snow, decorations, a trackless train, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and food by the Greek Theatre. New this year is Los Posadas, a mini-Mexican village with champurrado and a mini pinata craft, and “Club Wolverine” in the student lounge for students only. Climb aboard the Polar Valley Express! 

 

  1. PRESIDENT'S HOLIDAY GATHERING & HOLIDAY BASKET OPPORTUNITY DRAWING

Get ready to kick off the festive season! Our annual President’s Holiday Gathering is coming up on Friday, December 5, 2025 from 12 NOON to 2 PM in the Auxiliary Gym. Join us for delicious food, music, and holiday cheer as we come together to celebrate the season and support our students. As part of this cherished SBVC tradition, all departments are invited to participate in the Holiday Basket Opportunity Drawing, benefiting SBVC student textbook scholarships for Fall 2026.   We encourage all of our teammates to attend the holiday gathering.  Please check with your supervisor for more details.

As a friendly reminder, please remember to drop off your basket at the President’s Office by Monday, December 1 at 5 PM. Your creative baskets help raise meaningful funds for student success — thank you for contributing to this wonderful Valley College tradition! 

 

  1. ADOPT AN ANGEL FOR THE HOLIDAYS 

Spread holiday cheer by “adopting” a child of a CARE student and/or one of our foster youth scholars. 

To participate: 

  1. Choose Your Angel 
    Stop by the EOPS Office (ADSS 202) to select a gift tag from the tree with your angel’s name and wish list. The office will be open regular hours starting December 1. 
  2. Check In 
    Let EOPS/CARE/NextUp staff know who you adopted and provide your contact information. If you’re unsure what to purchase, please ask. Limit each gift to $30 or less. 
  3. Wrap Your Gift 
    Wrap your gift or place it in a gift bag, and attach the gift tag. 
  4. Return Your Gift 
    Please bring your gift to the EOPS Office no later than 2 PM Friday, December 12. 

The EOPS Office holiday celebration is Friday, December 19, in B-100. Students and their families will be welcomed by Santa, who will distribute the gifts. Please RSVP when you return your gift(s). Thank you for helping us make the season brighter for our students and their families! 

     

  1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLUE!

Thanks to everyone who organized and celebrated Blue the Wolverine’s sixth birthday on November 19, 2025! It was fun to see all of you wearing blue and supporting our favorite wolverine. I want to especially acknowledge the mascots from KVCR (Eddie) and CSUSB (Cody) for joining us for the birthday bash.  Blue was disappointed that his cousin, Ryker, did not make it to the party from Crafton Hills College.

  

  1. CELEBRATING 100 YEARS WITH 100 EVENTS. CENTENNIAL MOMENTS - VIDEO RECAPS   

SBVC continues our year-long celebration of celebrating 100 years with 100 events. We have celebrated many events already and our marketing team continues capturing the lived centennial experience on campus and is sharing highlight videos throughout the year. Watch all the recaps on our YouTube channel.  

 

  1. WHAT DOES ‘VALLEY UP’ MEAN TO YOU?   

Tell us what “Valley Up” means to you! Film a response and we’ll share it at Valley Up! — San Bernardino Valley College. Submit your response here.   

 

May the Fall break and the Thanksgiving holiday bring peace and joy in your lives!

 

With appreciation,

Valley Up! 

Gil