Greetings, Wolverines!

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at the SBVC Wellbeing + Walking Challenge last week! I can’t wait to learn to see who becomes the Champion of the challenge and the lucky participants who take home the outstanding prizes. If you missed it, the challenge continues until April 18, 2026 and you can still participate by downloading the app here. Huge thanks to Shyla Cobbett and Jeff Huynh for leading this incredible event! Thank you to everyone who came out in support of this incredible community building activity.

Today and tomorrow, I am participating in the UC Davis Wheelhouse CEO Institute on Leadership Cohort 9, which creates space for leaders to connect, recharge, and explore innovative approaches as they lead through the dynamic landscape of higher education, social justice, and economic opportunity.

Last Thursday and Friday, the Cabinet and I joined an impressive team of students and teammates at the A2MEND Conference. Our very own, Dr. Anthony Blacksher, kicked off the event with spoken word and brought down the house of thousands of attendees. Back at Mt. Vernon on Friday, our counseling team welcomed counselors from local high schools to our annual high school counselors conference. I am learning that it was a very engaging day with our community partners. And last Saturday, the Black Faculty & Staff Association hosted the Black Art Expo. Thank you to BFSA President Veada Benjamin-Hill for organizing it!

Some highlights for this week:

  1. CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WITH TWO EVENTS

    Celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8) with two events on campus this month. On March 23, 2026, 11:30 AM-2:00 PM in the Auditorium, Sonia Rezkalah, one of the Freedom Writer students from Long Beach, will speak. There will also be highlights of women’s achievements across our organization and opportunities to connect. Please RSVP here. On March 25, 2026, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM in B-100 there will be a special event focused on self-compassion, connection, and personal growth. The gathering will feature a guest speaker, reflection and discussion, and ways women can support each other. Please RSVP here. Thanks to Naomi Lara, Brooke Quinones, and everyone else organizing these meaningful events.

  2. HELP SHAPE OUR ACCREDITATION PROCESS

    The Accreditation and Outcomes Committee would love your feedback on our Institutional Self Evaluation Report (ISER) draft! You can help ensure all major initiatives, programs, data, and outcomes are included. Feedback forums are scheduled at 10 AM Tuesday, March 10, in ART 144 and 10 AM Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in GYM 141. Feedback is due March 31. We appreciate your thoughts!

  3. CELEBRATE SBVC’S BIRTHDAY MARCH 26

    You’re invited to enjoy cake to celebrate San Bernardino Valley College’s 100th anniversary! Cake for the Campus is March 26, 12:00-2:00 PM in the Lois Carson Campus Center walkway. We’ll gather for a historic “100” photo on the lawn at 12:45 PM. Hope to celebrate with you there!

  4. FINISH LINE SCHOLARS PROGRAM FUNDING DOUBLED!

    Fantastic news – our funding for the CCC Finish Line Scholars Program has been increased to $300,000 for the 2026-27 academic year in recognition of our recipients’ strong completion outcomes (more than 90%). This is double our previous funding! Kudos to Mike Layne, Phylicia Sanchez, and the rest of the SBVC Foundation for their hard work supporting our students.

  5. ENJOY STUDENT FILMS THIS WEEK AT WOLVERINE CON

    Films made by SBVC and local high school students will be among those screened at the International Student Film Festival this week. Edie and Iris, which won Fan Favorite and Best Costumes at the annual College 48-Hour Film Competition, will be one of the films showcased Friday, March 13, 2026, in the auditorium. Learn about the rest of this week’s Wolverine Con at www.valleycollege.edu/wolverinecon. Thanks to FTVM chair Lucas Cuny and his team for all the work they put into holding Wolverine Con every year.

  6. STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING TOPPING-OFF CEREMONY: MARCH 16, 2026

    The topping-off ceremony for the Student Services Building is now scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2026, at 12 PM. Please join us as we mark this milestone in our centennial year. Safety vests, commemorative boarding passes, hard hats, and boxed lunches will be provided for those who RSVP. Make reservations here.

  7. CONGRATS TO THE NANCY YOWELL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

    Three of the five 2026 Nancy Yowell Memorial Scholarship winners are from San Bernardino Valley College! Congratulations to Cassandra Maldonado, pursuing an AA in sociology; Lyndsey Wilson, pursuing an AA in human services, computer information technology with medical billing/coding, and business leadership; and Magali Salazar Espitia, pursuing an AA in nursing. The Redlands branch of the American Association of University Women awards the $1,000 scholarship to women who have had their higher education interrupted but have returned to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Congrats to Cassandra, Lyndsey, and Magali!

  8. SBVC FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS ATTEND A2MEND SUMMIT

    Many of our colleagues, some students and I represented SBVC at the African American Male Education Network & Development (A²MEND) annual summit in Long Beach last week. Attendees included Joseph Anderson, Keith Bacon, Keenan Banks, Veada Benjamin-Hill, Dr. Anthony Blacksher, Nia Bowens-McLeod, Keynasia Buffong, Aiden Campbell, Dr. Ray Carlos, Yancie Carter, April Dale, Pl Dale, Phylicia Deam, Jonathan Edwards, Carlos Estrada, Keenan Giles, Caleel Grimes, Gabriel Martinez, Ulavale Matavoa, Kevin Memminger, Marwin Luminarias, Irie Muasau, Talialelei Muliau, Owen Nichols, Dillon Rose-Bailey, Curtis Salazar, Hyrum Simanu, Mariana Tahi, Faith Tauiliili, Tahirah Simpson, Cornelius Thompson, Isabel Tupe, and Marcus Walker. A few of our colleagues gave presentations. The conference gathers Black male college students and educators to encourage them and help find innovative ideas to increase the success of Black male students in California’s community college system.

  9. WOLVERINES PARTICIPATE IN FIRST SBCCD INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE

    On March 4, 2026 classified professionals, faculty and managers from SBVC participated in the SBCCD’s first Institute for Excellence. This three-part series allows district employees to explore together what excellence looks like for ourselves, our students and our community. SBVC participants were: Denise Knight, Susan Mattson, Ernest Guillen, Jamie Slayer, Dr. Jessy Lemieux, Maritza Portillo, Joanne Hinojosa, Dr. Stephanie Lewis, and Rania Hamdy. Thank you all for showing us what excellence looks like every day!

  10. SBVC STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM IMMIGRATION FELLOWSHIP

    Three SBVC students graduated last week from the Community-Based Immigration Services Fellowship, a partnership of the California Youth Leadership Corps and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. The students -- Carlos Ramos, Victasia Washington, Chelsea Ciaca, and Abraham Villegas -- completed 16 sessions covering immigration law, including family-based immigration, humanitarian relief, citizenship, and naturalization. Fellows may receive up to $10,000 in stipends and up to $5,000 in scholarships. Thanks to Valeria Gutierrez and Esmeralda Nunez for supporting the students during the fellowship.

  11. CENTENNIAL MOMENTS CONTINUE

    As we continue celebrating 100 years with 100 events, our marketing team is capturing the lived centennial experience through photos, videos, and weekly recaps. These moments reflect the heart of Valley College: our people, our students, and our community. You can watch the latest Centennial Moments on SBVC’s YouTube channel.

  12. SHARE A CENTENNIAL MEMORY

    We’ve been inviting students, employees, alumni, and community members to share their memories during our centennial year. Please submit your reflections at SBVC Historic Highlights.