CCCC Class of 2014 Commencement is a milestone—one of life’s landmark occasions, a time when graduates, family members, and friends gather to celebrate past and future. At Cerro Coso Community College, Commencement is a festive, campus-wide event to recognize graduate achievements and the conferring of degrees and certificates. On Friday, May 16, 2014, Cerro Coso awarded more than 270 degrees and certificates during its 41st Commencement Exercises held in the Gymnasium of the Raymond A. McCue Athletic Complex. “Education is a life long journey and there is no other time that our country has been in such a need for an educated citizenry,” said Cerro Coso President Jill Board. Two student speakers, Samantha Kessler (AA Liberal Arts - Social & Behavioral Sciences) from the Kern River Valley campus and Stacy Johnson (AS Business) from the Ridgecrest campus, were selected by the Academic Senate to address the assemblage and share their inspiring journeys. Sara Hise, age 14, distinguished herself as Cerro Coso’s youngest graduate receiving two degrees an AA Liberal Arts - Social & Behavioral Sciences and an AA Liberal Arts - Arts & Humanities. Welding Instructor Herman Foster served as the Faculty Marshal for the ceremony. Commencement is one of our highpoints at Cerro Coso Community College. It’s a time to recognize the learning, commitment, and effort our students put into completing their goals and it is special to all those involved in supporting and encouraging them through their journey. “I am confident you will leave here stronger and wiser from the education you received and the setbacks you may have encountered along the way,” said President Board. “I have faith in the education you have received at Cerro Coso Community College and I know that you are better prepared to face the challenges that meet each of you as you venture through life.” Congratulations Class of 2014.

Sara Hise (14) is the youngest student to graduate from Cerro Coso Community College.

CCCC Class of 2014 1ESCC Celebrates Student Success 1

Awards Banquet Honors Athlete Achievements 2Success Stores, the Next Chapter 2

Spring Open House 3The Finals Countdown 3

Brother-Sister Team Win National Competition 3Honor Society’s New Members 3

CCCC Foundation’s Denim and Diamonds Gala 4CCCC Band Spring Concert 4

JUNE 2014 CERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Inside this Issue

ESCC Celebrates Student Success

Cerro Coso’s Eastern Sierra College Center in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes has established a tradition of celebrating reunion and commencement together. There was ample time for students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, and friends to gather together for pomp and circumstance at the 10th Annual Commencement Ceremony held at the Mammoth Lakes Campus on May 9, 2014. Kern Community College District Chancellor Sandra Serrano presided over the event. Students Shannara Roberts (AA Liberal Arts-Social & Behavioral Sciences) and Abigail Don (AA Liberal Arts – Mathematics

(Continued on Page 4)

ESCC Class of 2014 (l to r). Back: Todd Cameron Yeomans, Todd Vogel, Kayla Knadler, Erica Lynn Howard, Jamie Rae Morris, Keila Yanez, Cheryl Hames, Jessica Hepburn, and Tammy Anderson. Front: Ingrid Humes, Jazmin Cortes, Maria Ramirez, Shannara Roberts, Grace Tanksley, Elizabeth Flores, Mariah June Murray, and Abigail Don.

Success Stories, the Next Chapter

The theme for the 33rd Annual Access Programs Awards ceremony held at the SpringHill Suites on Friday, May 2, 2014, was “Success Stories, the Next Chapter”. Each year Cerro Coso Community College

takes this time to celebrate the accomplishments of program students for their determination and perseverance in overcoming challenges and barriers in receiving their college education. Two former program students, Erica Santiago and Catherine Starling, returned to congratulate and encourage students with their stories of triumph over their own personal struggles. Sixteen program students graduated with Associate Degrees, and 26 with certificates of achievements. Special recognition went to Elliott Jones, Access Programs IWV Student of the Year; Samantha Kessler, Access Programs KRV Student of the Year; student Christy Binder, who received recognition for her work with the Student Services United Club and a Note Taker certificate; and Patricia McKee, who received a Note Taker certificate. Karee Hamilton was named outstanding Faculty of the Year, and Vikki Del Pellegrino from the KRV campus was named exceptional Adjunct Faculty of the Year. Special appreciation went to retiring classified employee Sara Brown in honor of her 25 years of outstanding service to Special Services/Access Programs students. “Every student has a story, but yours are truly inspiring and will surely encourage other to aspire to excellence,” said Paula Suorez, Access Programs Director. Congratulations to all of the award winners!

Awards Banquet Honors Athlete Achievements Cerro Coso Coyote family, friends, and fans joined in celebrating the academic and athletic achievements of Cerro Coso student athletes at the annual Sports Awards Banquet on Wednesday, April 30th, in the College Student Center. The Coyote Club hosted the event.

LADY COYOTE VOLLEYBALL AWARDS

Laura Metcalf, Most Valuable Player; Adrianna Volentine,

Defensive Player of the Year; Ashley Sherrick, Offensive Player

of the Year; Morgan Fuller, Coaches Award.

LADY COYOTE SOCCER AWARDS Sarah McDonald, MVP; Daisy Zajicek, Offensive Player of the Year; Marissa Morales, Coaches Award.

MEN’S COYOTE BASEBALL AWARDSKevin Maxey, MVP; Mason Cisneros, Offensive Player of the Year; Chad Butler, Defensive Player of the Year;

Thomas Shelley, Coaches Award.

ALL CONFERENCE TEAM AWARDS First Team - Chad Butler (Baseball), Sarah McDonald (Soccer), and Ashley Sherrick (Volleyball).

Second Team - Jazmin Rodriguez (Soccer), Laura Metcalf (Volleyball), and Adrianna Volentine (Volleyball). Honorable Mention: Katie Santiago (Soccer), Morgan Fuller (Volleyball), Kelsey Lopez (Volleyball), and Nora Sellberg (Volleyball).

The evening concluded with a special award to athletics photographer Todd Middleton for his countless hours of free time spent capturing the highlights of athletics at the college.

2 COYOTE HOWLER

L to R: Vikki Del Pellegrino, Jackylyn Wallace, Dolores Bowers, Samantha Kessler, and Catherine Starling, representing success stories of the KRV campus.

Brother-Sister Team Win National Competition

Brother and sister Sam and Sydney Marler took the challenge to design a winning wind turbine all the way to Washington, DC, to compete against 35 regional contestants in the National KidWind Competition. The duo won third place overall and the Judges’ Award for presentation for exemplifying the KidWind Spirit of innovation, knowledge, and teamwork. Sydney and Sam had great success producing a maximum output of 92,000mJ/s. The pair took first place for the Middle School Division at a regional competition held in the Industrial Technology Lab at Cerro Coso Community College sponsored by CREATE in early April. Their turbine gave a maximum output of 30,000mJ/s and qualified them to compete in the national competition. Much redesign time was spent in those three weeks before the national competition. KidWind is a national program encouraging youth to take an interest in wind energy technology. Turbines are judged based on how much energy they produced when set before a machine-created wind tunnel. Students participating in the challenge discover the promise and limitations of wind energy technology, design a functional wind turbine based on their knowledge of wind energy, create a wind turbine of their own and test its performance, and compete against peers for the most creative and functional turbines. Sydney (8th grade) and Sam (7th grade) both attend Murray Middle School.

Spring Open House Prospective students and their families were invited to attend a series of Open Houses in Ridgecrest, Kern River Valley, Bishop, and Mammoth Lakes featuring campus tours, financial aid workshops, program information, and much more in April. Attendees had an opportunity to meet with faculty, admissions staff, current students, and financial aid representatives. The Student Government of Cerro Coso provided a FREE barbecue lunch in Ridgecrest. “These events offer a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in CCCC to come and see what the college has to offer, ask questions, and get all their priority registration requirements met in one day,” said Paula Suorez, Director of Student and Counseling Services.

COYOTE HOWLER 3

Students Jose Hernandez , Gabriel Gutierrez, and Anthony Wovenu served as the welcoming committee at the Ridgecrest campus.

Front: Sydney and Sam Marler. Back Judges: Herman Foster, CCCC Welding Instructor; Brad Collins, KidWind Senator and Porterville College Representative; and Jim O’Connor, CCCC Industrial Arts Instructor.

Finals week can be a frustrating and exhausting experience for those students not properly prepared. Most students rely on caffeine rushes and all-nighters to get them through exams, but Cerro Coso’s Learning Assistance Center and Library offered students pre-finals assistance by hosting two Coyote Slam study sessions, coffee and donuts in the library, and drop-in citation help with a librarian the week before finals and finals week. “The Coyote Slam continues to grow and it is exciting to see students actively engaged studying a wide variety of subjects with their peers and instructors,” said LAC Director Bonita Robison. At one point on one evening 71 students and instructors participated in a study session. “A big thank you goes out to the instructors who showed up to lend support and worked with students.” The goals of these student success efforts are clear: help students do well on exams, and keep stress to a minimum. KUDOS to the CCCC Learning Assistance Center and Library for helping students stress less and achieve more!

4 COYOTE HOWLER

Denim and Diamonds Puts the FUN in Fundraising The Cerro Coso Community College Foundation hosted their 5th Annual Denim and Diamonds Gala on Friday, April 18, 2014, at the Kerr McGee Center in Ridgecrest and raised more than $19,000 for education. The Foundation moved the annual gala to the upscale side this year. The 2014 event bridged the gap between casual and formal attire that provided a unique atmosphere for dinner and auction fun. The CCCC Foundation supports access, success, and excellence at Cerro Coso Community College and this event brings the community together and puts the FUN in fundraising. “Fundraisers like the Denim and Diamonds Gala along with the support we receive from individuals and local businesses, is critical to our mission to provide educational opportunities and services to the rural communities we serve, stated Cerro Coso Community College President Jill Board. This year’s signature event for the CCCC Foundation raised funds to help students take advantage of educational opportunities and achieve their potential at the college. A very special thank you goes out to all the generous sponsors, guests, auction donors, volunteers, and everyone who supported this year’s event.

FOUNDATION FEATURE

The Coyote Howler is a publication of Cerro Coso Community College. For more information about the stories in this publication,

or to include information in this publication, contact Natalie Dorrell, Public Information Manager, at 760.384.6260 or

email ndorrell@cerrocoso.edu.

About this Publication

BAKERSFIELD COLLEGECERRO COSO COLLEGEPORTERVILLE COLLEGE

CCCC Band Spring Concert The Cerro Coso Band presented their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the College Lecture Center. Two talented young musicians, Rachel Williams (flute) and Nick Lukefahr (tuba), were featured soloists for the event. Directed by Debra Veit, the concert included classic Sousa marches, Hoist’s Second Suite, a patriotic medley, and movie music, along with a little rock and roll. There was something for everyone! Fun for the whole family, the concert was FREE and open to the public.

ESCC Celebrates

(Continued from Page 1)

& Sciences) shared their encouraging stories of perseverance and success. “You have made a tremendous difference in my life and that of my family,” said Roberts, “it is now our turn to make a difference in the lives of others.” Former Cerro Coso student Rose Martin gave the Alumni Address. The Eastern Sierra Chamber Choir performed “Choose Something Like a Star” and Richard Hihn provided the processional and recessional for the ceremony. Professor of Mathematics Joseph Slovecek served as Grand Marshal. “We have every confidence that with their talent, energy, and creative spirit, our graduates will make meaningful contributions to society,” said Cerro Coso President, Jill Board. Con-GRAD-ulations!

COMING THIS FALL!Cerro Coso’s

East Kern Centerwill offer classes

in Tehachapi