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- Written by: Mendocino College
On March 29, Mendocino College held the inaugural Women's History Month Luncheon announced Mendocino College Director of Community Relations and Communication, Janelle Bird.
College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, Director Marianna Martinez and Director Janelle Bird established the Mendocino College Wonder Woman Award.
College staff and faculty nominated women in the college community to be considered for the awards.
Four deserving women who are known for always going above and beyond and exemplifying outstanding service and accomplishments were recognized.
Maricela Gallardo was awarded for her outstanding accomplishments as a student at Mendocino College.
Gallardo currently holds a cumulative GPA of 3.68, will complete her associate’s degree in business-accounting in management with the goal of transferring to a four-year university to seek a BA in Behavioral Analysis.
Gallardo is also a mother, and though faced with challenges that could compromise her academic performance and work obligations, she continues to exceed in everything she does at Mendocino College.
Faculty Wonder Woman Machiko Shimada was nominated for her work as a math instructor, math tutor, and assistant/coordinator in the MESA program, along with her behind the scenes support for other events and programs on campus. This work is a true testament to the dedication she has for the students of Mendocino College.
Shimada lost her home in the recent fire in Upper Lake, but continued to come to work to teach and help keep the MESA program running.
Minerva Flores, director of institutional effectiveness, research and grants, was recognized for her vital part in promoting equity, removing barriers for students, supporting best practices for student success, and for her student-centered professional work throughout the state.
Mendocino College has drastically enhanced its grant awards due to Minerva’s hard work and grant writing expertise. She has also played a huge role in the development of the tool the college uses for its program review process, and continues to be an essential element that keeps the college moving forward to implement many new initiatives.
Wonder Woman and custodian Maria Zuniga, who has been with the college for many years, is known for her hard work throughout the day (rain or shine) making sure the campus looks beautiful.
Her pleasant demeanor, exceptional work ethic, and pride in Mendocino College are apparent in all she does. She is a single mom who is strong and has been able to overcome difficult life challenges.
Zuniga appreciates everyone she meets, values the opportunities available at Mendocino College, and is always willing to stop what she is doing to take care of any custodial emergencies.
The award ceremony was preceded by Mendocino College history instructor Neeka Aguirre’s presentation about the extreme struggles women in history faced and the challenges they overcame to advance women’s rights.
Director Bird added, “We were so thrilled to be able to host this event to celebrate the successes of women in our college community. It’s nice to be able to take a short break from our busy schedules to pay tribute to the hard work of our great employees and students. We are looking forward to expanding this event next year!”
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- Written by: Mendocino College Foundation
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino College Foundation is honored to announce the winners of the 2019 La Rue Kobrin Perpetual Scholarships.
Scholarship were awarded to Dominica Chilberg, Jonathan Escalante, Jillian Koski and Sarah Reeser.
All four nursing students have high grade point averages, had different goals and careers in their teenage years, and are residents of Ukiah, Fort Bragg and Willits.
They are finishing up their first year in the nursing program. All had similar things to say about how receiving a scholarship aids them in achieving their goal of becoming a nurse.
Scholarships pay for books, tuition, fuel, new tires, and more according to these four.
When asked what the pivotal moment was that led each of them into their chosen career, the responses were somewhat similar and a little surprising.
Escalante stated that witnessing a choking incident and watching the medical provider take care of the person left him feeling like it was magic. That incident would lead him to a career as an EMT, ER Tech, and now the nursing program.
Reeser decided to become a nurse because a beloved grandfather fell ill. “The first time he got sick, I was only 10 years old.”
She stated she remembers thinking “I just wanted him to feel better and be happy again.” She told him that she would become a nurse and she’s currently half way there.
Koski was raised in Fort Bragg and commutes to Ukiah five days a week for nursing school. She too, witnessed an event. A woman hit her head and she was the only one present and just instinctually jumped in to help her. “I knew immediately that I wanted to be a nurse,” Koski said.
Chilberg never wanted to be a nurse. She was happy being a wife and mother. However, her career as a receptionist at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley led her to the OB as a tech (doing c-sections) for the past 17 years, which eventually led her into the nursing program.
All four recipients have other things in common, like families, responsibilities for spouses, children and parents. Some have mortgages or rent, and they all struggle financially while going to school full time five days a week. On average, a nursing students’ income drops by 40 percent or more while attending the nursing program and receiving a scholarship makes all the difference.
The La Rue Kobrin perpetual scholarships are given out annually to four first year nursing students.
The fund was established in 2014 by her life partner, Frank Bender, to honor and remember her. In his own words, La Rue was a loving, caring and giving human being. Helping students become nurses is a perfect way to honor her life.
For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation or to donate towards any Mendocino College Foundation program, please contact Katie Fairbairn, executive director at
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- Written by: Lake County Republican Women Federated
The Lake County Republican Women Federated, or LCRWF, as a member of the North West Division, California Republican Women Federated, or CRWF, is offering that opportunity to all Lake County 11th grade students by inviting their participating in an essay contest. Here is the information.
It is an Americanism essay contest open to all 11th grade students.
The topic is, “In my opinion, what it means to be an American patriot.” The essay is to be 600 words or less. The topic is designated by the CRWF Americanism contest chair, Juli Mitchell.
The contest cover sheet must include only: name, address, email, phone number, school name and the name of the Lake County organization sponsoring the contest, which is “Lake County Republican Women Federated.” The essay contest deadline is June 1.
The chapter Americanism Committee will judge the entries in their county, honor the student locally, and forward the winning essay to the division office, where essays will again be judged.
The Lake County winner will be honored at a chapter meeting where the student will receive an award of $100 and the essay will be forwarded to the division.
The division winner will be recognized at a conference or convention at a latter date and may receive a monetary or other award.
Students should mail their entries to Lake County Republican Women Federated, Americanism Essay Contest, P.O. Box 1566, Clearlake, CA, 95422, to arrive no later than June 1.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The bill prohibits postsecondary schools from withholding transcripts from students who owe the schools a debt.
The bill, which ensures that students are not handcuffed in pursuing educational and career opportunities by the practices of certain schools and colleges, will now be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
“Students with debt are currently in a Catch-22. They can’t access their transcripts if they have school debt, which limits opportunities that would help them address the debt,” said Attorney General Becerra. “We are grateful to Assemblymember Rivas for introducing AB 1313 to help protect students from unfair debt collection practices. No one should be denied a chance to move forward simply because of their financial situation.”
“I am proud to author AB 1313 and take on this social justice issue and I want to thank Attorney General Becerra for working with me on this measure. According to a 2016 survey conducted by Los Angeles Community College, data shows that of the 5,925 students surveyed, 19% of students are homeless, 55 percent are housing insecure, and 62.7% of students are experiencing food insecurity. These are issues that students across the state are grappling with and the students who accrue debt are often individuals who are already experiencing financial difficulty,” said Assemblymember Luz Rivas. “A student’s future should not be held hostage by their colleges; this measure preserves the idea that students deserve the opportunity to succeed.”
Current educational policy allows schools to withhold transcripts to collect debt. However, California is beginning to move away from this practice.
Last year, California passed AB 1974, which prohibits K-12 public and charter schools from withholding grades or transcripts from students because they owe a debt. AB 1313 would extend this prohibition to postsecondary schools and also prevent them from conditioning the provision of a transcript on the payment of a debt.
Postsecondary schools would also be prohibited from charging a higher fee or providing a less favorable treatment of a request for a transcript simply because the student owes a debt.
This legislation was prompted by investigations conducted by the California Department of Justice which unveiled instances where schools and colleges have threatened to withhold transcripts from students who owe, or are alleged to owe, debt as a tactic to collect this money. In 2015, the for-profit Heald College collapsed and forced many students to transfer or find alternatives.
However, the students were told they would be unable to obtain transcripts needed to transfer to other schools until they paid off the debt allegedly owed to Heald.
As a result, many students were unable to transfer to another school to complete their education, and instead were left with limited options.
Withholding transcripts causes severe hardships for students because a transcript is often required to secure a job, transfer or apply to another school, or obtain certain licenses.
A copy of the bill can be found here.