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HENRY SHANNON: A May 2022 article by Baron Magazine
noted that people with a college education
will be our leaders of tomorrow.
They will become our innovative scientists.
They will create cost-effective computer chips, heal the sick,
and defend the Constitution in our courtrooms.
They also will teach, run businesses,
serve as social workers, and help
us cope during these very challenging times.
Some will become college presidents.
The bottom line, college matters.
It Matters to our country, it matters in our community,
it matters to our society.
My name is Dr. Henry D. Shannon and I
serve as the Superintendent President for Chaffey College.
We live in a multi-cultural world which--
with different races, ethnicities,
sexualities, and genders.
As educators, it is important for us
to not only equip our students with the tools
they need for their chosen fields,
but also the skills to be successful to be
global citizens.
We all know that our students value cultural representation
because when their professors and staff members
look like them, they gain a sense of belonging
on our campuses.
But what does success look like?
For some students, it's rooted in equity.
And that is one of the values we hold most dear here
at Chaffey College.
As a part of our 10-point plan, we
hired a director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2021.
Please meet Ms. Tomeika Carter.
TOMEIKA CARTER: In its simplest form,
equity means giving each individual what
they need to be successful.
So it doesn't matter your socioeconomic background
or your gender or your sexual orientation, the goal of equity
is to eliminate barriers.
My name is Tomeika Carter.
I am the Interim Director for Diversity, Equity,
and Inclusion at Chaffey College.
We've been fortunate enough to use some of our HEERF funding
that we've received over the last couple of years
to provide students with grants so they're
able to purchase books or whatever they
need in our campus bookstore.
Although financial support is important,
that's not the only type of support
that we offer at the college.
This past July, we actually just hired a new director
for Social Wellness and Behavioral Support,
and that's Dr. Jennifer Henry.
Jennifer Henry is supporting our students' mental health
and also just providing students with
the social-emotional supports that they
need to be successful.
Another example of equity for our students
is some of our hiring processes.
We serve such a diverse group of students at Chaffey College,
it's really important to us as an institution
that our students see themselves reflected in the demographics
of our faculty and staff.
Representation does offer the opportunity for people
to see what's possible.
You never know who you're inspiring by just
merely existing in your position or being
a student in the classroom.
I see education as a method of empowerment,
changing lives through education, improving lives
through education.
Chaffey College stands out from the other community colleges
because of everyone's commitment to student success.
Our ultimate goal is ensuring that our students have
a good experience, not just academically,
but as a whole person.
HENRY SHANNON: For many of us, being able to speak
English is something that we often take for granted.
But for some of our alumni who live and work in this region,
it is a game-changing skill that has opened the doors
to successful careers.
Hundreds of students whose first language is Spanish,
Chinese, Arabic, or Korean, for example,
come to us every year to learn how
to speak, how to read, and write in English,
opening countless doors of opportunity.
And the best part, this is all tuition-free.
JULISSA VARGAS: I arrived in the United States
around 18, 19 years old.
That was difficult. All the barriers we have as immigrants.
I learned English at Chaffey.
It helped me to [INAUDIBLE] for myself, for me and for my kids,
for my husband, and for my family.
It is a great program because the professors,
they help a lot of people.
My first ESL class was writing.
I had to write my first essay, and I told my professor,
I can't do that.
I want to quit the class.
And she told me, no, you can't do it.
And she is explaining how to write a sentence.
Because of her, I'm here.
English changed my life.
I can help my kids.
I try to help my husband with his company.
I started at Chaffey was with ESL classes.
Then I get my citizenship.
And then I have three more certificates.
I love school.
My kids say I'm crazy.
I love to learn.
I try to teach my kids that they can do it.
That's why I encourage my kids to go to school.
You can see it through the end, open door for everybody.
HENRY SHANNON: We have weathered significant challenges
during the last two and a half years.
Colleges across our nation share in our
struggles working to get students back
on track to meet their academic and career goals.
Some of our students continue to face hardships
in the aftermath of this pandemic.
But you know, we as a community have not given up on them.
And we at Chaffey College are continuing
to serve students holistically to ensure they all succeed.
But what does success look like?
Most of us can picture the smiling face of a student
in a graduation cap and gown.
You may not realize this.
For some students, just getting basic resources
to stay enrolled in classes can be considered a major victory.
At Chaffey College, around 60% of our student body
is identified as economically disadvantaged.
And nearly 70% receive some form of financial aid.
The fact is, many Chaffey students need extra support
to make it to the finish line.
RODOLFO FALS-ROSADO: I've worked in warehouses and pizzerias.
Every now and then I get this feeling
like I wasn't getting anywhere.
You don't really move up the ladder,
and they weren't really taking me where I wanted to be.
My name is Rodolfo Daniel Fals-Rosado.
I would like to specialize in psychiatry.
I've been exposed to a lot of mental health issues
in my family.
My grandmother got dementia and Alzheimer's.
At one point she couldn't recognize who I was.
I myself have post-traumatic stress disorder.
It was getting in the way of my studying
and I had a really hard time.
I really needed help.
EOPS stands for Extended Opportunity Programs
and Services.
This is a program that gives disadvantaged students
the opportunity to succeed in community colleges.
They could pay for your books, they
could offer you personal counseling.
I had tried going to college before.
I remember going to buy a backpack
and I only had like $50 left in the bank account
after buying it.
And so when I applied to EOPS and I got in,
one of the first things they do is
they give you a free backpack.
And so I'm like, well, this would have been nice.
To be honest, I was almost at the verge of tears
when I got it because I had put college on hold
several times before.
But when I got the backpack, it's
like, well, it's going to be different this time.
You have help that you didn't have before.
Community college is like the front line of opportunity.
It's just going to be the first step
a lot of people that are disadvantaged
are going to take.
And so it's important to have these types of institutions
in place to help people get there.
Like we talked about being on a ladder,
I felt like my ladder wasn't going anywhere.
But by going to Chaffey, my destination was changing.
So even though I still have to climb the ladder,
my end game was going to be different.
HENRY SHANNON: With jobs in mechatronics, HVAC, welding,
and industrial electric technology
increasing in demand, the manufacturing industry
continues to grow in this region.
Careers that are related to manufacturing such as logistics
and facilities management are also on the increase.
These are well-paying jobs with salaries that can rise well
beyond six figures.
Now imagine being a single parent
of five kids making just $15 an hour as a security guard.
That is a reality our next student faced
until she found her way to Chaffey College's
and InTech center.
Meet Brenda Vargas who earned a certificate in only four
months, and that's double her salary working for a jet
propulsion laboratory.
BRENDA VARGAS: Going back to school after 20 years, I mean,
it's like starting over.
Chaffey, it changed my life completely.
My name is Brenda Vargas.
I work for NASA JPL.
I was married for almost 21 years,
and because of domestic violence, I left with my kids.
We were living in a motel, in a really, really, really
bad motel.
There was a lot of drug addicts there
and prostitution and stuff like that.
They froze my bank account, and that was the only money
that I had left.
I had so many excuses of not to come back to school
and just go get a job.
Then I said, no, I'm going to go to school for industrial
electrical and mechanical because I have to make money
and I have to support my kids.
People told me that I couldn't do it.
My mom told me, too.
Don't do that.
It was hard.
Because you think your family is going to support you,
but they doubted you.
So it hurts.
I'm very thankful to Chaffey and to everybody here.
The staff, they were amazing.
If it wasn't for them, for the opportunities, for the help--
amazing people.
Amazing people that care.
Coming to InTech open doors not just
for what you're going into, but for other possibilities.
Before I started at Chaffey, I was making $15 an hour.
Now I'm making more.
More than double as a technical supervisor.
We live better, better than we did before.
And that is because of InTech.
Four months changed my life completely.
If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here.
In December, before Christmas, that's
when we got our own apartment.
That was the Christmas present for my kids.
Having our own apartment, not living in the motel.
Happy.
I'm very happy that I took a chance and I didn't stop.
HENRY SHANNON: We are forging ahead at Chaffey College.
Into a new era where students have
more affordable opportunities to obtain a college education
than ever before.
This is our investment.
As we know, our role in the region's economy is vital.
For every dollar that taxpayers invest in Chaffey College,
you receive more than double that amount back
and added tax revenue and other savings.
Thousands of former Chaffey College students
are employed in the cities that our district serves,
contributing more than $320 million in added income
in our region every year.
As we approach 140 years of serving this community,
we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our students
and the workforce.
Our doors are open to every student
from every walk of life, both in-person and virtually.
We have more flexible options for students
to reach their educational goals than ever before.
With more than 20,000 students currently enrolled,
our helpful and supportive staff are
invested in successful outcomes for each one of those students.
This is truly the Chaffey way.
In closing, I thank you, our community, for supporting us
and our mission to improve lives through education.
Go Panthers!
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