Office of Student Services Update - May 2025

Hello Crush Community!

I can’t believe it’s already May and the semester is coming to an end. Last night I had the honor of celebrating our graduates who will be transferring to Fresno State in the fall at the Crush-to-Bulldog ceremony. Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and TimeOut, the Bulldog Mascot, were here to welcome our students to the Bulldog family. We have 837 CCC graduates who were accepted to Fresno State in the fall, which is a record for us and one of the highest in the Valley. This speaks volumes to the hard work and dedication of our students, as well as our faculty and classified professionals who support our students every single day. A huge thank you to the Counseling and Student Activities teams for a wonderful event!

During the month of April, I also had the opportunity to participate in our Achieving the Dream meetings, attend the Clovis Unified Superintendent’s Shareholder Mid-Year Luncheon, conduct interviews for our Dean of Students replacement position, attend the CCC Service Awards Ceremony, and celebrate our New Faculty Institute graduates at our last meeting.

I want to congratulate Naomi Forey on her retirement this month and thank her for her 19 years of service as the Health Services Coordinator at CCC. She has served our campus with dedication, passion, and diligence. We will greatly miss Naomi; however, I don’t know how much she’ll miss us considering how big her smile gets the closer we get to the end of the semester.

Lastly, I want to thank my entire Crush family for all your prayers, love, and support over the past few months. Every time I think I’m ready to write some sort of thank you, I am quickly reminded that I’m not. As many of you know, I lost my sister in January. She was one year younger than me and my best friend. This semester has been full of unbearable pain as our family tries to navigate such a deep and devastating loss. I am incredibly thankful for everyone here at work and the different ways you’ve shown love and support, including all the tissues Leslie and Bonnie gave me as I typed this. I appreciate you all more than you know.

Please see exciting department updates and upcoming event info below. I look forward to seeing everyone at Commencement later this month!

Financial Aid

  • The 2025-26 Federal Work Student (FWS) position request is due Friday, May 2.
  • Financial Aid Information letters have been sent to all students that completed a 2025-26 Financial Aid application. This letter tells students if they are missing any documents, and what the next steps are in the process.
  • We anticipate 2025-26 Award Letters to go out in early June.
  • Reminder for Summer 2025 students, they should complete both the 24-25 and 25-26 Financial Aid application for maximum aid eligibility.

Student Activities - What's Happening This Month in May!

Get ready to wrap up the semester with fun, food, and finals support! First up, join us for the Spring Extravaganza on Wednesday, May 7 from 12 PM – 4 PM on the Campus Lawn, where we’ll have games, music, and food. Interested in tabling? Reach out to Maricarmen Figueroa at maricarmen.figueroa@cloviscollege.edu.

During Finals Week (May 19 – May 21), we’ve got your back! On Monday, May 19, stop by for a free study kit to keep you going. On Tuesday, May 20, enjoy free breakfast and dinner served by staff and faculty (volunteer sign-ups coming soon), and don’t miss the Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, May 21 to cool down with a sweet treat.

Lastly, a huge congratulations to the Class of 2025 – we’re so proud of all your hard work and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll do next. Let’s finish strong this May!

Outreach

April was a month primarily focused on registering new students. During three days of Reg-to-Go priority registration, Outreach staff and Counselors served over 1,000 students and increased CCC’s FTES from 732 to 1,159 for the fall semester. Big thanks to those who made such a huge difference, along with other SSEO staff who jumped in to help at some of the larger school sites!

Registration Express was a huge success with larger numbers than usual, thanks to the follow-up efforts by the Outreach team. Counselors were on hand to advise first-time students who then registered with the help of Ambassadors.

The Clovis Rodeo was busy for Outreach and Student Activities staff, but luckily very nice due to the cool weather. There have also been quite a few community and school events to keep the team busy outside of registration!

Looking forward, the team will continue to help students register both at the high school and in the Welcome Center, especially as open registration begins. They are also busy working on commencement preparation and are looking forward to end-of-year celebrations at both the high schools and on the CCC campus.

EOPS, CARE, NextUP, CalWORKS

The EOPS Application is open for Summer and Fall 2025 Admits. Please share with students to apply today! Reach out to our office at ccceops@cloviscollege.edu for more information about eligibility requirements.

We will be celebrating the achievements of students that have completed degree/certificate requirements during Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025, at our EOPS/CARE/NextUp, TRIO, and CalWORKs Student Celebration on May 20 between 2:00pm – 7:00pm. Students can look forward to a welcoming space to celebrate their achievements with program team members along with their family and friends, FREE Professional Photography sessions (RSVP required for timeslots), and light refreshments. Reach out to our office to RSVP!

Health and Wellness

As part of Student Services Monthly Match collaborations, Health Services and Outreach held a Rock Painting event on April 1 and 2 that was very well attended. Focusing on kindness and listening to relaxing music while painting – it was a good self-care break for all. We had over 50 rock painting masterpieces completed.

painted rocks on a table

Transfer Services

On Thursday, April 30, we hosted the Crush-to-Bulldog celebration. We recognized 46 students in attendance who will be transferring to Fresno State this fall out of 837 students who were accepted. Students had an opportunity to visit representatives from the following Fresno State programs: Black Excellence in Science and Technology (BEST), Center for Essential Needs, Center for Access to Science for All (CASA), Health Careers Opportunity Programs (HCOP), Outreach staff, MESA (Clovis CC), and Health Professional Pathways Program (HPPP). A motivational speech was given by the President of Fresno State, Dr. Saúl-Jiménez Sandoval, and students had an opportunity to take pictures with TimeOut (mascot) and the President of Fresno State. It was a fun evening celebrating our students transferring to Fresno State!

Title IX

April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and it was a busy month for Title IX with several events taking place on and off campus, including some first-time events.

We kicked off the month of April with the showing of the documentary The Hunting Ground, which deals with awareness to sexual assault that occurs on college campuses around the country and highlights what students can do to protect themselves and be proactive.

On April 7, we followed up with a first ever Resource Fair circulating around sexual assault and resources for survivors. The Resource Fair was well attended, and the vendors all showed up and appreciated being invited. One highlight from the Resource Fair was the District Attorney’s Office bringing out “North,” who is the emotional support dog that sits with victims of sexual assault while they are on the stand testifying. He was so handsome and a nice addition to the event. After the Resource Fair, Mirna Garcia spoke, who is a survivor of sexual assault at the hands of the “Tower Rapist.” Her story was heartbreaking but empowering to see her overcome so much at such a young age. She shared how she continues to support the community and survivors by speaking at events, being active in the Tower Community Group, and continuing to keep her perpetrator in prison.

A huge shoutout from Renee Garcia, our Deputy Title IX Coordinator, to our campus PD, Officer Poundstone and Officer Medina, for kicking off Sexual Assault Awareness Month with Renee and for always being supportive and participating in her events, and also for their committed efforts in making our campus safe by leading the RAD classes, where they teach our female staff and students how to defend themselves. If you haven’t signed up for the Spring RAD class sessions, it’s not too late. Class starts May 27 – May 30 and will be from 1:00 – 4:00pm. This is a free class to staff, faculty, and registered students.

Raquel Garcia from Rape Counseling Services (RCS) came to campus to present on April 9. She shared information about RCS, answered questions on how to support victims, and shared information on biannual training given by RCS, so people can volunteer to operate the RCS hotlines.

To close the April Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, Renee collaborated with Gladdey Donsanouphit, Title IX Coordinator at FCC, to host the first ever “Take Back the Night” event, which included vendors, poster making, speaker Mirna Garcia, and a short march around the FCC campus. The event was small, but mighty, and so impactful to those that attended.

Thank you to everyone who supported all the April Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, and let’s continue to build a safe campus, and together we can build a safer community.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” –C.G. Jung

TRIO Programs

The TRIO program took a group of 23 students to tour Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Pismo Beach. We spent some time with two TRIO Alumni from CCC, who were able to share their experiences with our students.

We are also in the process of issuing grant aid stipends to eligible students for Spring 2025.

CCC students at Cal Poly

 

Veterans Resource Center (VRC)

  • The Veterans Resource Center has moved to AC2, Room 176. The students are very excited about their new space and have already been putting their new study space to good use.
  • The VRC’s end-of-year celebration is this Thursday, May 1, 12pm-2pm.

The Crush Pantry

  • The Crush Pantry had a busy month during April!
  • Crush Pantry: 1,025 visits
  • Crush Cupboard Snack Stations: 2,565 visits
  • Diaper Bank: 22 parenting students with 16 children served

CalFresh Outreach

The team at Crush Pantry is committed to educating students who visit about the benefits of CalFresh, a vital federal program that provides essential monthly grocery resources to individuals and families facing food insecurity. The Food Pantry Coordinator and Student Success Coaches are available to support students in their application for CalFresh.

Coming soon! The Crush Cafe will soon accept EBT (CalFresh/SNAP)

Exciting news! We understand that accessing fresh and convenient meals on campus is important to our students. That’s why we’re happy to announce that the Crush Cafe will soon accept EBT (CalFresh/SNAP) for items in the self-serve deli cart and snack cart. We appreciate your patience and support, and we’ll be sharing more information with you soon!

Supporting Our Parenting Students: Clothing Swap Party

As part of a growing effort to strengthen support for parenting students at Clovis Community College, the Basic Needs and Retention Services team has launched the Parent and Caregiver Success Initiative. This initiative is designed to build a stronger sense of community among student parents, connect them with vital resources, and ensure their families are supported throughout their academic journey.

As one of the initiative’s first events, the team will collaborate with the Clothing Closet and the Child Development Center to host a Clothing Swap Party for CCC Parents & Caregivers on Friday, May 2, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the CDC Playground. The event invites parenting students, faculty, and staff to exchange gently used children’s clothing (sizes newborn to 13), enjoy dinner, and participate in family-friendly activities. Guests can also visit the Crush Pantry, receive CCC swag, and meet the college’s beloved mascot, Crush.

Black & African American Student Engagement (BAASE) – Black Student Success Week 2025

This year’s Black Student Success Week at Clovis Community College was a powerful, multi-day celebration honoring Black excellence, cultural pride, and student achievement. Centered around the theme, “Lift Up, Level Up: The Rise of Black-Serving Institutions,” the week brought students, faculty, and staff together through meaningful, engaging events designed to build community, support student success, and elevate voices.

The week kicked off with the third annual “Walk It Out… Chalk It Out” event, where students transformed the campus with powerful affirmations like “We Rise Together,” “Educate, Elevate, Empower,” and “Built on Strength, Focused on Success.”

Tuesday’s Study Session, hosted in collaboration with the Tutorial Center, allowed students to receive tutoring in preparation for finals. They also had the opportunity to meet with their Black Student Success Counselor to update their student education plan (SEP).

On Wednesday, the campus came alive with the BSSW Spring Mixer — a high-energy gathering featuring music by DJ Bluz Cluz, food, and participation from campus programs and clubs including TRIO, the Clothing Closet, MESA, the Health Center, EOPS, BSU, and the Conservation Club (who also hosted an event in celebration of Earth Day). Special thanks to the Student Activities team for their incredible support in making this event a success.

Thursday’s Lip Sync Battle brought fun and creativity through a partnership between BSU and ASG, showcasing student talent and school spirit.

Friday culminated in a transformative day trip to Sacramento State University. Thanks to the SCCCD Mini Grant, students received disposable cameras to document their journey and admission tickets to visit the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum. This experience—designed to promote cultural connection and academic reflection—will result in visual projects to be showcased at the college’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration.

Through the end of the semester, we will also be proudly recognizing the 2025 Black Student Success Honorees, who were nominated for their academic achievement, leadership, and community engagement:

  • Jordan Brice
  • Dejahnee (Red) Henderson
  • Mars Harris
  • Janice Howard
  • Skylar James
  • Ian James
  • Mike Jones
  • Quennel Kempe
  • Kasandra Tate
  • Karinna Tate

These exceptional students will be honored on the AC1 lobby screens and recognized with awards during the End-of-Year Black Student Celebration on Thursday, May 8 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

California Council for Adult Education Conference (CCAE)

Sasha Fisher and Edgar Diaz Cruz will attend this year’s CCAE Conference being held in Fresno, May 1 – May 3. The CCAE is an annual conference for adult education professionals throughout the state. The conference is designed for faculty/teachers, administrators, data specialists, transition specialists, and anyone who works with students’ adult education. This opportunity will provide strategies and thoughtful conversation about policy, highlights of innovative or successful programs, networking opportunities, and access to a wide range of vendor exhibits.

Adult Education Campus Tour

Clovis Community College will host its 1st Adult Education Campus Tour on Wednesday, May 7. Adult Education Learners throughout the Central Valley will have an opportunity to experience the CRUSH FAMILY and learn about programs, support services, and campus resources. If you are on campus May 7, please welcome our Adult Learners to Clovis Community College.

Thanks,

Kira Tippins
Vice President of Student Services