Week of August 25, 2025
Hi, my Clovis Fam,
I want you to see that I refer to you as family. This is because of the “Clovis Spirit” that I was indoctrinated into upon my arrival as your president in January 2023. It is what you told me and have demonstrated to me as who we are at our core, who we want to remain and what makes us special.
So, when you read my weekly reports, you will see that it is more than bullet points of all that I do but rather, it is more of the impact that we have on our students, each other, and our diverse communities. It is an understanding that as we are a student centered/ student first college and culture, we are also a college, a family that cares about each other as more than just colleagues. We are family. We celebrate together, we argue together, and we cry together. As I stated in my Opening Day remarks, we are on this plane together and we need each and everyone to know that they are seen, heard, and valued member of this plane.
That being said, I want us to look at and see each other holistically just as we take a holistic approach to seeing our students. Thank you to all the comments from you as I shared about the loss of my uncle. Your pouring of concern was overwhelming. I was asked if my concern for those in my family grieving or struggling extended to you. I said an absolute YES. Actions speak louder than words. While I will not go into what I do when someone is hurting or grieving, as its not meant to be seen as a “look what I did.” It was meant to be a personal moment to remind you that you are family and I see you and acknowledge this time in your life. As in the past, if you know of anyone who had lost a loved one, please let me know and I will make sure that they know that their Clovis Family is here for them. I hope that in the Clovis Spirit, we will give each other grace, love, and comfort as we acknowledge that one of our family may be going through something and needs a little consideration. It goes a long way.
This has been a hard week, we had a mass shooting with loss of life to two children in Minnesota this week. Babies….My heart aches today as I think of the fear and horror in the moments our children were experiencing the worst possible thing in their young lives. I feel for the parents, who waited to hold and hug their children and for those who will never be able to hug their babies ever again. I mourn for the parents of the 23-year-old responsible for this horrific massacre and who also loss their son to suicide. I saw our flags flown at half-staff and I allowed myself to mourn. This morning, I attended the Save the Children of Fresno County Breakfast, and we were reminded of the needs and lack of our children right here, poverty, homelessness, single parent, foster care, hopelessness. But I was also encouraged by the young people who served as MCs, who provided the entertainment and who were videoed talking about we are here, and we are ready, able, and willing to serve. It is in these moments of despair that I take solace in hope of our today and tomorrow and want us to SEE our students. And simply embrace them and one another. We know not what any of us are going through but what we do know is that we can be there for each other in time of celebration and of grief.
As we celebrate together, I want to congratulate both Eunji Seo and Laurie Taylor for receiving approval for their student abroad programs to South Korea and Greece, respectively. I want to say thank you to them for their patience and unwavering and steadfast commitment to process improvements and excellence in the delivery of our programs. As the notification of their approval status was later than desired, these two remarkable faculties will be working diligently to put in place the logistics required to have our students have a memorable experience.
I went to my first ever gender reveal . I was team blue and wore blue from head to toe. I want to congratulate Caryss and her husband as they celebrate with family and friends and some of you as they prepare to welcome their first born and it’s a BOY!
I want to congratulate the following faculty for being recognized this month. Our very own, Lauren Schiebelhut was quoted in a science article about marine pathogen and Dr. Nader Inan co-authored a publication entitled “At the Edge of Uncertainty: Decoding the Cosmological Value with Bose- Einstein Distribution. And last but absolutely not in the least, Bill Kerny was elected to be the President of ACM2Y which is the international computer science society committee for instructors at the community college level. When I had the opportunity to welcome our new faculty members to the family, I told them about the caliber of faculty that we have here at Clovis. We bring teaching excellence, academic rigor, and passion for our students second to none. So, when you hear that community colleges are the second choice, please see why we at Clovis are not only first choice but the value we add to preparing students especially for those who transfer is one of the best in the state. Way to go Nader, Lauren, and Bill.
On Monday, I attended the Classification Survey Study training. We are in the process of reviewing all classified and manager job descriptions. Please look forward to meeting with your managers within the next few weeks to review, update and edit your job description. We have until September 19, 2025, to conclude all the meetings and submit our information to the consultant. There will be time for reconciliation, and we will get a report in the spring.
I did not attend my weekly president’s meeting so that I could attend the classification training. After, I attended a District meeting on training needs for immigration and undocumented students. I want to thank my President’s Advisory group which met with me last week. So, all of the concerns that were vocalized in that meeting I was able to address. There will be a series of trainings in September and October for Chancellor’s Cabinet, Vice Presidents, Executive team and all other faculty, classified staff and students including ASG and student workers.
The trainings will be provided by LSW and our SCCCD PD. The messages will vary depending on the stakeholder group, for example the instructions for the presidents will be different than our front line/student facing and student workers. Primarily because we will be the location where ICE may be referred. There will be a priority messaging to contact SCCCD PD as the first means of contact. There will also be an international focus on “humanizing” our students and employees and not just provide the legal for police duties. These meeting except for the President and VP trainings will occur on our campus.
After, I attended Chancellor’s Cabinet where we prepared for the September 2 nd Board meeting.
On Tuesday, we had a robust Communication Council meeting where we discussed the budget. The discussion was led by Vice Chancellor David El Fattal and we discussed the Governance Handbook; specifically, the decision-making structure, process, and the constituent review process. Three options were presented for consideration.
Later in the afternoon, I held Presidents Cabinet where I reviewed the information from Communication Council and Chancellor’s Cabinet. After, I went to go cheer on our women’s soccer team they played their first home game. The team looks good, and I expect a promising season. Coach Orlando is doing a great job building this new team. I took my chair, sat, moved every time the sun shifted, and talked to Cindy as she took action pictures. I got a run-down of the game as I took advantage of Cindy who played soccer herself.
I had a special treat as the men’s soccer team one by one came up to greet me. It made my day.
On Wednesday, I met with our Achieving the Dream team as we prepare to move into year two. Great job of progressing through the first year. You picked an important data of looking at the “ zero momentum students.” Those students who complete zero credit in their first semester. This is a powerful piece of information which will help us define our resources and strategies and support our strategic plan, equity plan and action plan goals. There will be an email coming out from me inviting every one of you to participate in the Institutional Capacity Assessment Survey ( ICAN) . This survey, with your help will help us self-assess our strengths and capacity as they center on students and community. I am excited to see how we view ourselves. Not how others view us.
I also met with Max and Bill from Academic Senate, and we had a very robust, almost two-hour meeting. Where we talked about issues, expectations and needs from each other and the district. Most of the conversation centered around communication and time to do due diligence especially when it comes to reviewing ARs and BPs. We talked about Opening Day and Convocation and how we can start preparing for next spring. The thought was brought forward about doing community projects as a college. As it is our mission as a community college, it is one of our values and it is one of our ILOs (Personal Responsibility and Professional Development) and is something that I feel worthy of as an institutional lens for serious consideration.
On Thursday, I attended the Classified Senate meeting. I appreciate the invitation from Alyssa. I had the opportunity to address the recent request, by me, to have them hold a special meeting in order to meet the new timeline to get the Equity Plan to the Board. We talked about the need to address the bigger picture of providing ample time for the Classified voice to be fully heard and appreciated and the importance of their perspective for the betterment of Clovis. We also talked about reviewing our timelines to get things done as they appear to be rushed. I asked them to provide their input on our processes as a college. This is a request that I am asking of everyone and stated this in my Opening Day address as the plan for our leveling off these next few years.
On Friday, I attended the District Office New Employee Orientation luncheon where I had the pleasure of spending time over lunch with just our new faculty. It was a one-on-one time of getting to know them and having them get to know me and ask any questions that they might have. I had lunch with Vanessa Valencia, Tanis Elder, Candice Cortney, Jessie Bridgewater, Anna Ingels and Arron Ridenour. What was nice was that I already had the opportunity to meet, greet, and talk with all of them at the various new faculty opportunities that we already do at Clovis. So, I had the pleasure of getting to know them better, hear their dreams and aspirations, and most importantly, their “Why.” We also know who’s a cat, dog, bird, both, or all people. I enjoyed my time with them.
Additionally, this week, the VPs and I did a walk through at Herndon to assess our needs for the building as we prepare to share the facilities with the SCCCD Training Center. The goal is to make sure we have an informed decision of our space and facilities needs as we enter into this formalized partnership. After I finished the walk through, I had a wonderful conversation with Tom about safety, OSEA, beer, hamburgers, salmon, and college football. As I was leaving Herndon, I spent some time with Juan Carlos and Ray after they were talking to a mother and her two sons (from Visalia) about his Ag Tech program.
I ended my week with attending the men’s soccer game and going to the Engineering Renaissance Club meeting.
As I finish my weekly reflections, I want to mention a few things that were in my head this week. As some of you may know, I am from Louisiana, my mother and sister still live in Baton Rouge. We are recognizing the 20 th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. My older daughter is a film producer and was asked to edit the 20 th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In the middle of editing a story of a black male her age, she texted me and her sister and said she was triggered. She was the same age as he was, 10, when his world crumbled. He lost everything and almost everyone. It took months for his father who was working out of town to locate him. She was able to complete the documentary from a place of responsibility to that young man, the cause and the passion to tell a story that she, although living in Illinois at the time, intimately knew. My younger daughter told me that it was because of Hurricane Katrina that she became socially and responsible. She was almost 9 when it devastated the gulf shore and thousands of lives. Both daughters chose to attend LSU in Baton Rouge, After my younger daughter graduated, she was hired by Humana. The following year, Hurricane Barry hit Louisiana. At 23 she was the only one able to assist. Her bosses were in Florida and were flooded and without power themselves. My daughter asked if she could take the lead and assist the people in New Orleans. She coordinated and brought in semi-trucks filled with generators, air conditioners, food, and water. All because she became socially aware when she was 9. We are Louisiana Strong even 20 years later.
This week has been a roller coaster of emotions and situations. I have rejoiced and I have cried.
I am thankful for you as my family. I have had students come by and see me from the MESA orientation and from the Honors orientation. I have students come up to me because they recognize me from the welcome video. I ran into Eric Mendoza at Sprouts, and he spoke to me. I was filled with pure joy because he felt comfortable enough to speak to me in public. We both ended up at Herndon and continued to talk about brown people assimilating, accommodating and code shifting. Us being led by the perception of others and our parents directing what we wear and how we act. I enjoyed the conversation. I then ran into Erin and we talked about dress codes at work. Here at Clovis we value the individual voice and find that it is in our diversity and uniqueness that we are our strongest. I went to Herndon specifically to leave something for Michelle.
On Friday morning, someone in a really nice car, drove over to me while I was getting gas, at Shaw and Leonard and blew and waved I couldn’t see you though the tinted window. Please let me know who you were.
I fist bumped Phil, chased Gurdeep off campus, and told Bee to make sure Kira left.
And I mourned with Stephanie as she told me of the transitioning and then passing of her father. Please join me in praying for her and being there for her not just for now, but for as long as she needs us. We are family.
I tell you all of this and not just a list of things that I do or boxes that get checked because we at Clovis are more than that. We ARE FAMILY. That is what makes us unique and special.
I am presenting to each of you a charge.
Clovis Spirit and Kindness are verbs and action words. (Sorry Teresa and my English faculty). What will each of you commit to doing to demonstrate the Clovis Spirit and to be Kind.
We stated in our Integrated 2025 that one of our values was kindness; we always talk about the Clovis spirit. In the season that we are in, in light of what happened in Minnesota and here at Wilson Elementary school, what is our personal responsibility? What can we do in the community to stand firm on being this communities college?
I am also asking that we walk in the Clovis Spirit and in Kindness on campus. Be present; I have asked all VPs and Deans to come out of their offices and engage with our students. See them and hear them. You may be the only kind work or positive interaction they have that day, that week, ever. We know some are homeless, have food insecurities, dealing with immigration fears, not being respected for choosing to be their authentic selves.
I want each of us to be intentional about seeing our students and each other and practicing the verb of kindness.
Thank you for hearing me this week and allowing me to lean on each of you to help us to be “the change we want to see…. Action.’
Take care of yourselves and each other.
