New University Center Team is Building a Path to a Four-Year Degree

Lizette Bricker, Jeffrey Rhoades and Sunny Choi will help Cañada students transition from their associate degrees to bachelor degrees.

 

There’s a new team in the University Center ready to help Cañada students earn bachelor’s degrees.
 

 

Lizette Bricker

Lizette Bricker, Sunny Choi, and Jeffrey Rhoades have been hired through the A2B (Associate to Bachelor Degree) Grant, a five-year, $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. The grant will also help pay for research, library services, tutoring, peer mentoring, and a distance education designer.
 

“This grant is a major step forward,” said Lucy Carter, director of the Center for International and University Studies, where the University Center resides. “Adding staff will increase our capacity to help students reach their educational goals.”
 

The University Center currently partners with San Francisco State University, Notre Dame de Namur University, National University, and National Hispanic University to offer a variety of four-year degrees including:


 

·         Allied Health

·         Business Administration

·         Human Services

·         Nursing

·         Psychology
 

A degree in Child Development will begin in the fall.
 

Bricker will manage the current programs, allowing Carter to work with universities and colleges to bring new programs to the University Center. Bricker has worked as a high school and community college counselor and was the Regional Coordinator for the Early Academic Outreach Program at UC Riverside. She also served three years as an Admissions and Student Recruiter at CSU San Bernardino.

 

Jeffrey Rhoades

Rhoades was the database and website manager for the Center for Excellence in Graduate Education at CSU Stanislaus. He will now provide logistical support for guest faculty and staff at the University Center.
 

“I look forward to contributing toward the progress of the A2B Program and to building enduring relationships with the stakeholders of Cañada College and the San Mateo County Community College District,” he said.
 

Sunny Choi

Choi has worked as a high school guidance counselor and as a graduation specialist at San Jose State University where she developed a program to help graduating students transition into the workforce. She will now serve as the primary case manager for students who are moving from Cañada’s associate degree programs to the University Center.

 

Carter said Choi will be working with Cañada students who have completed 30 units and expressed an interest in earning a bachelor’s degree. “Sunny will work with students, academic counselors and others to make sure students are taking the necessary courses and getting the support services they need to transition seamlessly into the University Center programs.”

 

Choi said the University Center represents a wonderful opportunity. “I’m really excited to be working in an atmosphere where we can make a difference in the lives of students.”

For more information, visit the University Center website or call (650) 306-3399.