Learning English Led to a New Life for Redwood City’s Patricia Segura

After moving from Mexico five years ago, Patricia Segura knew she would have to master English to stay in the United States, find a job, and fulfill her goal of studying to become a nurse. But without command of the language, going to college seemed impossible.

“When I decided to stay in this country, I wanted to keep studying as I was doing in my country,” she said. “Learning English became a new short-term goal in my life. I wanted to study English in college but I had to start from the beginning.”

She began taking community-based English courses offered by Cañada College at Sequoia High School. Later she moved to John Gill Elementary School to take a course because her nephew was in the class. When she finished her course at John Gill, Segura’s professor helped her sign up for the first level of English as a Second Language at Cañada College.

“When I started at Cañada, my goal was to learn English to find a job,” she said. “Now I'm pursuing my goal of becoming a nurse. The more I learn the language the more secure I feel in achieving my future plans.”

As she mastered English, Segura became more confident. “I learned how to adapt to my new culture and become part of my new community.” She took a child development course at Cañada and that led to a job. “That really changed my life.”

Segura said her first bit of advice to anyone moving to the United States from another country is to learn English. “It’s not easy, especially if you work and study, but it’s not impossible. You can change the way you see the world and many new doors will open. The satisfaction of being part of the student community is very important.”

The Cañada College CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program is collaboration between the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), the Redwood City School District (RCSD), and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program provides language and computer skills classes for the workforce. These ESL and computer classes, offered at seven different sites in the South San Mateo County community, serve as a bridge to on-campus academic and career programs. Upon completing the program, students receive the English for the Workforce Award.

For more information, please contact: Jenny Castello, ESL and CBET, Department Coordinator – castello@smccd.edu; Diana Espinoza-Osuna, ESL and CBET, Retention Specialist – espinozaosunad@smccd.edu; or the ESL and CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program- (650) 306-3388.

Learning English Was a Life-Changing Experience for Gladys Chanco

For Redwood City’s Gladys Chanco, enrolling in community-based English courses offered by Cañada College was a way to help her six-year-old daughter with her homework.

Chanco’s daughter was enrolled at Selby Lane Elementary School. “I learned about the English courses from a flyer that my daughter brought home. I needed to help my little daughter with her homework so I had to learn English. I remember going to class with her and feeling proud that I would be able to help her.”

Chanco passed the English as a Second Language 800 course and was so encouraged by her success that she began to set new goals. “My second target was to finish the first four levels of ESL and earn my ACE (Academic Command of English) Certificate. Today, I’m taking ESL 400 and I’m preparing for a course in accounting. I want to finish all of the ESL courses so that I can earn my associate degree in accounting.”

In addition to opening a door to a new career, having command of English made Chanco’s day-to-day life easier. “I passed the driver’s exam and got my license and now I’m able to drive myself around. I’m able to study for my citizenship exam next year. I’m also able to meet with my daughter’s teacher during parent-teacher conference without the need of a translator.”

Chanco said people who come to Redwood City without the ability to speak English should register for the community-based English courses offered by Cañada. “It’s never too late to start studying,” she said. “Studying English as a second language will open the door to many opportunities. It was the best decision I ever made in my life.”

The Cañada College CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program is a collaboration between the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), the Redwood City School District (RCSD), and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program provides language and computer skills classes for the workforce. These ESL and computer classes, offered at seven different sites in the South San Mateo County community, serve as a bridge to on-campus academic and career programs. Upon completing the program, students receive the English for the Workforce Award.

For more information, please contact: Jenny Castello, ESL and CBET, Department Coordinator – castello@smccd.edu; Diana Espinoza-Osuna, ESL and CBET, Retention Specialist – espinozaosunad@smccd.edu; or the ESL and CBET/Off-Campus ESL Program- (650) 306-3388.

Spring Semester Registration Fees Are Due Jan. 6!

On Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, students who have any outstanding fee balances will be dropped from all classes at midnight for non-payment of outstanding fees.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 7, students will be dropped at midnight the day following their registration for non-payment of fees.

If you need assistance in paying your fees, you are encouraged to:

 

• enroll in an inexpensive payment plan via WebSMART by 8:00 p.m. on January 6.
• complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. A minimum of five (5) business days processing time is required to ensure receipt of the FAFSA to prevent your drop for non-payment (school code required: 006973 Cañada).
• If you are an AB540 student and unbale to complete a FAFSA due to your citizenship status, complete the 2013-14 California Dream Act Application as soon as possible. A minimum of five business days processing time is required to ensure receipt of the Dream Application to prvent your drop for non-payment (school code required: 006973 Cañada).
• complete the Board of Governors Fee Waiver via WebSMART.
• Have fees paid by a third party (i.e. Dept. of Rehab, Scholarship, WIA, etc.).
• If you still need financial assistance after exhausting all options listed above, please contact the Vice President of Student Services.

Dance Motion VII Steps Out Dec. 13

The annual Cañada College fall semester student dance performance will be held Friday, Dec. 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theater. The performance is free and open to the public but donations are requested to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. This year’s performance is titled “Dance Motion VII”.

Dance instructor Ana Miladinova said she’s excited for this year’s performance because of the diversity in the dances. “We have jazz, modern, ballet, salsa, and hip-hop,” she said. “I also saw some students practicing by themselves and performing dances on Latin music which were very vibrant.”

Many of the students are taking Miladinova’s Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz and Salsa dance classes. She said some have performed before and some are beginners. “It is exciting to watch them practice,” she said. “It brings them happiness. Many students have been working for this since the beginning of the semester because they are passionate about dance. Their enthusiasm shows on the dance floor.”

Miladinova said the college developed a dance degree, which was recently approved by the state and some of the students intend to study dance at the college. “After completing the degree, they may transfer to a four year university or become future choreographers and dance teachers or performers,” she said.

Noel Chavez Hired as College Recruiter

Noel Chavez, a former Cañada College student and a Sequoia High School graduate, has been hired as Cañada's new college recruiter. He replaces Ariackna Alvarez who moved to Southern California in the summer.

Chavez is a 2004 graduate of Sequoia High School, where he received the Sequoia Awards Scholarship. He graduated from Cañada in 2008 with a degree in sociology and recently graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont with a degree in human services with a concentration in academic counseling.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to return to Cañada," Chavez said. "Cañada has meant so much to me and was instrumental in my education."

While studying at Cañada, Chavez was actively involved in student government and worked as a campus ambassador where he recruited high school students from the Sequoia Union High School District. He received multiple scholarships and received the Cañada College President's Student Leadership Award at commencement.

For the past five years, Chavez has been working actively in the Redwood City, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto communities. He is a fellow in the San Francisco Foundation's Koshland Program where he focuses on mentoring and advocating for youth in the North Fair Oaks community.

As the college recruiter, Chavez will supervise a group of student ambassadors that will represent Cañada at various events and in the local high schools. He will also develop the school's recruiting activities in association with Cañada's strategic plan.

"I'm the perfect example of how Cañada can help our local students," Chavez said. "The support I received at the school helped me earn a college degree. That's a powerful message."

Women's Health Issues Explored in Spring Course

Studies have shown that women, as health care patients, have different needs and concerns as compared to men.  Women also experience different obstacles in their attempt to access health care in the U.S. and internationally.

A course offered at Cañada College this spring explores not only specific health concerns for women but also the issues and challenges that uniquely affect women as patients. 

HSCI 116: Women’s Health Issues will be offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:45 to 11. Class begins January 14.

The course covers a wide variety of topics including the basic anatomy and physiology of the female body, the unique nutritional needs of women throughout the life cycle, issues around fertility and reproduction, and the impact of women’s socioeconomic status on their ability to access healthcare and advocate for their needs.

"In more nitty-gritty terms, this course provides women with a rare opportunity to learn relevant information about their bodies and to become more informed patients," said Dani Behonick, assistant professor of Health Sciences and Biology at Cañada. Behonick will be teaching the course.

"Men who take the class have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the health of their partners and family members and to become informed allies and advocates for women’s health," Behonick said.  

"We get real in this class – favorite topics include a lecture-long tour through the ins and outs of the pelvic exam, explanations and demos of how several forms of contraception work and classwide discussions of why folks might opt for one method over another, a month-long project where all students (including the men) must track their basal body temperature each day and reflect on how effective they think this would be as a contraceptive/fertility method, and conversations on what 'normal' looks like for the female body," Behonick said.

Career, Technical Programs on Display Dec. 5 for High School Students

Approximately 200 students from five local high schools will descend on campus Thursday, Dec. 5 to learn about a variety of career and technical programs available at Cañada.

"We'll be hosting students from Capuchino, Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia and Woodside high schools," said Mallory Stevens, event organizer and assistant professor in the Business, Design & Workforce Division. "The presentations will focus on three programs: Multimedia Art, Fashion and Merchandising, and Computer Science."

Stevens said the program is designed to educate students about career and technical programs available at Cañada in addition to possible careeers available in those fields. Students will also receive a personalized tour of campus that focuses on the services available outside the classroom.

The high schools were invited based on the career and technical education pathways they offered. "We want to show students that they can go to college, study the subject they've enjoyed in high school, and prepare for a number of career paths."

For more information about the event, contact Stevens at stevensm@smccd.edu.