What's Happening at Cañada? Week of December 14, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of December 7, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of November 30, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of November 23, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of November 16, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of November 9, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of November 2, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of October 26, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of October 19, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of October 12, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of September 28, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of September 21, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of September 15, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of September 7, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of August 31, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of August 24, 2015

USA TODAY College Recognizes Cañada College as One of the Top 10 Community Colleges in Northern California

NorCal vs SoCal community colleges: Who makes the grade?

Surfers vs. tree huggers. Giants vs. Dodgers. Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. It’s no secret that the unofficial rivalry between Northern and Southern California runs deep, and the list of points of spirited contention goes on — even when it comes to education.

We love a good rivalry. With plenty of unique slang choices and the option of shady redwoods or sunny beaches all in the same state, we knew we had to pit NorCal versus SoCal for ultimate community college supremacy. We took four of the main metrics in our original methodology that ranked all community colleges in California — university transfer rate, student-faculty ratio, affordability and distance education — and compared the 10 top colleges in both regions to see who makes the grade for each metric.

NorCal: A+ for transfer rate

There are three main reasons why students usually enroll in community colleges: some sign up to get a professional certification or vocational degree, some are there just to learn a new skill or brush up on a knowledge area, and some hope to tackle some general education requirements before transferring to university to take their major-concentration coursework. This particular metric concerns itself with that last group, those who springboard out of junior college into a bachelor’s- or master’s-level program at a school in the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) system.

Community colleges in Northern California took the top spot when it comes to these transfer rates per 1,000 students, with two schools in particular — Hartnell College and the College of San Mateo — standing significantly ahead of the others. In fact, the 10 colleges representing the NorCal region produced nearly 60% more transfer students than their counterparts in the southern half of the state.

Bottom line: If admission to a 4-year school in the UC or CSU system the long-term goal that aligns with your career goals, definitely consider starting your educational path at a NorCal community college.

SoCal: A+ for distance education

Accessibility to unconventional methods of instruction can represent a college’s commitment to education for a diverse range of people, and the number of distance education students enrolled at an institution can serve as a measure of the strength of its dedication to accessibility. The winner in this category wasn’t quite as clear-cut as the others, so let’s take a look at some of the detail in the data.

The top spot for students enrolled exclusively in distance education went to community colleges in Southern California, with Palo Verde College‘s 31 percent blowing away the rest of the field. West Hills College – Lemoore was the star performer among community colleges in Northern California, ranking No. 1 overall for students enrolled in any sort of distance education at all with 43 percent. The second place schools in each region — Mendocino College in NorCal and Taft College in SoCal — each had 33 percent of their students taking some form of distance education, with Taft taking a slight edge in the all-online percentage. We’re going to give this one to SoCal by a nose, but it could potentially go either way.

Bottom line: California seems to be a haven for students who need diverse learning options, and you can likely find the flexibility you need in either part of the state, but keep in mind that SoCal has more students exclusively enrolled in online education.

NorCal: A+ for student-faculty ratio

It’s widely agreed that fewer students per teacher tends to make for instruction that’s more personalized, and more personalized instruction is often more effective. Schools in our study ran the gamut of student-faculty ratios, ranging from as high as 48 students per faculty member to as low as 16.

Yet community colleges in Northern California were clear winners on this metric. No fewer than three schools included in our study — Mendocino College, College of Marin and Feather River Community College in Quincy — had student-faculty ratios that ranked in the top 10 percent statewide, and both San Jose City College and Cañada College ranked not far behind, in the upper quintile.

Los Angeles Southwest College took the top spot among community colleges in Southern California with a finish in the top 40 percent, but it wasn’t enough to tip the scales.

Bottom line: It’s important to remember how crucial access to professors and instructors can be — especially when you consider the throngs of students a bigger university lecture hall can fit. Consider a NorCal community college if better chances at engaging with your faculty sound appealing.

SoCal: A+ for affordability

The burden of student loan debt has been a hot topic over the last several years, particularly since tuition expenses have gone up thousands of dollars per student per year at some institutions. California may be the most affordable state overall for two-year colleges, but there’s quite a bit of variation from region to region.

This metric was another one with a clear winner, this time favoring schools in SoCal over their northern counterparts. We gave each school an affordability score based on where it ranked in relation to others, and the average score of 4.5 for community colleges in Southern California came in well ahead of the 2.8 average earned by NorCal schools, on a ten-point scale. Santa Ana College in Orange County took the top spot on this list, followed by four members of the LACCD: Los Angeles City College, East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College and Los Angeles Southwest College. The most affordable school up north, Cañada College in Redwood City, was less affordable than all but the four most expensive schools we sampled in SoCal.

Bottom line: Like we mentioned at the start, California as a whole has some pretty affordable 2-year schools, but if the total cost you’re facing for community college — including tuition, fees, books and supplies — is your deciding factor, consider attending one in sunny SoCal.

Wait, so who makes the grade?

Each region got top marks in exactly two of our four metrics, which might make it seem at first as though they’re just plain equal, but it’s important to consider the details of what you’re looking for in an education that meets your career goals. If you’re looking for a community college experience with smaller classes, then you’re more likely to find what you’re after at community colleges in Northern California. However, if affordability is your main objective, SoCal might be the place for you.

Here’s a list of all the schools we looked at, and once you check out if any of these could be a good fit, make some longer-term educational goals and check out more information about campus-based colleges in California:

Best Northern California community colleges:

1. West Hill College – Lemorre
2. Porterville College
3. San Jose City College
4. Mendocino College
5. Hartnell College
6. College of Marin
7. Contra Costa College
8. College of San Mateo
9. Cañada College
10. Feather River Community College

Best Southern California community colleges:

1. Norco College
2. Los Angeles Trade Technical College
3. Los Angeles City College
4. Bakersfield College
5. Palo Verde College
6. Taft College
7. East Los Angeles College
8. Imperial Valley College
9. Los Angeles Southwest College
10. Santa Ana College

Link to article: http://college.usatoday.com/2015/07/30/norcal-vs-socal-community-colleges/

Sources:
1. “University of California Origin of New Undergraduates, Academic Year: 2013,” California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Report Issued Oct. 29, 2014, accessed April 2, 2015, https://www.elcamino.edu/administration/ir/docs/acadperformance/New%20EnrCCCUCCampus13-14.pdf
2. Tuition and Fees by Sector and State over Time, Trends in Higher Education, The College Board, accessed June 23, 2014, http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/tuition-fees-sector-state-time
3. IPEDs Data Center, National Center for Education Statistics, accessed April 2015, https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/

A version of this article originally appeared on Schools.com and was written by Aimee Hosler.

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of May 25, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of May 18, 2015

Chris Tigno Hired as Head Volleyball Coach

Chris Tigno comes to Cañada College as the Head Coach Volleyball after eight years as the Head Varsity Coach of the San Mateo High School, where he has led the Bearcats to Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs bids in six of his eight seasons there. Chris has also coached Club Volleyball since 2005, including most recently at the 17s level at Red Rock Volleyball Club in Redwood City.

 

Chris holds a USA Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program certification. Chris grew up in the Bay Area, and holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and a law degree from Cal.

Cañada College offers volleyball and conditioning classes to any interested student. All levels of fitness ability are welcome. Players interested in playing for Cañada College, please contact Chris Tigno at cbt94010@gmail.com or 650-306-3131.

 

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of May 4, 2015

 

 

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of April 27, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of April 20, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of April 13, 2015

 

 

Join the 2015-16 Puente Project at Cañada College!

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSVP at: https://docs.google.com/a/my.smccd.edu/forms/d/10nnhi1B6kT8SRRNRpvcYiF-H1PzkSyMxY0m23qTljnM/viewform?c=0&w=1

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of March 30, 2015

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of March 16, 2015

San Jose Mercury News: Canada's Martin matures on and off the court

Canada's Martin matures on and off the court

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily News Staff Writer

Manny Martin doesn't back down from a fight in the post, which is a good thing for the Canada College men's basketball team. But growing up, the 25-year-old didn't back down from a fight in general, which was bad for Manny Martin.

"It's a story tell, I guess, where I was at and where I am now," he said.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore power forward with the Colts constantly ran away from home as a kid. At age 11 or 12, Martin was sent to a boot camp in San Luis Obispo akin to the A&E series Beyond Scared Straight.

"And it didn't work," he said. "I used to fight almost every single day."

Martin was expelled from middle school and sent to a boarding school in Utah that more resembled a juvenile facility. Then his mother passed away in 2006.

"That's kind of when I looked myself in the mirror and, I guess, you could say in a way found who I was," Martin said.

He returned to Los Angeles, but never played basketball at Fairfax High. Then one day he joined a pickup basketball game at Santa Monica College. The coach asked Martin if he wanted to work out with the team, and it wasn't long before he was playing tournaments and entering dunk contests in Venice Beach.

"To be honest with you, when I was in L.A., basketball really saved my life," said Martin, who has two biological daughters who live with their mother in Modesto and is the father figure to a 7-year-old girl he's known since Day 1 of her life. "So it was just something that I really believe in my heart that without it, I could have definitely exited on a completely different path and went the wrong direction, for sure."

Word got out about this raw talent and then-Canada coach Peter Diepenbrock, who guided Palo Alto High to a state championship in 2006, flew down to visit Martin.

"Anybody that ever asks me about Diepenbrock, I'll tell them he saved my life," Martin said. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I'm at today. We had our ups and downs and our problems, but he was a good man and it's emotional to talk about him."

As a freshman during the 2009-10 season, Martin was a force to be reckoned with. He remembers ranking in the top 20 in the state in scoring and third in rebounding.

But the team struggled in conference play and finished with a 10-14 record. Martin, who failed to adjust to the discipline and structure in his first full season of organized basketball, wasn't in the starting lineup for the last seven games.

"I wasn't ready for basketball yet," said Martin, who admits he made a lot of bad choices. "I recognize that and Diepenbrock recognized it and everybody recognized that."

Short temper

"He was a troubled kid for sure," said Oladele Sobomehin, a mentor to Martin and founder of Team Esface, a year-round basketball academy for boys and girls established in 2005 with headquarters in East Palo Alto and gym locations in Redwood City and Menlo Park. "It was obvious he had a very bad attitude, a hot temper, was quick to get into a scuffle with his opponent. But he had a lot of youthful energy and he was a pretty positive kid for the most part. He enjoyed the game of basketball, just how he dealt with conflict revealed his lack of character."

Two months after Martin decided not to return for his sophomore season with the Colts, he was shot outside a bar in Fremont.

"Just wrong place, wrong time and I was targeted," he said.

It was the night of Dec. 12, 2010. Martin got into an altercation with a man. As he tells, words and punches were exchanged. Friends of the other guy, who went back to his car, began to punch and step on Martin. Eventually able to get up, he said he ran about 4 feet when a loud boom reverberated.

"I looked down and I actually saw the bullet go through my chest," said Martin, who managed to run another couple of blocks. "I remember putting my left hand on a white car and then laughing and saying, 'I just got shot.' And the next thing I remember I was in a hospital bed two days later."

Wake-up call

When he woke up from a coma, Martin had a shattered scapula, fractured rib, punctured lung. It wasn't until March that he regained feeling in his left arm and shoulder. He was unable to get back on the court until September of 2011.

An opportunity arose to play J.C. basketball in Seattle the next year, but that didn't work out. Instead, he ended up in a small town called Centralia and blew out his right knee trying to join the local college basketball team.

Martin returned to the Bay Area for his rehab and rejoined Team Esface as a coach, a job for which he was first hired in the summer of 2010.

"I wanted to invest in him and I saw the potential in him becoming a great coach," said Sobomehin, who next week will meet with Martin to look at pros and cons of scholarship offers from four-year colleges. "And with that opportunity, obviously he would learn a lot of life lessons along the way."

Just like there were ups and downs his freshman season at Canada, there were rough patches with Team Esface.

"There was obviously a learning curve and it wasn't a very smooth road," Sobomehin said. "There were plenty of times where he would get into little scuffles or conflicts with other coaches, so the chemistry was always an issue, although he would always be good with the kids."

Back to college

A successful stint in 2014 at the San Francisco Pro-Am basketball summer league at Kezar, where he got to guard NBA players such as Stephen Curry of the Warriors and Isaiah Thomas of the Celtics, rekindled his passion for organized basketball.

"I was actually able to stand my ground, so I made a decision that maybe it's time to see where my basketball career can go," Martin said. "I felt mentally ready, emotionally ready, physically ready to try this college thing again."

Via email he contacted Canada coach Mike Reynoso, who heard through the grapevine that Martin had expressed interest in returning after a three-season hiatus.

The question was, would Martin see this through until the end?

"Everybody has problems that they run into in life," Reynoso said. "And for him, really seeing his growth and maturity through this year is just unbelievable. Who he's become as a young man is great to see. More than all the stats and every accolade that you can give him on the court, he's just really bought into the program and bought into the philosophy of what we do."

The final four

Martin averages 11.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals on the fourth-highest scoring team in the state. The Colts (24-6) completed a turnaround from a five-win season to reach the four-team state community college championships, which tip off tonight at El Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Diepenbrock joined the Colts bandwagon this season, and he was in the stands when Canada won on the road to clinch a spot in the final four.

"When I came away from these last several games that I've watched, the thing that I tell people is that Manny is playing basketball," Diepenbrock said. "The light is going on. ... He's playing like a team guy. He's a much different player now than when I had him, and it probably goes with him being a much different person, I gotta figure."

The Colts began the season 19-2, then faced adversity for the first time during a five-game stretch in which they lost four times. Reynoso called a team meeting after back-to-back crushing losses that ended any hopes of a conference title.

"I was expecting us to sit in the meeting and Coach yell at us and people point fingers and blame it on the next person," Martin said. "But Coach put up a YouTube video of Kevin Garnett and how hungry he was, and he showed us what a championship team is really about."

The 19-year-old version of Manny Martin might have been one of those people to point fingers. Maybe he runs his mouth at the coach and gets benched after making yet another bad choice.

The 25-year-old version is a catalyst on a team contending for a state championship, and those who know him best hope there's not a relapse in his future.

"People that know me say that I'm a scorer," Martin said. "They say, 'Manny, you can put the ball in the hoop.' On this team, they want me to do the little things. They want me to rebound, they want me to take charges. I love that stuff. I love battling inside, I enjoy the physicality, I enjoy just the fight inside."

Email Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com; follow him at Twitter.com/dailynewsvytas.

 

What's Happening at Cañada? Week of March 9, 2015

 

San Jose Mercury News: Junior college basketball: Canada reaches final four for first time since 1994

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_27679312/junior-college-basketball-canada-reaches-final-four-first

 

Junior college basketball: Canada reaches final four for first time since 1994

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily News Staff Writer

What a difference a year makes.

The men's basketball team at Canada College didn't even sniff the playoffs during a five-win season in 2013-14. Now the Colts find themselves in the four-team state community college championships.

"It's something else," said second-year coach Mike Reynoso said. "It's an exciting time."

It's the first trip since 1994 to the final four for Canada (24-6), which was seeded ninth in the NorCal Regional and needed three road victories to extend its season.

"I think we actually like being on the road," Reynoso said. "That's something that our team has thrived on throughout the season, just being tested on the road and that atmosphere where everybody is rooting against us."

The latest victory came Saturday night at No. 3 Marin, which trailed by 17 points during the send half before chipping away at the deficit.

"It was intense," Reynoso said. "It was so much energy, so much just passion involved in the game from both sides."

Free throws down the stretch by sophomores Kenny Hatch and Rohndell Goodwin helped Canada cling to its lead.

Goodwin came down with a key rebound with 3.8 seconds left and converted both free throws to finish with a game-high 24 points off the bench.

"We definitely rushed the court," Reynoso said. "I ran and jumped on Rohndell Goodwin. Our other assistant Jason Hardee went and hugged Manny Martin and everybody was kind of getting in together, excited before we went in line and shook their hands."

The Colts take on Saddleback (31-2), the No. 1 seed out of the south, in Friday's semifinals at 7 p.m. All games will be hosted by Cerritos College in Norwalk with the championship game Sunday at 1 p.m.

The semifinal will provide a contrast in styles, as Canada features the No. 4 offense in the state at 83.9 points per game, while Saddleback ranks second in fewest points allowed at 56.2.

"I expect a good team regardless at this point," said Reynoso, who in a brief scouting report noted Saddleback features a big post presence.

"He's going to have to run with us and we're going to have to bang with him inside. I think it's going to be an old-fashioned matchup. It's going to be blow for blow, and whoever makes the most runs and keeps their composure will come out the winner."

Freshman guard Crisshawn Clark finished with 15 points and nine rebounds against Marin, while power forward Manny Martin had 13 points and nine boards. Hatch scored 12.

"They went to a zone and we hit 3's, they overplayed us on the perimeter and we drove by them, we pounded it inside, we rebounded, hit free throws," said Reynoso, whose team overcame 25 turnovers. "We just played a complete game and we took care of the ball until the last seven minutes."

In the opposite side of the bracket, No. 17 Foothill fell 62-50 to No. 5 Merritt in Oakland. The Owls, who upset the No. 1 seed the previous weekend, finish the season with a 15-17 record.

Email Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com; follow him at Twitter.com/dailynewsvytas.

New Year Brings New Scholarship Opportunities

New Year Brings New Scholarship Opportunities

Each year, the three colleges of the San Mateo County Community College District -- Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College -- award institutional scholarships to new, continuing, and transfer students. The scholarship awards are based on academic achievement, financial need or specific interests such as clubs, athletics, and service.

Funding for our scholarships comes from contributions to San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation. The Foundation is the colleges' partner in promoting student success at our colleges and in ensuring that quality, affordable higher education is available to every member of our community. It is due to the ongoing generosity of donors since the Foundation's inception in 1966 that many thousands of students have attended college and realized a better life. Contributions to the Foundation are received from many sources: individuals (including Cañada, College of San Mateo, and Skyline alumni, faculty, and staff), businesses, civic groups, community organizations, and other foundations. For more information about San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation, please visit www.smcccfoundation.org.

The 2015-16 Cañada College Scholarship Application is now open. In order to apply for scholarships, students must have a college-issued "my.smcccd.edu" email address and be enrolled within the San Mateo County Community College District (Cañada College, College of San Mateo and Skyline College). If you are not currently enrolled for fall 2014 or spring 2015 semesters but plan to attend next year, please Apply for Admissions to attend the summer 2015 or fall 2016 semesters. Once admitted, you will be sent your "my.smccd.edu" email address and be able to apply for our scholarship program.

Please click HERE to view our Scholarship Opportunities and apply. If you are a new applicant, click the Sign Up button to create your account. If a returning applicant, click Sign In to complete or update your scholarship application. Please click here to download instructions to help you complete the application. The Application Deadline is February 12, 2015 at 11:59 p.m.

Please attend a Scholarship Application Workshop if you have questions or need assistance. All workshops will be held at Cañada College in the Financial Literacy Lab, Building 9-123.

Date	Day	Time
December 4, 2014	Thursday	1:00 - 2:00 PM
December 10, 2014	Wenesday	5:00 - 6:00 PM
January 26, 2015	Monday	1:00 - 2:00 PM
January 27, 2015	Tuesday	5:00 - 6:00 PM
February 2, 2015	Monday	1:00 - 2:00 PM
February 3, 2015	Tuesday	5:00 - 6:00 PM
February 9, 2015	Monday	1:00 - 2:00 PM
February 10, 2015	Tuesday	5:00 - 6:00 PM
February 12, 2015	Thursday	1:00 - 2:00 PM

 

Need Help Writing a Personal Statement?

Our office is hosting workshops on the following dates to assist you in writing your personal statement for the Cañada College Scholarship Application and other scholarship oportunities. These workshops are being offered in partnership with the Learning Center and TRiO Student Support Services to provide tips and advice to help you develop a thoughtful and well written personal statement.

Date	Time	Location
January 27, 2015	1:00 - 2:00 PM	Financial Literacy Lab (9-123)
February 9, 2015	4:00 - 5:00 PM	Financial Literacy Lab (9-123)
February 10, 2015	1:00 - 2:00 PM	Financial Literacy Lab (9-123)