Greetings, Wolverines!

Spring Break is officially here!  The Commencement stage is fast approaching.

Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with community college leaders at Cal Poly Pomona for the 2025 Community College Leadership Summit.  We received very informative presentations about collaborations to strengthen enrollment, AI, and dual enrollment.  I also had the opportunity to explore downtown San Bernardino looking at revitalization efforts and potential collaborations for SBVC.  In addition to hosting the Board of Trustees meeting, our College provided the Trustees with a tour of instructional areas.  Thank you, Interim Vice President of Instruction, Leticia Hector, Interim Dean Lorrie Burnham, and Interim Dean Davena Burns-Peters for coordinating a stellar tour!  Special thanks to our students who presented and our stellar faculty, including Dr. Mandi Batalo, Tim Colbert, Dr. Fernando Gomez, Dr. Thomas Lechuga, and Tatiana Vasquez.

My week was highlighted by a presentation from students representing the History Club as they shared amazing ideas around our centennial.

Here are some topics for this week:

1. SBVC NOW ACCEPTING EBT!

Exciting news—SBVC has been approved to accept EBT at the Snack Bar by the Physical Sciences building! This is a huge step toward improving food accessibility for our students, ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to stay focused on their education. We will be officially distributing this information to students, but please also spread the word to students.  Special thanks to Vice President of Administrative Services, Keith Bacon, Erik Morden, and all our teammates for making this meaningful resource available for the Valley College community.

2. BUILDING BRIDGES WITH OUR FEEDER SCHOOLS

Last week, I had the pleasure of connecting with high school counselors from our feeder schools at the High School Counselor Conference. These partnerships are essential in creating strong pathways to SBVC, and I want to express my gratitude to our counseling team and all who contribute to making these relationships flourish. I am so impressed by the extensive knowledge held by the high school counselors as they earned a perfect score on the SBVC pop quiz.  My keynote remarks focused on 2 takeaways—(1) Counseling is more important than any time in the history of education because of how the world is changing around us; and (2) SBVC is a reminder today that PLACE and RACE still matter!  Thank you to Dean Marco Cota, all of our counseling faculty, and the entire counseling division for providing an amazing summit!

3. RIALTO USD STUDENTS VISIT SBVC

It was a thrill to welcome students from Rialto Unified School District to campus last week. These students got a firsthand look at SBVC’s student life—helping them visualize their future as Wolverines. A huge thank you to Associate Dean Joanne Hinojosa, Cynthia Bernal, Rocio Delgado, and the entire team who played a role in organizing this visit and making our (future) students feel at home on our campus.  These very special students joined us to learn more about our NEXTUP Program—a program designed to support foster youth.

4. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL – VALLEY UP!

This past Saturday at Mt. SAC, our Wolverine Men’s Basketball Team took on Fullerton College in the Final Four. Our team represented SBVC with tenacity and we are so proud of our Men’s Basketball Program.  Congratulations to Quincy Brewer,  Associate Head Coach Rawlston Charles, Assistant Coach Devon Davis, Assistant Coach Britain Kelly, and our student-athletes for an amazing season!   I also want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who showed up and cheered on our team. Thank you to Dean Ray Carlos, Athletic Director Dave Rubio, Dean Marco Cota, Dean Carmen Rodriguez, Vice Chancellor Nohemy Ornelas, and everyone who joined in the “rooter bus” to cheer on our team—even BLUE made the trip and cheered with all his heart! 

5. UMOJA STUDENTS EMBARK ON HBCU TOUR

This week, our Umoja students are traveling to Georgia and Alabama to tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This annual trip introduces students to transfer opportunities and the rich legacies of these institutions. Kudos to our Umoja program for continuing to provide this transformative experience. I can’t wait to hear about the students who will take the next step in their professional journey at an HBCU!

6. SPRING BREAK & SUPPORTING OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES

While many will be enjoying a break, our student-athletes are still in full competition mode! If you're in town and available, come out and support our Wolverines at the following games:

    • March 18 – Baseball @ Barstow (2:30 PM)
    • March 19 – Softball vs. Chaffey (5:00 PM)
    • March 20 – Baseball vs. Barstow (1:30 PM)
    • March 21 – Softball vs. Allan Hancock (1:00 PM) | Pasadena City College Invitational
    • March 22 – Baseball @ Barstow (1:00 PM)

For the full schedule, visit sbvcathletics.com . Let's show up and cheer on our Wolverines!

INTRODUCING "VALLEY UP!"

“VALLEY UP!” jumped on the SBVC scene at the Applied Technology Building Grand Opening on March 6—and now, many of us have been using it ever since.  Our chancellor was the first to raise the “V” and boldly state “Valley Up!”  The actual origins of Valley Up emerged from our football program.  Head Coach James Griffin, Assistant Coaches Giles Guy-Williams, Keenan Gardner, and Jerret Williams launched this Valley Up campaign as they joined SBVC!

I have used the Go Valley-Valley Up with the “V” hand gesture in many different spaces and our students are really responding to this new tradition.

So, when we cheer on our Wolverines with a bold "Go, Valley!", we can now respond with "Valley Up!"—affirming that SBVC is on an unstoppable upward trajectory. We are part of something special, and I am proud and privileged to be on this journey with each of you.

Enjoy the break, Wolverines! Stay safe, and Valley Up!

Gil