Greetings, Wolverines!

Last week was incredible for SBVC—full of Spring renewal and bloom!  I was very engaged in the robust agenda celebrating Black Student Success Week, especially the Journey of Black Mathematicians held on Monday evening.  Thank you, Dr. Stephanie Lewis and KVCR Executive Director, Connie Leyva, for this collaboration.   On Wednesday morning, the Civic Engagement & Advocacy Panel presented timely information for our College community—another collaboration between KVCR and Ethnic Studies.

Thursday was actioned-packed like the entire week.  I had the opportunity along with the Executive Team to support the Botanical Gardens re-opening ceremony, the unveiling of the baseball scoreboard (highlighted by the first pitch thrown by VPAS Keith Bacon), the Blu Education Foundation resource fair in the Gym Breezeway, the API Game Night with SBVC Veterans, the Debate Tournament, and the MOSAIC awards—where our very own Rania Hamdy was recognized.

These highlights are only a sample of the vibrant programming at SBVC.  Let’s take a look at some of the wonderful highlights:

  1. BOTANICAL GARDENS GRAND REOPENING

Last Thursday, our Science Division proudly hosted the Grand Reopening of the SBVC Botanical Gardens! This event was much more than a ribbon cutting: it was a powerful symbol of our campus transformation as we head into our centennial year. Like the gardens, SBVC continues to grow, revive, and give back, rooted in the seeds planted by those who came before us. Thank you to everyone who made this revitalization possible, especially Tatiana Vasquez and Thomas Lechuga! Learn more about the Botanical Gardens here.

  1. SPOTLIGHTING OUR SUCCESS 2025

Friday night’s 30th Annual Spotlighting Our Success Awards was an unforgettable celebration of everything that makes SBVC special. It was my very first Spotlighting, and I was impressed by the heart and tradition behind this event. In the words of the event’s originator, longtime planner, and former electronics faculty Ed Szumski, “Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once every minute someone dies inside for lack of it.” Through Spotlighting, we honored our amazing employees: celebrated four (4) retirees who contributed a combined 98 years of service, awarded tenure and academic rank advancements, and recognized excellence across the College and District.  Thank you to everyone who helped make this tradition shine brighter than ever. It was a real highlight for me to spend time at the Tenure reception hosted by the VPI Office—thank you Leticia Hector and congratulations to all the faculty earning tenure!  Check out the full list of honorees at Spotlight this week at www.valleycollege.edu/spotlighting.

  1. INLAND EMPIRE BLACK EDUCATION CONGRESS

On Saturday, I had the honor of representing SBVC at the Inland Empire Black Education Congress hosted by the BLU Educational Foundation. This powerful event brings together students, parents, teachers, and district personnel annually in April to co-create meaningful solutions to advance Black student achievement and success across our region. I was proud to share the work SBVC is doing—and the work still ahead of us as we embrace our identity as a Black Serving Institution. We played a major role in recommending that the Black Education Congress create a Black Student Success Report Card to create a common framework to evaluate educational institutions.  It was an honor to present alongside regional leaders like Superintendents Mauricio Arellano and Dr. Judy White.  Our teammates from Crafton Hills College shared excellent data on Dual Enrollment.  I want to thank April Dale, Keenan Giles, Freddy Jones,  Keynasia Buffong, (and Jeff Huynh for providing support with the technology).

  1. SBVC’S SPRING THEATRE PRODUCTION DEBUTS THIS WEEK

This week, our Theatre Arts program proudly presents The Play That Goes Wrong: a hilarious, fast-paced comedy where everything that can go wrong on stage does go wrong. Let’s come out to support our students for an evening of laughter as they bring this hilarious production to life. Performances are May 1–3 at 7:00 p.m. and May 4 at 2:00 p.m. in the SBVC Auditorium.  I will be there Friday to support our students along with President’s Executive Cabinet. Tickets are available now at www.valleycollege.edu/theatre.

  1. COLLEGE SIGNING DAY - MAY 1, 2025

This Thursday, May 1, from 1:00–3:00 PM in B-100, come out and cheer on our students as they celebrate their acceptance to their dream transfer schools. Your encouragement can mean a lot as they prepare to embark on the next exciting chapter of their academic journeys.

  1. FIRST-EVER STEM-MESA GRADUATION - MAY 2, 2025

On Friday, May 2, at 9:00 AM in the Lois Carson Campus Center, we will host our very first STEM-MESA Graduation Celebration. This historic event honors our outstanding STEM and MESA students as they prepare to graduate and transfer. If you are able to join us—or even just pass through—please take a moment to congratulate these inspiring scholars.

This week, we have final interviews for faculty positions in History and English as well as the STEM Mesa graduation, Island Grad, and the Headdress Ball!

It is a special time at SBVC!  Right people, Right place, Right time!

Valley Up!

Gil