VICTORVILLE — Victor Valley College’s annual Patriot Day Ceremony, which honors the memory of those who perished in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and typically draws a few hundred attendees each year, was held with limited participants on Friday.
Though the campus remains closed to the public, a small number of staff, faculty, and participating students assembled around the United We Stand Monument next to the VVC Library, all wearing face masks and adhering to social distancing guidelines.
VVC’s Fire Academy 54 marched forward for the posting of colors, signaling the prompt 6:30 a.m. start of the ceremony, synchronous with the sunrise.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Associated Student Body (ASB) President Bridge Lee, Instructional Media Services Coordinator Tim Isbell delivered an invocation, quoting a “Prayer of Remembrance for 9/11” from Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago.
Photo by Julio Manzo
“This date, 9/11, carries a heavy burden of memory. And it is right that it should not pass from our memory,” Isbell recited. “… with this prayer, [we] commit ourselves to those actions that will draw us closer to our most ancient and most holy desire, peace among all God’s children.”
Captain Heath Cohen, VVC’s Fire Technology Program Director, commended the fire academy students for choosing the career path, noting that “the events of 9/11 showed the world that we are very special people.”
“We are willing to risk our lives for others, we are willing to do what needs to be done. We care deeply,” Cohen said. “As you go about your daily routine, think about those firefighters who acted with courage, determination, and pride. They died doing something that mattered. Also think about the firefighters fighting the largest wildfires in California history.”
Photo by Julio Manzo
According to Cohen, 22 of the college’s part-time faculty have been assigned “to protect lives and property” from the devastating wildfires currently burning throughout the state.
VVC Superintendent/President Dr. Dan Walden also spoke, remarking that the first responders mourned on the nineteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks “didn’t just lose their lives — they gave their lives.”
“We’re honoring not only those in 9/11 who lost and gave their lives, but also all of you who are going into these professions or already in this profession,” Walden said. “All of you are so brave and courageous to keep the rest of us safe, to keep us alive and to keep us well.”
Emergency Medical Services students presented a red, white, and blue floral wreath to lay in memory beside the United We Stand monument, which was designed by VVC student Joan Sowinski and dedicated in 2006.
Photo by Julio Manzo
On the hillside adjacent to the library are 3,023 American flags, arranged over the Labor Day weekend by volunteers, including ASB students and those in the administration of justice and nursing programs at VVC.
All of the flags have a card attached, each one with a different name on it — the names of the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. ASB spent several weeks hand-writing the names and preparing the “Flags of Honor” for placement, a college tradition since 2005.
Photo by Julio Manzo
Tyler Mooney, a fire technology student, played “Amazing Grace” on the trumpet, providing a melodic background for a moment of reflection. Music faculty member Craig Pridmore then performed “Taps” from across the lake at the Pearl Pettis Pavilion.
After the ceremony on Friday, the fire academy conducted its annual Stair Climb to commemorate 9/11 first-responders’ efforts. As per tradition, the students climbed the 28 stairs of the drill tower at the Regional Public Safety Training Center four times to symbolize the 110 stories of the New York World Trade Center’s twin towers.
VVC’s Patriot Day Ceremony was recorded and is available to watch on the VVC website at www.vvc.edu/patriotday2020/.
Fall semester starts August 31st, with classes conducted online or remotely. (Note: Please disregard all building and room info listed on your class schedule. Very few classes will include face-to-face labs, and your instructor will keep you informed directly.)
While we know remote instruction isn’t everyone’s ideal learning environment, it’s the right step to take in the face of this ongoing pandemic.
We are grateful for your flexibility and patience as we navigate these changes. VVC administration, staff, and faculty are here to support you during this time.
2. Click on the “Planner” tab to access your electronic Educational Plan.
Note: If you haven’t met with a counselor recently to update your Educational Plan, you won’t have courses pre-loaded for the Summer and Fall terms. Refer to your most recent Plan to add courses yourself.
Have questions?Email VVCounseling@vvc.edu.
Need login help? Call the Help Desk at 760-372-7500.A
All students currently enrolled at Victor Valley College have been provided with a @student.vvc.edu email address.
Important note: EFFECTIVE January 1, 2017, Victor Valley College will be sending all official communication to your VVC Student Email account. It is imperative that you setup and monitor your new email account for important information.
3. Password field – enter date of birth MMDDYYYY (i.e. Aug 01, 1990 = 08011990)
4. Google becomes your new student email account – scroll to bottom of page
5. Type text image shown and click I ACCEPT. Continue to my account.
6. Change your password. Enter the new password, then re-enter it, click CHANGE PASSWORD
7. OPTIONAL – enter your mobile phone number or click SKIP. If you want to do this, enter your mobile phone number in the field provided and click SEND VERIFICATION CODE. You will be redirected to another page to enter the code you received via text message, and you will receive a text message on your phone from GOOGLE.
8. VVC student email account will load on screen
9. CONGRATULATIONS – YOU ARE DONE!
For email assistance, call the Service Desk at (760) 372-7500.
TECH SUPPORT (WebAdvisor, Blackboard, Email, etc.)
The VVC Service Desk staff provide technical support for the WebAdvisor, Blackboard and Student Email systems, and are also able to provide information regarding other campus resources for students and faculty.
The UMOJA Community is a pathway support services program, infused with African American culture and heritage, designed to foster student success.
UMOJA services include dedicated counselors, book assistance, priority registration, culturally enriching activities, leadership opportunities, mentoring, student support network, and college tours.
Requirements for UMOJA: Be a full time student interested in transferring, enroll in Guidance 101 for Fall 2020 and GUidance 105 for Spring 2021, and have an interest in exploring African American culture and heritage.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Logging in to Canvas
Step 1: Log in to the VVC Portal Click here Victor Valley College Canvas
Step 2: Login using WebAdvisor credentials
Step 3: Acceptable Use Policy (First-Time Users Only) If it is your first time accessing Canvas, you must first agree to the Terms and Conditions to continue.
Step 4: Navigate the Canvas Dashboard The Canvas Dashboard is a user landing page after successfully logging in to Canvas. Your assigned courses (alongside other resources) will display on the Dashboard. You must select a Canvas course card to “enter” the course.
Students who need access to a computer to complete VVC coursework should contact 760-245-4271 ext. 2397 or 2793 or atcmall@vvc.edu to schedule an appointment.
Appointments will be made in 2-hour increments Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis.
PCs are available for students to use in the Technology Center Mall, Academic Commons, ASB Lab, RPTSC, and Hesperia.
In addition to the general purpose PCs and Macs available in the Technology Center, there are 20 multi-purpose computer labs that support a wide variety of disciplines, including the Writing Center, Math Success Center, and Graphic Design Lab.
These buildings are also equipped with Wi-Fi for student use with their personal devices. Use your WebAdvisor login and password to access any devices or applications that require a login.
The Service Desk is located inside the building to help students with technical questions.
In an effort to provide students with reliable, high-speed internet access, Victor Valley College is launching “Drive-Up WiFi,” available to all enrolled students.
Wireless access will be available to students in Parking Lot O, next to Adaptive P.E., building 70 on a first-come, first-served basis. Access is for registered Victor Valley College students.
Access to Parking Lot O, next to Adaptive P.E., building 70 will be available to students on weekdays, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday).
Students will be limited to a 3 hours per day WiFi access.
Students must remain in their cars while using the college’s network and adhere to all current public health directives, including social distancing. In congruence with social-distancing restrictions, students will need to park in every-other parking stall. Restroom facilities will not be available.
To access the drive-up Wi-Fi, connect to VVC-Guest.
During this time, the VVC Counseling Department staff are still here to help you with developing educational plans, speak about transfer requirements, and any other questions or concerns you might have!
In order to best serve you, we would like to know how we can help. Please review the chart below to determine the best way to reach us.
For the quickest service, please use your VVC student email account when contacting us!
We also want to encourage you to maintain a healthy lifestyle during this time. Do your push-ups, eat healthfully, exercise, eat your vitamins, be mindful, and engage in other stress reduction strategies to optimize your brain and body functions.
Transfer Counseling: Call (760) 245-4271 ext. 2139 to schedule a phone or Zoom appointment (for Zoom appointments you will be provided with a Personal Meeting ID# to enter the meeting during your scheduled appointment time).
Get Transfer Center updates via text messaging: Text @vvctransfe to 81010
E.O.P.S. & C.A.R.E.
EOPS will continue to serve our students via telephone and/or video conferencing in Fall 2020, while classes remain online or remote.
1. Students who met their EOPS obligations last semester may request the Fall 2020 book voucher requests can be emailed beginning Monday, August 17, 2020 to eops@vvc.edu. Provide your name, student ID, and call back number. Emails received by 4:00 pm will be credited by the next business day after 12:00 noon. After 4:00 pm your book voucher credit will be available on two business days after 12:00.
2. New students in EOPS are required to have their first counseling contact and sign a Mutual Responsibility Contract Form, before requesting a book voucher credit.
The following information are the bookstore guidelines that are required after your receive your book voucher credit:
Go online to https://www.vvcrams.com/ and create a web order. When it comes to the section for payment, you will choose AR charge. Next, type in EOPS FA20.
Counseling Appointment:
If you are a continuing EOPS Student, you can schedule your appointment with your EOPS Counselor. Please email your EOPS Counselor directly or call the office at (760)245-4271ext.2422.
tamala.clark@vvc.edu
manika.record@vvc.edu
manuel.gaytan@vvc.edu
louis.wright@vvc.edu
If you are a new student, you can schedule your counseling appointment by calling the office at (760) 245-4271, ext. 2422.
2.) Once you’ve logged in, select “Tutoring and Academic Support” from the Dashboard on your Canvas.
3.) From this page, you may directly access NetTutor, a 24/7 online tutoring service.
4.) Select “Modules” for links to VVC’s tutoring centers, such as the Math Success Center, Writing Center and ESL Lab.
If you have questions or need help, email tutoring@vvc.edu or call (760) 245-4271, ext. 2397, 2240, or 2793.
Math Success Center
Math Success Center Fall 2020 Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Contact Number: 760- 245-4271 Ext. 2788
The Math Success Center now has a YouTube channel! There will be videos to help our students in their math classes and videos about how mathematics applies to the world we live in. Watch here.
Writing Center
Writing Center Hours of Operation:
Monday- Thursday 9AM – 5PM & Friday 9AM – 3PM
Online Workshops & Tutoring
The Writing Center’s workshops and tutoring will be
held online for Fall 2020 semester. Workshops begin week 3 at 11-12 and 3-4 pm
Monday through Thursday and 12-1 on Fridays. Note: If students need to provide
proof that they attended a workshop, the presenter of the workshop will provide
them with a verification email.
How to
access the online workshops (beginning week 3):
Log into your Canvas account. If you have problems, contact the Help Desk at (760) 245-4271, ext. 2740, or servicedesk@vvc.edu
Click on the “Tutoring and Academic Support: Acad101” tile
Click on “ConferZoom” located on the left
Click on the scheduled workshop based on the day and time
Click “Join”
If students need to provide proof of attendance, the presenter can send them a verification email
The library on campus is closed, but your Librarians are still providing online virtual reference and access to digital resources to support students’ remote learning experiences. Get research help from anywhere!
Ask A Librarian
Use Ask a Librarian to connect to live chat sessions with a VVC Librarian. To get started click on the “Ask A Librarian” button to start a chat session from the Library homepage. We can help through chat, text, phone and even through Zoom. Librarians can launch a screenshare (Zoom session) through the chat screen for additional real-time assistance. Librarians are online Monday through Thursday, 8:30am-9pm, Friday 8:30am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.
Expanded eBooks
We added an extensive list of eBooks to provide comparable access to library materials due to limitations of physical access of print materials. We purchased an eBook collection and supplemented with additional titles that reflected your feedback and student interest.
Streaming Media
We’ve added streaming media…yay! In order to support our existing academic film requirements, we were able to add 3 different streaming media offerings. Films On Demand, AVON and Swank. We have immediate access to Films On Demand and will have access to the other 2 on July 1st.
WestLaw Campus Research
We’ve switched to Westlaw Campus Research. Westlaw will replace NexisUni as our law, business and news database. In addition to the same resources, Westlaw also has the online versions of Cal Jur and the California Digest. Access to Westlaw is available now and NexisUni access will expire June 30, 2020.
eNewspapers
We have also added a subscription to eNewpapers. The U.S. Major Dailies subscription includes New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. This newspaper subscription will be active starting July 1st.
Reserve textbooks We are still assisting students with access to textbooks if they are available through library reserves. Review the current list of reserve textbooks that are available at the library. If you have updated your textbook, consider placing a copy on reserve for your students. You can look up titles currently held at reserves here. Redshelf, Vital Source and Cengage have limited their free access and we are not aware of any planned extensions.
RAMS Bookstore Info
Bookstore Advances:
Students can apply for a bookstore advance by emailing bookstoreaccounting@vvc.edu.
Attach the following items:
A copy of your 20/21 award letter (must have a Pell grant)
Your Fall 2020 registration statement (all required fees must be paid)
An image of either your California DL/ID or VVC ID/ASB card
If an advance is established, you will go to www.vvcrams.com and process an online order.
When at the section for payment, choose AR Charge. The next field is for the account — here, type in “Pell Fall” and complete the order.
You may either do curbside pickup or have the order shipped to your address, with standard shipping rates applied.
It is preferable that students use their VVC student email account for both the request of a Pell Book Advance as well as when submitting a web order.
RBS Advance requests will only be processed by emailing bookstoreaccounting@vvc.edu. Emails sent to any other address may not be addressed in a timely manner or go unfulfilled.
Submit information to BookstoreAccounting@vvc.edu. For any questions, call 760.245.4271 ext. 2454.
Curbside Pickup:
Rams Bookstore Curbside is available! Once you have been notified that your order is available for pickup, you can come to campus to pick up.
Park in one of the designated Curbside Pickup parking spots (Lot K – southeast of Student Activities Center).
Call the campus number, 760-245-4271 and dial ext. 4376.
Let us know what spot you are parking in & what your order confirmation number is
You MUST wear a mask while receiving your materials
You must have a current student ID for verification – if you do not have a student ID, you can show us a valid driver’s license or state ID and a screenshot of your registration statement.
The First-Year Experience Program is here for YOU. Program services include: Dedicated counselors, student support network, book assistance, university tours, & priority registration.
• High Desert Commitment – Female STEM -Counselor: Manika Record – manika.record@vvc.edu – For female students interested in STEM majors.
• UMOJA: George Washington Carver Scholars -Counselor: Dr. Timberlake – corey.timberlake@vvc.edu – Will emphasize learning of African American culture.
• STEM Scholars – Counselor: Dr. Timberlake – corey.timberlake@vvc.edu
Cohorts for non-STEM students:
• High Desert Commitment Track B -Counselors: Christina Cash & Phylicia Deam – christina.cash@vvc.edu & phylicia.deam@vvc.edu
• UMOJA:Freedom Scholars -Counselor: Tamala Clark – tamala.clark@vvc.edu
Click any of the following verified resources for the latest information on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and recommended steps you can take to protect your health and those around you:
VVC has established protocol and procedures in response to the cornoavirus pandemic and is raising awareness of the necessary precautions that the community should follow.
Welcome to Summer 2020! I hope everyone is doing well! I wanted to take a moment to share information about the Writing Center’s Summer 2020 hours and services.
The Writing Center offers tutoring services through Pisces Online Tutoring from 9-5 M-Th and workshops on Zoom from 11-12 and 3-4 M-Th.
Also, I have created a closed-captioned video that highlights the various Writing Center resources available to students. The video covers the ins and outs of Pisces Online Tutoring, in addition to how students can access DLAs and Zoom tutoring/workshops. I hope you find the video beneficial, and I encourage you to check it out. https://youtu.be/3gjboVg6cK4 *For written instructions about how to access the Writing Center’s resources, please see the information below.
How to access the online workshops:
Log into your Canvas account. If you have problems, contact the Help Desk at (760) 372-7500 or servicedesk@vvc.edu
Click on the “Tutoring and Academic Support: Acad101” tile
Click on “ConferZoom” located on the left
Click on the scheduled workshop based on the day and time
Click “Join”
How to access the live tutoring:
Log into your Canvas account. If you have problems, contact the Help Desk at (760) 372-7500 or servicedesk@vvc.edu
Click on the “Tutoring and Academic Support: Acad101” tile
Click on “Pisces Online Tutoring” located on the left
Scroll down and click on “Writing”
Click “One-on-one live rooms”
How to access the DLAs:
Log into your Canvas account. If you have problems, contact the Help Desk at (760) 372-7500 or servicedesk@vvc.edu
Click on the “Tutoring and Academic Support: Acad101” tile
Click on “Modules” located on the left
Scroll down and click on “DLAs” underneath “Writing Center”
VVC student Necati Yesil will transfer to UC San Diego in Fall with a full-ride through a $15,000/a year merit scholarship and financial aid. (Photo courtesy of Necati Yesil)
Necati Yesil began taking classes at Victor Valley College in 2018 as a concurrent student at Granite Hills High School, where he attended after emigrating from Turkey to escape violence related to political unrest.
In Fall, the 19-year-old will transfer to UC San Diego, where, through a $15,000/a year merit scholarship and additional financial aid, he will receive a full-ride education.
This award certainly didn’t come without hard work. When Yesil emigrated in his freshman year of high school, he had no knowledge of English. While he badly wanted to take Advanced Placement classes, he wasn’t able to because he’d failed a math class while struggling just to learn the language.
“I went to the principal’s office to ask if I could take AP math … they said if I wanted to study and take the AP test myself, I could,” Yesil said. “So I studied and passed the AP calculus test.”
This enabled him to start at VVC in Spring 2018 to take the first of four engineering physics courses. Yesil has now completed the full sequence, which covers mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, light optics and modern physics. The entire sequence of courses is taught by professor Michael Butros.
“Not every student goes through all four (courses), but it’s one of the advantages I have that some students spend nearly the entirety of their time at VVC with me,” Butros said. “Necati was very active in class and always challenging me, which is a good thing. He doesn’t challenge because he wants to be difficult, but because he wants to understand.”
Yesil became active outside of the classroom as well, becoming the VVC Physics & Engineering Club President and taking on an internship with the National Science Foundation (NSF).
As a club president, he helped organize trips to physics seminars, including some at UC Irvine.
“We did a lot of studying together and talked about advanced topics that wouldn’t usually be talked about in classes,” Yesil said. “(The club also seeks to) increase awareness and interest in physics for other students as well.”
The NSF internship came through a Centers in Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) grant VVC received along with Cal State San Bernardino and College of the Desert.
The grant offers undergraduate research opportunities to students in STEM disciplines. At VVC, these opportunities consist of “winter-nships” and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center projects.
Being a non-U.S. citizen, Yesil couldn’t be paid through the NSF grant, so the VVC Foundation helped with a campus grant to ensure he could take part in the winternship, according to Butros.
The four-week project that Yesil and six other VVC students worked on beginning in January dealt with the n-body problem, which involves predicting the motion of celestial objects interacting gravitationally.
“They did mathematical modeling and simulation,” Butros said. “It falls under dynamical systems and nonlinear programming.”
Yesil described the winternship as “a nice experience related to physics” that exposed him to upper-level subjects.
“It required a lot of collaboration, team skills and time management,” Yesil said. “We worked with things you wouldn’t normally see in community college … researched concepts that graduate-level students would see.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, Yesil plans to pursue graduate school. He says artificial intelligence and modern developing technologies got him interested in his major of choice.
“Necati always asks me questions that make me think outside of what I teach … He’s a very outside-the-box type thinker,” Butros said. “He has a questioning mechanism that makes it interesting to teach him.”
Yesil has earned a 3.9 grade point average at VVC and was excited to recently learn of both his acceptance to UC Diego and the award of the merit scholarship.
“For students who want to get into these good schools and get scholarships, I would suggest to them to get involved in internships, clubs and outside activities that would show your increased interest in the field,” Yesil said.
Butros shared that while he’s proud of all his students, Yesil impressed him in particular as his first student to receive a full-ride.
“One of the reasons you go into teaching is to have these success stories — they’re better than any paycheck I could ever receive,” Butros said. “Necati’s willingness to work with others, his hard work and his dedication truly paid off.”
Victor Valley College’s biannual Student Art Show made its online debut on June 15, with more than 400 works of art digitally displayed at www.vvc-art.com through July 31st.
Featuring some of the best student work in computer graphics, drawing, painting, photography and sculpting, the event is traditionally held at the end of Fall and Spring semesters.
“Our art shows are open to the public and provide a bridge between the community and VVC,” said VVC art instructor Dmitry Astakhov, who set up the website for the Spring 2020 show. “Current students take pride in their hard work by showing it, while prospective students get a chance to see what they’ll learn by taking classes at VVC … I personally believe that art is very important in allowing students to express themselves, have a sense of camaraderie and build confidence, among other things.”
After the college moved all classes and services online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned on-campus event was cancelled. Nonetheless, recognizing the importance of providing a platform for students to showcase their artwork, the Art Department decided that the show must go on — online, that is.
This screenshot of the VVC Spring 2020 online Student Art Show displays the first eight student works featured on the website, www.vvc-art.com
“Art is unstoppable. Our students have made their art and we are sharing it with the world,” said VVC Art Department Chair Frank Foster. “We invite everyone to see the excellent work of our students. We are proud of their strength to create in these difficult times.”
The art faculty, including Astakhov, Foster, Anna-Marie Veloz, Chris Rowland and Chris Shelby, came together to work out the logistics of the show, communicating with their students and ensuring high-quality images of their art were provided for the website.
“A lot of the work that came out of this semester is really great, especially considering the circumstances,” said art instructor Chris Rowland. “Like I told my students, they should all give themselves a pat on the back because they made the transition (to online classes).”
One of Rowland’s Life Drawing (Art 122) class students, Natalea Schager, noted that this was her first art class at VVC and said she enjoyed getting to see other students’ work.
Schager has six works displayed in the show, including a portrait made of coffee grounds.
This piece featured in the online Spring 2020 VVC Student Art Show is by Natalea Schager and made out of coffee grounds.
“I learn a lot from seeing what my fellow students make and how everyone approaches their art,” Schager said. “The showcase not only shows what my friends from class did, but also the other art classes around campus.”
Mary Vasquez, a Spring 2020 graduate, created the poster for this semester’s Student Art Show, which features a linocut print of a Joshua tree. Vasquez has taken multiple art classes at VVC, including 2D and 3D design, sculpture and acrylic painting.
“After such a hard semester, I was so happy to hear that there was going to be an art show online,” Vasquez said. “It was a tricky subject to teach and I believe the Art Department did a fantastic job this semester with such short notice. I know they worked just as hard as the students to make sure we finished this semester strong.”
This acrylic painting of a caged butterfly is by Spring 2020 VVC graduate Mary Vasquez and is displayed in the online Student Art Show at www.vvc-art.com
Vasquez graduated VVC with an associate degree in Art and Humanities and is transferring in Fall to Cal State Fullerton to earn a bachelor’s degree in Arts Education and a credential to teach high school.
“This community in the High Desert deserves some more attention to the arts,” Vasquez said. “And I believe that the Victor Valley College Art Department and the online art show are doing their part.”
Victor Valley College staff and faculty cheer on Class of 2020 graduates as they enter the college’s first-ever “Drive-Thru Celebration by the Lake” on June 13, 2020. (FABIAN GUILLEN)
The Victor Valley College campus, after several months of quietness, was brightened by the spirit of commencement on Saturday, beginning with a drive-thru celebration which may have set a new standard for graduation.
Cap-and-gown-clad grads popped up from sunroofs, waved pompoms out car windows and shed tears of joy as they were exuberantly cheered on by VVC employees during the college’s first-ever “Drive-Thru Celebration by the Lake” from 9 a.m. to noon.
A Victor Valley College graduate drives up for the college’s “Drive-Thru Celebration” on June 13, 2020. Nearly 400 of the 1,500 graduates participated in the event held on the same day as the “Virtual Commencement Ceremony.” (FABIAN GUILLEN)
“It was so fun, and I think my family actually preferred it this way, more than the traditional ceremony … we were able to celebrate all together in the moment,” said graduate Dario Arriaga.
Complete with colorful decorations around the lake, live music from Mariachi Aguila Real, and small ramp “stage” on which graduates could park for a photo-op, the drive-thru was no doubt one of the most memorable VVC graduations, staff and students agreed.
Mariachi Aguila Real, a High Desert-local group of musicians, plays during Victor Valley College’s “Drive-Thru Celebration” to honor graduates on June 13, 2020. (FABIAN GUILLEN)
It was the earlier of two VVC celebratory events on Saturday, to be followed by another first-ever, the “Virtual Commencement Ceremony,” livestreamed from the Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m.
Interspersed between graduates’ cars were classic cars from several local car clubs in the High Desert, leading the way.
Classic cars from several local car clubs guided Victor Valley College graduates onto the ramp “stage” near the VVC Library during the drive-thru celebration on June 13, 2020. (JULIO MANZO)
“As we came around the turn to the lake and I saw everyone cheering and heard the music and seeing our professors there, I started crying with happiness,” said graduate Chad Read. “Again, through everything we’ve endured this year, VVC made sure we felt special and gave us an amazing ceremony.”
Victor Valley College graduate and U.S. Air Force veteran Chad Read drives through the VVC graduation celebration event held on June 13, 2020. (VVC)
With a total of 1,500 graduates and an additional 250 students who earned certificates at VVC this year, the college surveyed students in May, discovering a near tie between those who wanted a drive-thru and those who wanted a virtual ceremony.
Eric Pearson, former coordinator of the Victor Valley College Performing Arts Center (retired 2015), drives his daughter, 2020 graduate Aleana Pearson, at the “Drive-Thru Celebration by the Lake” on June 13, 2020. (VVC)
Additionally, VVC has offered 2020 graduates the opportunity to walk in next year’s commencement ceremony, which, assuming coronavirus-related health orders regarding events are withdrawn by then, will be held at the Glen Helen Amphitheater, America’s largest outdoor music venue.
While the drive-thru portion of Saturday’s festivities provided an occasion for graduates to decorate their caps and cars, cheer and honk their horns, and receive small takeaway gifts — including graduation yard signs and commemorative medallions — the virtual ceremony embraced the formal aspects of commencement.
A Victor Valley College graduate and her family drive through the college’s celebration by the lake held on June 13, 2020. (FABIAN GUILLEN)
Superintendent/President Dr. Dan Walden welcomed attendees tuning into the live video on the VVC website, congratulating graduates on joining “a distinguished list” of VVC alumni and recognizing faculty and staff for their contributions to the success of the Class of 2020.
Graduate Jonathan Bañuelos sang the National Anthem, soon followed by an address from VVC Board of Trustees President Joseph W. Brady.
Victor Valley College graduate Jonathan Bañuelos sang the National Anthem during the college’s Virtual Commencement Ceremony on June 13, 2020. (SCREEN SHOT OF VIDEO)
Brady shared many pieces of advice with graduates, including “share your solutions, not your problems,” “do what you love to do or you’re just wasting time” and “challenge the status quo.”
“Our hope, as trustees, is that many of you will return to the High Desert to become our local entrepreneurs, managers and executives, and continue to reshape the leadership that our community needs in order to continually grow and prosper,” Brady said.
In her speech, Associated Student Body (ASB) President Amber Scott encouraged her peers to “apply the knowledge and skills” they gained at VVC to elevate themselves and others.
Victor Valley College graduate Amber Scott, the 2019-2020 Associated Student Body President and Students Trustee, addresses her graduating peers during the college’s Virtual Commencement Ceremony on June 13, 2020. (SCREEN SHOT OF VIDEO)
“We will never forget the time in 2020 when the entire world had to stop,” Scott said. ‘But we always remember and carry with us the very same character, ethics, and beliefs that helped us remain loyal to our goals. Today we celebrate that.”
Walden introduced the featured guest speaker, Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer for the College of Southern Nevada, to provide graduates with additional guidance as they look toward future opportunities. Listen to his full speech here.
“You surmounted a challenge that has necessitated this ceremony to be virtual, and that is not something to be understated,” Vaithylingam said. “As you go on to the next part of your life story, cherish what you have accomplished, lift up others, value time, and remember that we are all in this life together.”
Mugunth Vaithylingam, Chief Information Officer for the College of Southern Nevada, served as the featured guest speaker for Victor Valley College’s Virtual Commencement Ceremony on June 13, 2020. (SCREEN SHOT OF VIDEO)
He ended on this phrase: “Humankind. Be both.”
Vice President of Instruction Dr. Peter Maphumulo recognized all of the honor graduates, Phi Theta Kappa international honors students and those who served the ASB Council, while Walden gave special thanks and congratulations to VVC’s veteran graduates.
The college had a record number of valedictorians this year, with 22 students graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Of them, Courtney Wells, who earned three associate degrees including a sociology degree for transfer, was selected as the valedictorian class speaker.
Wells shared that her experience of being homeschooled 1st through 12th grade taught her to be independent, but caused her to miss out on “a sense of community.”
Courtney Wells, one of 22 valedictorians in Victor Valley College’s 2020 graduating class, speaks during the Virtual Commencement Ceremony on June 13, 2020. (SCREEN SHOT OF VIDEO)
“After coming to VVC, it was a really massive turning point for me to realize that I couldn’t just get through life without forming connections with others or without utilizing every support system that is offered to me,” Wells said. “…as we look out for each other through these unusual times and continue on towards the endeavors that await us in the future, Victor Valley College will continue to be a source of support for us because this college has been, and always will be, a welcoming community for all.”
Following the speeches, a slideshow played featuring nearly 600 graduates who signed up to participate in the virtual ceremony. Each graduate’s name was announced as their personalized slide displayed their photo, degrees earned and a short personal statement.
Once all the graduates were recognized, Walden and Maphumulo performed the official conferring of degrees and Scott led the class in the traditional turning of the tassel to symbolize the end of the VVC Class of 2020’s journey together.
Victor Valley College students and alumni shared their personal experiences with discrimination during the first Student Equity Forum on Thursday, aimed at providing “a space for healing, dialogue, and community.”
The live webinar was put on by VVC’s Office of Student Equity and is the “first of many to come,” according to Dr. Lorena Newson, Dean of Pathways & Professional Learning. The full video is available to watch online here.
“Now is the time more than ever to unify and show our students that they have a place of solitude and support,” Newson said. “This is a unique space to learn from our students how we can better support and understand their diverse needs.”
Before the forum, the panel recognized a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time in which a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck on Memorial Day, killing the unarmed Black man and sparking protests against racism and police brutality worldwide.
Facilitating the discussion was Dr. Corey Timberlake, a counselor, instructor and coordinator of UMOJA, a program dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experience of African American and other students at VVC.
Timberlake directed questions to the five-student panel consisting of Tessa Harrington, Janae Johnson, Ejon Mannil, George Thenarse and Tristan Wilkerson.
When asked how the killing or George Floyd and other African Americans has personally affected him, Wilkerson, a 2019 VVC graduate who served as the 2018-2019 ASB President/Student Trustee, said “it’s so tough to describe in words.”
“It’s more of a feeling of constant rage … It’s hard to focus on a normal life, like going to school and going to work … when you’re constantly feeling threatened,” Wilkerson said. “And it doesn’t matter how smart you are, because you can do everything right and you still could become the next hashtag.”
Johnson was asked to share her thoughts on saying “all lives matter” in response to “Black lives matter,” to which she said that the first distracts from the BLM movement.
“We’re not saying all lives do not matter, but right now our community — the Black community — is asking for help. We just want equality, change, and the opportunity to catch up, since our community has always been under the foot of systematic racism,” Johnson said. “Not all lives are threatened just by waking up and being themselves.”
Mannil, who graduated VVC in 2017 and now attends UC San Diego, was asked to share any experiences he has had facing systematic racism in education.
“I will commend VVC because they did have resources for students of color … the resources I needed to get to the next level. This is because you have people advocating for these things,” Mannil said.
He explained that with less than 2% of the UCSD student population being Black, he has had difficulty getting the attention of his instructors and has felt pressure to “act more white in order to get into a better position.”
“I want to be a doctor … I know this is only the beginning … These are challenges I’m going to be facing all throughout my life,” Mannil said.
Compelled to share her own experience, Newson followed up Mannil with a story from her early college days. She said despite having graduated at the top of her class in high school, she felt unprepared compared to her non-Black peers in college, and became incredibly discouraged when a white professor pulled her aside to say her declared biology major was “not for you.”
“He never said ‘let me see your notes’ or ‘how many hours are you studying…,’” Newson said. “I had to be the cream that rose to the top at that moment. Not everyone is going to take an interest in you … What you believe in yourself is the only thing that matters.”
Newson kept her biology major and graduated with honors before going on to receive her masters and doctorate degrees in public health and education, respectively.
“It is my hope as Superintendent/President that this is the first of many forums that we will have in which we can hear stories, hear people’s testimonies, and listen to their experiences. A lot of us really need to be listening,” Walden said. “We can make resolutions, we can make statements, but really until there are actions to follow the words, nothing really changes.”
Near concluding the event, Timberlake made a point to share the difference between equality and equity. He explained that while equality means providing everyone with the same resources to complete a task, equity offers varying levels of support and resources depending upon need.
In the midst of a world-wide pandemic, humankind has been rocked to its core by the brutal murder of George Floyd, and many other African Americans before him. Mr. Floyd’s death demonstrated the deep-seated, long-standing divisions in society, and I feel safe in writing that we have all been witness to racial disparities in the treatment of our black communities.
As your Superintendent/President, I feel compelled to condemn injustice and discrimination and believe it is critical that we stand together in our commitment as a college community to actively promote equality and diversity. It is our responsibility to provide a welcoming, caring and inclusive environment to our students, and it is our responsibility to cultivate a workplace that is truly inclusive to all.
The California Community College Chancellor’s Office hosted a “Call to Action” webinar that laid out six key areas where we can take action against the structural racism and inequality that exists in our communities. I want Victor Valley College to be crystal clear in its commitment of the implementation of these six areas of action.
Tomorrow, Tuesday June 9th, at the Board of Trustees Special meeting at 5:55 p.m., a Call to Action letter from the Chancellor’s office will be read aloud. Immediately following, at the Regular Board of Trustees meeting, item 8.11 will open discussion of Resolution No. 20-11: Support and Solidarity Against Civil Rights Violations.
I invite you to tune in for both of these important meetings. The link to the meetings is below:
Also, the Office of Student Equity is holding a Student Equity Forum this Thursday, June 11th at 12 p.m. This will be the first of many forums of this kind to allow a safe place for our VVC community and its students to share dialogue on how we can be a part of the change that is so desperately needed in our society. I hope you will take the time to join us for this important webinar. You can register for this at the link below:
How can you, as an individual, take concrete action now?
• Speak up when you experience or witness intolerance, mistreatment or bias in action.
• Create an inclusive environment, seeking different perspectives from your own.
• Participate in open dialog opportunities to process your feelings and to better understand the feelings of others.
• And finally, you may have seen the national moment of silence for George Floyd that took place on June 4th. I encourage each of you to spend 8 minutes and 46 seconds in reflection and in honor of a human being that was senselessly murdered.
Please join us in solidarity against mistreatment of any of our humankind. We deserve a better world where all people regardless of our differences are treated equally and fairly.
Although, at this time, we are not able to celebrate your commencement in person, we would like to give you the opportunity to celebrate all that you have accomplished during your time at Victor Valley College.
As such, we are holding a Virtual Commencement Ceremony, live streamed from our Performing Arts Center, on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 6 p.m.
AllAugust 2019, December 2019 graduates and June 2020 candidates for graduation are eligible to participate in the virtual commencement ceremony. If you applied for Spring 2020 graduation, you are able to participate in the virtual graduation ceremony.
Please be advised that participation in the ceremony does not guarantee official graduation. Final evaluations for June 2020 candidates are not completed until grades have been verified for the Spring 2020 term.
You can share this important milestone with family, friends, and the academic community remotely by participating in the online ceremony.
Additionally, the college has picked up the cost of the cap and gown package for graduates to wear in their photos.
Each graduate has the opportunity to be recognized with an official slide customized with a photo and a personal message. The personalized information was due by May 30, you may return to the site anytime by going to the Login Page and using your email address that was used in the email sent to you.
More graduation information:
DIPLOMAS – Graduates will be notified when their degrees are available for pickup. Please be sure Admissions & Records has been informed of correct mailing and email addresses. Additionally, any library or financial holds must be cleared.
CERTIFICATES – Will be mailed on an ongoing basis as requirements are completed.
GRADUATES AND GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES – Captioning and interpreters will be provided for the hearing impaired during the livestream event.
Are you experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19? If so, you may be eligible to apply for FREE money through Phase II of our CARES Act Grant to Students Fund or our VVC Emergency Grant Fund.
The first phase of CARES Act funding has already been distributed to 3,126 as per Federal Regulations and criteria established in the CARES Act. The second phase of funding requires an application for which a link is provided below. (This link is located on the Victor Valley College homepage (www.vvc.edu).
Recognizing that many of our students who are experiencing difficulties caused by COVID-19 may not be eligible to apply for federal financial aid, the college has also identified $250,000 in Emergency Grant dollars (thanks in large part to the VVC Foundation).
Special Note: for Phase II there are two sources of funds – students can apply for one. Additional information, frequently asked questions regarding eligibility and the application is available at:http://www3.vvc.edu/caresact.html
