July 12, 2013 (El Cajon) --Colleagues on the Grossmont College campus are planning a special blood drive in conjunction with the Bloodmobile’s regular visit to the campus on Sept. 10.  They are urging blood donations in memory of Prof. Curtis Stevens, who was such a regal man that in joking awe they called him "His Royal Highness, The Emperor Curtis Stevens."

Blood donations in Dr. Stevens’ memory may be made not only on campus, but also at any of the six San Diego Blood Bank donor centers throughout San Diego County by mentioning his name and reference code C42.

July 1, 2013 (El Cajon) – Rancho San Diego resident Ann Durham, Director of the Health Workforce Initiative based at Grossmont College, has been named Deputy Sector Navigator (DSN) for Health for the San Diego/Imperial Region.

The appointment, announced this week by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Division of Workforce & Economic Development, means that Durham will have expanded responsibilities and budget under the "Doing What Matters" program.

July 1, 2013 (El Cajon) –  Years of dedication and hard work have paid off for apprentices and craft trainees who graduated with their apprenticeship and journeyman certificates on Friday, June 21 from the Associated Builders and Contractors Apprenticeship Training program. 

The 67 students in the Class of 2013 from the San Diego region have completed a skilled trades apprenticeship and craft training program in crafts such as plumbing and pipefitting, electrical, electronic systems technician and sheet metal. Their course of study included up to four years of classroom training and thousands of hours of practical field experience.

Granite Hills Grad Continues Legacy of Revving up Student Learning

June 13, 2013 (El Cajon)– El Cajon native Jimmie Johnson continues to blaze new trails in his efforts to support student learning, this time with the generous gift of 25 Samsung Galaxy Tabs™ 7” for use in the classroom.

Santana High School Social Science teacher Rebecca Short got a big surprise recently as Santana Principal Tim Schwuchow notified her in front of her students that her winning technology proposal was selected by the District’s Ed Tech Taskforce.. Short’s students will soon get more mileage out of accessing the information highway thanks to a generous gift of 25 Samsung Galaxy Tabs™ 7” from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Samsung.

June 3, 2013 (El Cajon) – When nursing students participate in Grossmont College’s traditional “pinning” ceremony Tuesday afternoon, June 4, more of them will be men than ever before—a sign of changing societal attitudes towards what once was considered a profession for women only.

Debbie Yaddow, dean of Allied Health and Nursing, says eight men, or 20 percent of the graduating class of 40 students, are males, compared to what it was like just 30 years ago, when Yaddow graduated from Grossmont’s nursing school, and there were zero males in the class.

Some graduates celebrate triumph over adversity; Iraq war veteran to graduate with daughter

May 30, 2013 (El Cajon) – A campaign to improve student success is paying off at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, where more than 1,700 graduates will receive a record number of degrees and certificates at commencements in early June.

New programs and services helping students achieve academic goals, along with voters’ approval last fall of a tax plan tempering years of debilitating budget cuts, are credited for the strong numbers.

With many graduates earning multiple credentials, Grossmont College will award more than 2,100 degrees and certificates at its commencement ceremony June 5. The following day, Cuyamaca College will confer 830 of the hard-earned associate degrees and certificates at its commencement.

May 27, 2013 (San Diego) –San Diego State University’s Honors College will receive a $1 million gift, thanks to a planned endowment from Professor Emeritus Henry Jannsen. 

“I owe SDSU more for the life I’ve had than I can ever repay,” Janssen said, SDSU’s news center reported. 

Janssen is one of hundreds of SDSU faculty and staff donors to The Campaign for SDSU, which aspires to raise $500 million to support the university’s development as a leading public research university.

May 24, 2013 (El Cajon)--Grossmont College student Thirada Kingphuang has received from the San Diego Police Foundation a Rita Olsen Memorial scholarship of $2,500 awarded to women pursuing an education preparatory to a career in law enforcement.

Kingphuang left her family and everyone she knew in the rural, teak-forest-covered Uttaradit province of northern Thailand in 2009 to pursue a career in forensic science in California.  

May 16, 2013 (El Cajon) – Grossmont College is an official pit stop for “Bike to Work Day 2013,” a nationally recognized event celebrated on the third Friday of May.

Some 50 to 60 riders are expected from 6 to 9 a.m. May 17, in parking lot No. 1 at the intersection of Highwood Drive and Grossmont College Drive on the Grossmont College campus.

Refreshments and support will be available, along with free T-shirts for the first 30 riders. Cyclists needing a break can ride free on any transit system operated by the Metropolitan Transit System or the North County Transit District if space is available. For more information, go to icommutesd.com

President of the San Diego CSDA Chapter, Kathleen Coates Hedberg presents a check to Science Teacher Rosie Beck and the SeaPerch team, Katarina Gustin, Jake Connors, and Benjamin Evans.

May 15, 2013 (La Mesa) -  In an effort to provide educational outreach and awareness of Special Districts and their role in local government, the California Special Districts Association, San Diego Chapter and sponsor Helix Water District, provided St. Martin of Tours Academy (www.stmartinacademy.org) $515 for the 2012/2013 school year to pursue implementation of a SeaPerch Remote Operated Vehicle school program (www.SeaPerch.org).  St. Martin Academy entered their SeaPerch project at a local San Diego SeaPerch competition held on April 27, 2013, at Grossmont Community College and won first place.  The competition consisted of three-student teams who built the underwater vehicle, provided a presentation, competed in an obstacle course, and a deep water recovery mission.

By Jennifer Doucet

May 9, 2013 (Alpine) – On March 20, Open House at Boulder Oaks Elementary in Alpine, California highlighted how fifth graders at the school have opened their minds to the exciting worlds of science and technology.

By using their school-issued IPODS, learning new software and applying the scientific method to their projects, they showcased their knowledge with a Digital Photography Show and Science Fair.

May 4, 2013 (El Cajon) – Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Board of Trustees voted on April 16 to adopt a resolution calling on Congress to enact the comprehensive immigration reforms being hammered out by a bipartisan “gang of eight” legislators (four Republicans and four Democrats).

The resolution was introduced by trustee Mary Kay Rosinski  and passed with five votes in favor.  The action comes on the heels of similar resolutions adopted by San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego City Council.

April 24, 2013 (Washington D.C.)--Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) cosponsored legislation to block the doubling of interest rates on Stafford student loans set to kick in July of this year.  The Student Loan Relief Act (H.R. 1595) would continue the current 3.4% rate through 2015.

“We need to ensure that access to higher education stays within the reach of middle class and lower-income families,” said Davis, a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “If we want our children - and America, for that matter - to be competitive in the global economy, access to an affordable college education will be key.”

By Paul Kruze

April 11, 2013 (El Cajon)--Members of the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Board on Wednesday night decided in principle (with no formal vote) to begin exploratory talks with the City of El Cajon on becoming a partner in the operation of the troubled East County Performing Arts Center (ECPAC) , as well as build a multi-purpose conference center adjacent to the theater. 

The Board also voted 4-1 (with Priscilla Schreiber voting “no”)  to endorse building a 325-seat performing arts center on the campus of Grossmont High School at the cost of $15.1 million dollars.

Representing GUHSD on the ad hoc committee will be board president Jim Kelly and board member Jim Stieringer.

April 3, 2013 (La Mesa) -- Cindy Marten, newly appointed Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District, will be the featured speaker at the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club April 3rd meeting.  She will address challenges facing modern urban school districts like San Diego's.  San Diego Unified is struggling with a large budget deficit and is planning to sell off $50 million worth of its properties to help achieve a balance. Over 60% of the new funds coming from Proposition 30's tax increase is already committed to pay for overdue raises and other staff expenses.

Rather than holding a nationwide search, the School Board selected Marten as the unanimous choice for Superintendent.  This was a result of her accomplishments as principal of Central Elementary School in City Heights, where she oversaw a dramatic increase in test scores at Central Elementary, a school serving a community where nearly all families are low income and English-learners.