BCC Society of Scholars Graduation Ceremony

Berkeley City college Society of Scholars and the Undocumented Community Resource celebrated their ICONIC Class of 2022 graduates and their amazing accomplishments on Wednesday, May 18th. The celebration included icon shoutouts and graduates sharing some BCC memorable moments.

 The following students were recognized for their achievements:

IGNITE Icon Scholar: Alexis Fernando Argueta

IGNITE Icon Scholar: Andrea Nayeli Gonzalez

IGNITE Icon Scholar: Ivan Campos Gallardo

API LE.A.D Icon Scholar: Lucky Isoonpisansiri

API LE.A.D Icon Scholar: Ziying Karida Li

UMOJA Icon Scholar: Treasure Boutan

UMOJA Icon Scholar: Starrlisah Stewart

PUENTE Icon Scholar: Ricardo Rivas

PUENTE Icon Scholar: Efrain Marcucci

UCRC Icon Scholar: Esther Cuan

UCRC Icon Scholar: Nashdelly Gutierrez

API L.E.A.D. Icon Scholar Karida expressed love and gratitude for the community and the close bonds and connections that they formed because of SoS. They will be transferring to UC Berkeley in the Fall. IGNITE Scholar, Jocelyne Santillan shared, “Thank you BCC for believing in me and getting me closer to my ultimate goal. I do this for my family and lastly, I do it for myself, thank you all!”

Congrats to our scholars for reaching this major milestone in their journeys and excited to see them thrive in this next chapter!

Multimedia Art Animation, Game, & Motion Graphics Interactive Show

On Wednesday, May 18, the Multimedia Art department hosted its second student showcase of the year focusing on the achievements of its Video Game and Animation students. The event featured 3D and 2D animated shorts, video game levels, and art produced by current students, as well as works produced by students who were not able to show their work to audiences in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

Maquettes from the Character Design and Model Construction class were on display, as well as the exciting motion capture suits and LiveLink facial recognition software. It was a preview of projects to come integrating motion capture and facial animation into exciting computer animations and video games in production for the Summer and Fall semesters. “We want people to see what we’re doing, so they can see themselves doing it,” said Multimedia Department chair Mary Clarke-Miller. “We want to generate that sense of community and do stuff that they may have thought was out of reach. To be able to put on a motion-capture suit that maybe was inaccessible outside of a private college or company is really meaningful to our students.” BCC looks forward to hosting many more MMart showcases in the future.

BCC Honors Newest Tenured Faculty

On Friday, May 6, Berkeley City College honored Math professor Mark Rinker, Art professor Lisa Crallé, and Counselor Elissa Jaw as its newest tenured faculty with a celebration at the Residence Inn in downtown Berkeley. Deans Chris Lewis and Lisa Cook, VP of Instruction Kuni Hay, and Tenure Review Facilitator Gabe Winer shared stories and praised the inspiring and highly-regarded faculty now joining the tenure ranks. BCC thanks everyone involved in inducting Rinker, Crallé, and Jaw as our newest tenured faculty.

BCC Umoja Rights of Passage

The Berkeley City College Umoja program held its 4th annual Rites of Passage ceremony on Wednesday, May 11, celebrating current Umoja graduates and transfer students. The event started with attendees defining Rites of Passage, calling it “the ending of one journey and the beginning of a new journey” and “a reunion celebrating success and unity.” Current students and alumni shared their stories of success and honored their hard work and dedication to taking the next step in their journey, as well as leaving a gift for the altar at the Umoja village. Starrlisah Stewart left a tiger eye crystal, a token she carried with her that symbolizes inner strength. “I’m so grateful,” said Stewart “I have learned to acknowledge my ancestors and  I want to give thanks to being able to rise every day because I’ve been able to work along and strive with amazing people in this community.”

API L.E.A.D Student Success Panel

On Wednesday, May 11, BCC’s API L.E.A.D. club hosted a Student Success panel discussion on Zoom as part of its APIA Heritage Month program. The panel included current students and alumni sharing their experiences in finding their path through education and career goals. Topics of discussion included preparing for job interviews, finding their community through clubs and student organizations, choosing a 4-year institution for transfer, navigating decisions around majors and areas of study, and general advice for students still working on deciding their educational and career goals. The API L.E.A.D. club will close out APIA Heritage Month with a Cultural Festival in the BCC Atrium on May 26 during college hours.

Pioneer Day at BCC

BCC hosted representatives from Cal State University East Bay for Pioneer Day on Tuesday, May 17. The reception was for BCC students admitted for the Fall 2022 semester.

Cal State East Bay Assistant Director of Outreach and Recruitment provided a sneak peek for students on what to expect for Orientation, Campus Life, Registration, and programs available. The event was hosted in the Atrium and students were treated to a catered lunch. The event hosted students from all Peralta colleges and provided a valuable resource for students preparing for their studies at CSU East Bay. It was also an opportunity to meet fellow transfer students and make connections ahead of starting their new academic journey. BCC is proud of what all the students have accomplished, and we wish them the best of luck in their next step!!

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Angélica Garcia, Berkeley City College President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. To view as a pdf, click here.