Berkeley City College Partners with PrepresentEd

This year Berkeley City College has been partnering with RepresentEd Leadership, a workforce development organization connecting underrepresented students and professionals with equity-minded companies. The Level UP Program is part of a dynamic set of career development offerings for BCC students. Launching on July 10, Level UP participants will develop the skills and knowledge to successfully navigate the professional industries they are interested in. During the 4-week intensive, students will be exposed to a wide range of industries, alumni panels, and training. Each student will leave the program with a professional portfolio consisting of an updated resume, elevator pitch, LinkedIn profile, mock interview, and career development plan. A total of 40 students are participating in this summer’s program but RepresentEd and BCC plan to expand the program’s reach by making the mock interviews– slated for August 7th – open to all interested BCC students.

Food Pantry for Summer Session

The BCC Basic Needs Center is happy to announce the continuation of the weekly free food pantry during the summer session! All current students, staff, and faculty are welcome to come on Thursdays from 12:00 - 2:30 PM to shop in the basement atrium. Please see the attached flyer for more information and feel free to share the flyer with students on your Canvas pages and/or other classroom materials.

Classroom Presentations

The Basic Needs Center is offering 10-minute presentations for your students to learn more about the resources we provide! We currently have 2 presentations (both presentations also include information about the food pantry and other BCC Basic Needs Center services/events):

• CalFresh 101
• Affordable Housing with the Berkeley Student Co-op

If you are interested in having the Basic Needs Center employees share a 10-minute presentation, please feel free to e-mail the Basic Needs Coordinator Izzie Villanueva (ivillanueva@peralta.edu) with your preferred days/times.

Clothing Drive

The BCC Basic Needs Center is looking for clothing donations from staff and faculty! We will begin collecting NEW OR GENTLY WORN clothing items with the hopes of opening a free clothing store in the Fall for all students, faculty, and staff to benefit from. At this time due to staff capacity, we are only collecting clothing from staff and faculty -- more information on receiving donations from students will be forthcoming. We will be accepting clothing donations July 10 - 13, 2023 from 10am - 3pm. Please see the attached PDF for items we are looking for and drop-off details.

Warm Welcome to New Berkeley City College Colleagues

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Amy Lee (she/her), who was recently selected to be Dean of Enrollment Services for Berkeley City College. Dr. Lee has 20 years of experience working in educational institutions including K-12, higher education, and non-profit spaces. Dr. Lee joins us from our sister campus at College of Alameda, where she served as Dean of Enrollment Services since 2013. Dr. Lee believes education is transformative; her passion for educational access, equity, and success is grounded by her experience as a first-generation college student from a low-income, immigrant family.

Dr. Lee’s educational accomplishments include earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian American Studies from UC Berkeley, a Masters in Equity and Social Justice in Education from San Francisco State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University.

Dr. Lee previously served as adjunct faculty for SFSU’s Educational Doctorate program and as the board president of the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund. She is a proud mother of two small children who inspire her to enjoy life every day. Dr. Lee’s start date is 7/10/23.

Also please welcome Lilia Celhay (she/her), who joins Berkeley City College as Acting Dean of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. Ms. Celhay has worked in education for over 20 years with roles at University of California, Berkeley, California State University East Bay, and at the four Peralta Colleges.

At Peralta, she has held positions as a classified professional, adjunct faculty, director, dean, and vice president of instruction at three of the Peralta Colleges (Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, and Laney College).

Ms. Celhay has received numerous recognitions along the way, including the BCC’s President Award in 2014 and in 2021, who joins Berkeley City College as Acting Dean of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. Ms. Celhay has worked in education for over 20 years with roles at University of California, Berkeley, California State University East Bay, and at the four Peralta Colleges.

At Peralta, she has held positions as a classified professional, adjunct faculty, director, dean, and vice president of instruction at three of the Peralta Colleges (Berkeley City College, College of Alameda and Laney College).

She has received numerous recognitions along the way, including the BCC’s President Award in 2014 and in 2021, the PUENTE Champion Award for her work in supporting the growth and success of CoA’s Puente Program, and commendations for her role as the Accrediting Liaison Officer leading to Laney’s accreditation in 2015.

Ms. Celhay is a proud alumna of Peralta and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in educational technology from Cal State East Bay, two ESOL certificates, and completed coursework towards a doctorate degree in educational leadership. Having benefitted from a community college education, she is passionate about her work, supporting students in their educational journeys. She lives in Alameda and finds joy in volunteering, dancing, traveling, and continually seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge as an educator and a global citizen. Ms. Celhay’s start date is 7/25/23.

Zaira is a first-generation Latina born to immigrant parents from Mexico. She is excited to join the BCC HSI team as a Program Coordinator. Zaira received her BA from UC Davis and MA from SJSU, majoring in Chicana/o/x Studies with an emphasis in education.

Zaira comes from Contra Costa College where she served as a Program Assistant at the Welcome Center, working with new, current, returning, and prospective students as a guide to getting them onboarded! During her time at CCC, Zaira collaborated with various programs and services to ensure students were being supported throughout their academic journey. In an Out of Class Assignment, Zaira worked with the First Year Experience program at Diablo Valley College, connecting first-year students to programs, services, and mentoring opportunities on and off campus. Prior to CCC, Zaira worked within the K-12 system in various capacities ranging from tutoring and mentoring students, to running a reading center as a Program Coordinator with Reading Partners!

Zaira looks forward to collaborating with her new BCC colleagues and is excited to be working on an HSI grant! Their start date is 7/3/23.

This article is taken from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Denise Richardson, Berkeley City College Interim President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. To view it as a pdf, click here.