Puente Program Holds Its Annual Puente Mentor and Mentee Mixer
College of Alameda's (CoA) Puente Program held its annual Puente Mentor and Mentee Mixer on Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. This was Puente's first in-person Mentor and Mentee Mixer. Puente students and their mentors networked through a series of icebreaker activities and enjoyed pan dulce and chocolate. Mentors are a key component to accomplishing the mission and goals of the Puente Program; they offer insight, provide guidance, and share their experiences in college and on their chosen career path. The Puente team extends a special thank you to Peralta Board of Trustees President Dyana Delfín Polk, Trustee Paulina Gonzalez-Brito, Acting President Diana Bajrami, Acting Vice President Maurice Jones, Dean Lilia Celhay, and Dean Shalamon Duke for participating in this event.
Spring Flex Focuses On Treasuring Who We Are
College of Alameda held an inspiring Spring Flex Day focusing on the theme “Spring Flex is a bridge to the treasure of who we are.” The morning’s featured presentation was titled “A participatory exploration of the Educational Master Plan.” Chair and Professor Drew Burgess, members of CoA’s Professional Development Committee, and the many CoA faculty and staff presenters organized an inspiring roster of Flex Day workshops and activities with entertainment and a special guest speaker.
Special thanks to Danny Nguyen and the College of Alameda Dance Department for their wonderful performance and to Puente STEM Community College Coordinator Melva Alvarez for her presentation titled “Reclaiming STEM Legacy: Understanding and Nurturing Belonging in STEM for Historically Marginalized Students.”
CoA Representatives Present Workshop at Annual AHSIE Conference
College of Alameda’s Learning Resource Center Coordinator Johanna Carranza, and Director of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Grant Horacio Corona Lira, presented a workshop during the 15th Annual Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) Best Practices Conference on March 13, 2023, in San Francisco, California. Their workshop titled, “CoA’s Puente Summer Bridge: Enhancing the Puente Student Transition to Community College,” highlights the implementation of a Puente summer bridge program to enhance student retention, academic success, and sense of community. College of Alameda’s Puente Summer Bridge Program is a four-week, non-credit course taught in collaboration with CoA’s Learning Resources Center. In this course, students learn about campus resources, student services, how to navigate system tools, like student portal and Canvas, and complete their enrollment in fall semester courses. The Puente Summer Bridge Program was developed as a strategic response, informed by student surveys, student interviews, and data analysis that determined a need for stronger retention and inclusion efforts.
This article is an excerpt from the President’s Report, written by Dr. Diana Bajrami, College of Alameda Acting President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. To view it as a pdf, click here.