COA Hosts Annual Committed Day and In-Person Orientation for the 2024-2025 Incoming Class
On Thursday, July 25, 2024, College of Alameda hosted CoA Committed Day and the first In-Person Orientation since the pandemic. Both events were designed to engage, inform, and prepare our new students for the 2024-25 academic year. Preparing for our incoming students was campus campus-wide collaborative effort. CoA classified professionals, faculty, and managers worked hand in hand to ensure our students started their educational journey with enthusiasm and confidence. During the CoA Committed Day event students were able to complete all enrollment requirements, which included application assistance, financial aid guidance, and academic planning support with a dedicated counselor. Our learning communities, Career Education, Student Accessibility Services (SAS), Workability, College 2 Career, Veterans Resource Center, and Learning Resource Center all participated in serving our students. We had 64 students participate in the entire program and our counselor assisted 40 students with their educational plans.
The CoA team did an outstanding job recruiting for our in-person Orientation program and leveraged social media, e-mail, and call campaigns. Forty-seven (47) students attended orientation, which consisted of a college overview presentation led by Enrollment Services Coordinator, Nickey Heredia; Financial Aid Officer, Jackie Vo; and Counseling Co-chair Cynthia Haro. The orientation concluded with a raffle that included swag packs, gift cards, and a brand-new chrome book! Multiple students also won CoA t-shirts that were launched via the CoA t-shirt cannon. The new and improved CoA Cougar also made a special appearance and had a great time taking selfies with students and even dancing with President Dixon!
STEM Pilot - Summer Discovery Program
On July 24, 2024, our college hosted Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and his team, including Northern California Regional Liaison Abel Pineda. This visit highlighted our collaborative STEM pilot program with Oakland Natives Give Back, the East Oakland Youth Development Center, and the State Superintendent's office. We served 60 students aiming to increase opportunities for underprivileged students to enter STEM fields and secure local employment. We were honored to welcome Superintendent Thurmond and his team to our campus to showcase the program's progress. The visit was successful and well-received by Mr. Thurmond and his team. Superintendent Thurmond expressed continued support for the program through the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters. Each student received a $2,000 stipend to participate in our Summer Discovery Program. We anticipate extending stipends and securing internships within the region's diverse high-tech industry.
This article is an excerpt from the President’s Report, written by Melanie Dixon, College of Alameda President, that was presented to the PCCD Board of Trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. To view it as a PDF, click here.
