Ravi Bhambhra is the new head coach of the Cougars Men’s Basketball team at College of Alameda. He has many years of experience coaching teams across the country, including the Bay Area, Oklahoma and Arizona. He has served as an assistant coach at New Mexico, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. Now, Mr. Bhambhra joins the College of Alameda and is preparing the team for the coming season.
The College of Alameda is taking a big step to support and guide undocumented students to achieve success in their lives. CoA announced in October the appointment of Juan Lopez as the first Undocumented Student Success Coordinator at the college. Juan was a transfer student in 2016. He graduated with a BA in Political Science at UC Berkeley. He has dedicated the past four years of his professional and educational career to advancing the rights of immigrant folx within the Bay Area.
Sohail Ali was awarded the Ozzie Day Scholarship today for Fall, 2021. Sohail has been attending the College of Alameda for four years, and will complete his Associate of Science degree in Automotive Technology next semester. He says that he’s majoring in Automotive Technology because he “loves to fix things.” Sohail is currently attending college full-time, while--at the same time--working part-time at an independent repair shop in San Francisco. iH His goal is to become a certified Master tech, specializing in Engine Performance.
COA Puente Family Night
Puente Noche de Familia (Puente Family Night) is a special annual event that celebrates the families and friends of CoA’s Puente students. This year over 35 Puente students, friends, and family members celebrated together virtually on Zoom. The evening offered participants a variety of engaging activities, including important transfer information and special appreciation for those important individuals who help our Puente students stay focused on their education and achieve their goals.
COA Innovative HyFlex Data Coaching & Equitable Scheduling Retreat
Fifty-nine College of Alameda faculty, classified professionals, students, and administrators gathered for the College’s first hybrid flexible (HyFlex) event since the start of the pandemic. The event was held over two half day sessions on October 7 and 8, 2021. Titled Just in Time Data Coaching and Equitable Scheduling Retreat, the innovative event focused on data literacy, improving the scheduling process, and aligning planning with both institutional and district goals. Twenty participants attended in-person, adhering to the District’s masking and social distancing Covid-19 safety guidelines, and 39 individuals joined virtually using Zoom.
You should know Natalie Rodriguez. Her work keeps students informed about events happening at College of Alameda and across the Peralta Colleges. She is the Director of Student Activities and Campus Life at the College of Alameda, serving in that roll since the Board of Trustees approved her appointment at their April 27, 2021 meeting. Natalie has been part of the CoA team since 2017 where she has served as an Outreach and Retention Specialist for four years. She loves the East Bay and has volunteered in many educational activities throughout the community.
The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 for a very efficient and productive meeting. The full meeting was divided into three parts: a brief public session, a closed session, then the regular public meeting.
ACCESO Kicks Off it’s Second Year of Programming with a New Workshop Series and Lively Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations
Welcome the new head coach of the Women’s Volleyball team of COA Taylor Elliot! Taylor has been a volleyball player since 2013. She began her career as a student-athlete at College of Alameda as a member of the Cougars volleyball team. In 2017, she accepted a position of assistant coach at CoA and started coaching the team. In 2021, Taylor was approved as the new head coach of the Cougars. She takes over from former head coach and athletic director Linda Thompson, who retires after 27 years of athletic service in Peralta Colleges.
CoA Distance Education Team Tackles Fake Students Problem
As if teaching online during a pandemic wasn't difficult enough, 2021 brings California Community Colleges a new challenge: fraudulent enrollments and"fake" students. Authorities believe more than 60,000 fake applications for financial aid were submitted statewide, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, and the New York Times.
