The Valley College Connection
By Scott Weigand
The Valley College ConnectionMar 14, 2019
Dr. Alex Ojeda, Coordinator Next Up/Guardian Scholars
Dr. Alex Ojeda's work at Valley College is focused on supporting current and former foster youth attending Valley College. Listen to his personal story and find out how his doctorate degree helped to open the doors that incarceration closed.
Produced/Edited by Ozzie Flamenco
Richard Kahn – Professor of Music
Sometimes when life provides you with opportunities, you need to drop out of school and grab them. How do you intertwine a career in performance with a commitment to lifelong learning?
0:59 – How did the discipline to become a state champion gymnast prepare you to be a professional musician?
11:16 – What jazz musicians inspired you?
13:39 – What is it like to play a gig?
18:40 – How did you get your first gig?
20:30 – Musicians need alternate streams of income.
24:58 – What are the character traits of a professional musician?
28:09 – What opportunities does a bachelor's or master’s degree create for a professional musician?
29:40 – What is commercial music?
32:48 – Always be ready to say, “Yes.”
34:46 – What was your worst gig?
36:04 – How do you practice piano?
39:38 – What music certificates and degrees does LAVC offer?
Produced/Edited by Ozzie Flamenco
Greg Morrison – Program Director of Respiratory Therapy (RT)
Learn how a career in respiratory therapy provides an inexpensive three-year pathway to a middle-class job that allows you to work anywhere in the US.
Video of Graduating Respiratory Therapy Class of 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGhL6UIH40U’
3:19 – Working at Greg’s parent’s moving company.
6:34 – Words from an influential anatomy instructor.
8:14 – What is the application process for the respiratory therapy program?
17:25 – What does a respiratory therapist (RT) do?
22:24 – The LA Valley College respiratory program is a family.
23:32 – What are the two phases of the respiratory therapy program?
26:50 – What is the job market for RTs?
28:20 – What is one of the leading reasons why people die in the hospital?
30:32 – How much do RTs get paid?
35:09 – Does a bachelor's degree help if you have a RT license?
39:21 – What will the respiratory therapy bachelor’s degree at LA Valley College look like?
Karla Zeron – Program Manager to the Biotech Bridge Training Academy
How does one navigate college as a single mother with two kids? You build a program on campus that supports student parents.
2:18 – Growing up in Honduras
5:30 – Challenges in Highschool.
11:20 – Life-changing experiences at the PASO STEM program.
12:43 – The impact of the services of the TRIO program.
15:45 – Transferring to UC Irvine and not taking “no” for an answer.
17:19 – Creating an official support service for students with dependents at UC Irvine.
22:18 – Advice to students with children.
30:12 – Graduate school at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the opportunity to support different student populations.
33:30 – Difficulties of looking for a counseling position.
34:51 – Biotech Bridge Training Academy – Become a biomanufacturing tech level one in 6 weeks.
36:45 – Other Workforce Training programs: manufacturing, bus operator, human resource assistant and paralegal academies.
Produced/Edited by Lisa Darrow
Nikoo Berenji – Professor of Law
Sometimes a brush with the law will move you to protect those who are most vulnerable to the law.
2:56 – The influence of fictional role models in media.
11:22 – What was your graduate experience like in New York?
14:39 – How did you choose which law school you wanted to go to?
18:37 – Why internships are so important?
20:38 – How do you pick a specialty in law?
21:38 – How was your experience as a first-year attorney at a prestigious law firm?
23:19 – The importance of liking your job.
25:51 – Why did you become a public defender?
29:35 – What is the difference between a federal and county public defender?
32:52 – What law courses do you teach?
33:25 – What are growth specialties in law?
34:14 – How can a student find out if they like the law field?
36:41 – Everyone should take Business Law 1.
Produced/Edited by Ozzie Flamenco
Chad Sustin – Professor of Cinema and Media Arts
Want to learn how to break into the film industry? Listen to the advice of Professor Sustin who has seen it all.
4:09 – The affordability of making your own film.
7:52 – What is cinema production?
10:53 – What is film school at Cal State Northridge like?
13:57 – Advice on how to break into the film industry.
19:16 – What was your first interview like?
21:09 – What was it like to work in post-production?
24:01 – Who makes it into the film industry?
29:45 – What did you do for your undergraduate thesis project?
34:13 – What were your best memories from working in the industry?
42:12 – What is the best way to get your next gig in the production industry?
45:22 – What classes do you teach?
48:21 – What degree do you need to break into the film industry?
57:14 – A last piece of advice for breaking into the industry.
Produced/Edited by Lisa Darrow
Wendy Dufour, Professor of Nursing
Are you sure you want to be a nurse? Listen to advice from Professor Wendy Dufour, who found her calling with a nursing career.
3:47 – Hanging out with the theater kids.
9:56 – Learning study skills after a rough first semester.
14:27 – What was nursing school like?
22:30 – What is the best first step after becoming an RN?
29:40 – What is the basic mindset a nursing student should have?
33:17 – How can I know if nursing is the right career for me?
34:13 – What traits don’t match with nursing?
35:33 – What are the nursing degrees available at LAVC?
37:52 – What type of nursing graduate programs are there?
Producer/Engineer Lisa Darrow
Dr. Al Cowen – Emergency Services Department
Learn what LAVC has to offer in Criminal Justice, Fire Tech, and EMT training regarding courses, certificates, and degrees from Dr. Cowen, a retired Deputy Fire Chief for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Dr. Cowen will walk us through paramedic history and give advice on how to prepare for the sheriff, police, and fire academies.
1:06 – Watching the traumatic scene of a train crash as a child.
9:59 – First day at the fire academy.
13:31 – Promoting from ambulance driver to paramedic, to Deputy Chief of the LA Fire Department
22:43 – Courses and career opportunities available for Criminal Justice at LAVC.
25:54 – Why get an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree before applying to the academies?
28:14 – The importance of an EMT certificate. After a 16-week course and passing the certification exam make between $50,000 to $70,000 a year.
37:14 – Advice for future firefighters.
41:50 – Understanding background checks for both the police and fire departments.
Producer/Engineer Lisa Darrow
Ron Reis – Professor of Electronics
Learn what LAVC has to offer in Electronics from Prof. Reis who has worked extensively in industry, taught electronics at all levels, and is an accomplished young adult non-fiction author.
1:24 – Coming to LAVC as a student during the cold war.
9:30 – Joining the Peace Corps.
24:32 – Electronics vs Engineering vs Computer Science vs Megatronics
28:40 – Associate electronics degree vs electronics certificates at LAVC.
32:58 – Class EL 2 (Electronics 2 – Introduction to Electronics), Tesla Coils and lots of fun projects.
39:10 – Writing young adult books.
Producer/Engineer Lisa Darrow
Pete Lopez, Professor of Chicano Studies at Los Angeles Valley College
Learn and explore how Pete’s childhood growing up during the Chicano Movement as a multi-generational born and raised "Angelino" created an engaging lens and life-long desire to immerse himself and understand Chicano/Mexican American History.
2:44 – Growing up next to a newly built Dodger Stadium.
11:48 – Participating in the Chicano Movement.
21:42 – Inspired to study Chicano studies.
29:18 – Working as an education outreach counselor for the Hispanic community.
35:26 – Why Professor Lopez is so connected with his students.
38:04 – The nuance of local Hispanic history that makes Chicano studies so important and compelling.
Produced/Edited by Lisa Darrow
Dr. Barry Gribbons, President of Los Angeles Valley College
Tune into the conversation with Dr. Gribbons and find out how following your personal ethic and academic curiosity can lead to meaningful career opportunities.
2:46 – Earning a Ph.D. with a learning disability.
13:40 – Growing up in a school culture that prioritized a “loving ethic.”
17:24 – Traversing an academic pathway from CSUN to USC spanning a focus on psychology, education, and statistics.
23:13 – What publishing as a graduate student is like.
26:31 – Advice to students who are curious about getting a Ph.D.
36:07 – Good memories from nineteen years at the College of the Canyons.
38:52 – Research at UCLA focusing on under-served communities and urban reform.
49:01 – Strategic goals for LAVC.
Produced/Edited by Lisa Darrow
Phung Huynh – Professor of Art
How do you tell your Asian immigrant parents that you want to be an artist after they risked their lives for you to have a career in something more stable?
0:41 – Escaping the Cambodian Killing Fields.
4:42 – Building a business from the ground up in LA.
7:10 – Acclimating to a community of mixed cultures.
10:30 – Discovering art in a pro-education Asian home.
14:05 – Confronting parents about being an Art major.
18:48 - Going to the Art Center.
24:39 – What not to do at your Yale graduate school interview.
28:03 – What is graduate school at New York University like?
33:26 – Building a career as an artist in LA.
39:22 – Interviewing with LAVC.
43:27 – What is it like to teach at LAVC?
46:44 – Art College vs Art at a University
50:49 – What should be in a portfolio?
Producer/Engineer Lisa Darrow
Raul Castillo, Executive Director of the Foundation at Los Angels Valley College
Shortly before Raul passed away, we talked about the joy of his life’s work in connecting those in the community who wanted to help students who were in need. His legacy to LA Valley College is an $8.5 million dollar endowment in addition to a roadmap on how the Foundation can move forward. This interview is his love letter to LAVC. On the way, we learn about the fascinating world of fundraising.
Preethamol Puthiakunnel - Director of Nursing Program, Department Chair of Health Science
Sometimes unintentionally falling in love takes you on an unplanned adventure. Follow Preethamol’s life from India to the US as she experienced nursing at intensive clinical, teaching, and administrative levels.
Jose Arrieta, Professor of Chicano Studies
How does a ten-year-old boy running the streets of LA homeless find his way to become a professor at LAVC? Listen to the Valley College Connection Podcast and be inspired.
Dr. Eric Maceyko – Associate Professor of Reading
Sometimes a love of learning languages takes you on a lifelong adventure.
10:17 – Why study Japanese?
14:53 – What experiences did you have living in Japan as an English language teacher?
21:00 – What was it like to take attend a Japanese university?
25:27 – How is learning Chinese different from learning Japanese?
31:37 – Enjoying playing electric guitar professionally in Taiwan.
43:44 – Sometimes the road to a tenured faculty position is a winding road.
46:04 – What does a reading specialist do? What happens in a dev com (reading class)?
Producer/Engineer Lisa Darrow
Dr. Elmida Baghdaserians - Professor of Child Development
Learn what you can do with a child development license as we follow Dr. Baghdaserians’ academic/professional journey from community college to an Ed. D.
L. Denice Labertew, J.D. – Professor of Sociology
How did volunteering at a crisis hotline for domestic violence, open the door to writing legislation to protect abused women and monitor human rights for the United Nations? Tune in and hear Professor Labertew's inspiring story.
Luis Cabrera – Outreach & Mentoring Coordinator for Science/Engineering/Nursing Students
In high school, Luis joined Upper Bound which helped him navigate his way from South Central to UC Irvine. Now he is building a career on helping those same students navigate STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics) careers at LAVC.
Produced/Edited by Lisa Darrow
Chauncey Maddren, Associate Professor of Music; Academic Senate President
Listen to Chauncey’s uplifting decades-long journey of starting at LAVC as a music major, working at every level of the college, until eventually becoming a tenured faculty and President of the Academic Senate.
Dr. Ron Mossler – Chair of the Psychology Department
Ever wonder what you can do with a Marriage and Family Counseling Master's? Join our conversation with Ron Mossler as he describes his journey through graduate school at CSUN and UCLA and a rich career including his own counseling practice, textbook writing, research, and teaching.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Sabrina Luna - LAVC Alumna/UC Berkeley Student/Philosophy Major
How do you go from learning the multiplication table to UC Berkley? You do it one step at a time. Listen to Sabrina’s journey to Berkley and the advice she was given every step of the way from family and faculty.
Happiness
Last year Yale announced a class on Happiness, and it was mobbed by thousands of students who wanted to enroll. Scott and John talk about the science of how to be happy in the face of the challenges of college.
Miguel Sandoval, EOPS Counselor
Sometimes you just don’t look like you belong in school. Once in while you get a teacher who will tell you so to your face. Meet Miguel, whose hustle and character changed that teacher’s mind.
Meghan Gaynor Cason – Librarian and Faculty
Sometimes what you need in life is a group of friends that help push you to find your potential. Meghan met those friends in roller derby.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Howard Levine-Professor of Accounting
Join us as we learn the breadth and depth of what doors an accounting degree/CPA license opens as we follow Howard's story at a Big 8 accounting firm, as an entrepreneur of his own accounting company, and as tenured faculty.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Amber Angel – LA Valley/CSUN Alumni –Family Resource Center Coordinator
When the US Department of Education, The Aspen Institute, and the Atlantic Magazine wanted some advice on how to provide better campus support for students who are also parents, they asked Amber Angel. Find out how her role starting as a student mentor with the LAVC’s Family Resource Center gave her a national profile as an advocate for parents in colleges.
A Conversation about the George Floyd Protests
Dr. Llanet Martin (Associate Dean of Student Services), Scott Weigand (Director of the Academic Resource Center, and Dr. John Kawai (Math Professor) talk about the George Floyd protests and issues of equity on campus.
Dr. Annie Reed--Associate Dean of Student Services
Suppose you do something wrong on campus, who exactly is going to have a conversation with you? Meet Dr. Annie Reed, our administrator who helps arbitrate between what is fair and not fair between students and faculty on campus.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Florentino Manzano, Vice President of Student Services
As a young teen, Florentino followed the crops picking fruit/vegetables from California to Mexico and back. His lifelong aspirational community advocacy has been the stabilizing soul of the LA Valley College administration.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Jonathan Arnold Esq. – Director of Extension
Jonathan Arnold Esq. – Director of Extension at Los Angeles Valley College
What can a major based on studying the 50 great historic works of literature lead to? Oxford Law School, international corporate law for the aerospace industry, trustee of the local bar association, and now LA Valley College. Meet Johnathan Arnold who is not only the heart and soul of our paralegal program but also human resources and our entire offering of extension courses. Find out why our extension program is the fastest way to jump-start a student’s career.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Ellie Rabani, Director of CalWORKS
Hungry? Ellie saw that too many students on campus have food insecurity. She decided to partner local farmers markets and schools to give away organic food to students every week on the LA Valley campus. Find out what making a difference at scale looks like.
Scott Weigand – Director of the Academic Resource Center (ARC)
Imagine floating between jobs, careers and different colleges. How did a career challenge focus Scott’s life to one of supporting and building up faculty, students, and peers? Here the story behind one of the podcast’s hosts, Scott Weigand.
Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Former President of Los Angeles Valley College
Ever wondered about the path to becoming a college president? Meet Dr. Erika Endrijonas, former LAVC President and now Superintendent/President at Pasadena City College. Listen to her journey that details her path from undergraduate school to being engaged in transformative work across different colleges in support of student success.
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
April Forest, LA Valley/Pitzer College Alumni
LA Valley/Pitzer College Alumni (Warning mature topics and words used)
How does a single mom without straight A’s get an elite private college to pay for her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and travel to research in Africa, Puerto Rico and Asia? What kind of person does Pitzer College want to invest in?
Producer/Engineer Jess Callejas
Dr. Darby Southgate, Sociology Professor
Have you ever fantasized about sneaking out of your house and hanging out with rock stars in the local clubs? As a kid, Darby Southgate lived that fantasy. Hear her story as she details her passion for music and the path that ultimately led her to pursue an academic career as a sociologist focused on teaching, publishing and research.
Clive Gordon, Career Counselor
Follow Clive’s story of selling fruit on the streets of Belize to traveling Europe in service of our country to becoming a career counselor who helps students find a professional direction in their lives.
Dr. John Kawai – Assistant Professor of Mathematics
John Kawai – Assistant Professor of Mathematics
"Ever felt desperate? How do you recover from a career-ending disability? How do you find a new career at 40 after being sidelined for 10 years? Hear the story of one of our podcast’s host’s hustle to find a way out of his mal-employment hole."
Kassidy Miller, STEM Counselor
What if you paid your way through college and discovered that your high paying job was unfulfilling? Who would you ask for help? Kassidy asked Yelp, and it directed her to a job filled with meaning.
Michelle Fowles, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness
What if your immigrant parents from Jamaica wanted you to be a top elite student, but they didn’t know how the system worked? How would you figure out how to go to Stanford and Princeton?
Professor Ana Trujillo
Ever seen someone studying at midnight alone at Starbucks? Ever wonder who they are and what drives them? Meet Ana Trujillo, a professor who uses those experiences to challenge minorities and women to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) majors.
Dr. Llanet Martin, Associate Dean of Student Equity
How does a student go from walking into a community college with dreams of being “the hair stylist to the stars,” to becoming a community advocate on the campus of Harvard, UCLA and now LA Valley College?
George Caleodis – Associate Professor of Mathematics
What would happen if you combined a stand-up comedian/improve actor with Calculus? Meet George Caleodis who makes a career in both worlds.
Dr. Elliott Coney, Black Scholars Counselor
What if your job was to make college more comfortable for African American, undocumented and LGBTQ students? Elliot Coney’s mission is to challenge the LA Valley College to meet those communities at their greatest points of need.