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40 years in, Santa Fe Community College renews aim to graduate students

40 years in, Santa Fe Community College renews aim to graduate students

Yahoo16-05-2025
The first time Joanna Johnston arrived on Santa Fe Community College's campus, she wasn't sure where to find the front door.
It was about 2012, and Johnston was interested in pursuing higher education — but busy with a full-time job and hesitant. As a first-generation college student, she wasn't sure how to get started.
"I left, and I came back, and then I left. I was too scared to ask how to even enroll," Johnston recalled. "My journey here took a very long time."
After more than a decade of effort, Johnston, 43, will graduate Saturday with an associate degree in human services.
Johnston said her experience epitomizes what's so special about Santa Fe Community College, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year: College staff are committed to ensuring students not only make it through the door but chart a path toward success — a focus that will persist, said college President Becky Rowley.
"Once I committed to my education, SFCC really committed to me back," Johnston said.
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Joanna Johnston helps stock the shelves of SFCC's Campus Cupboard, which provides free snacks and meals to students, faculty and staff, on Monday. After more than a decade of effort, Johnston, 43, will graduate Saturday with an associate degree in human services.
A focus on student support
Andrew Lovato has been at Santa Fe Community College since its earliest years.
Since the 1980s, he has taught classes on public speaking and guitar, among other subjects. Lovato estimated he has taught more than 1,000 students to play the guitar and listened to several thousand more student speeches.
When Lovato first started teaching at the college, it had no campus. Instead, he taught classes across the city, including in portables at Santa Fe High School and borrowed classrooms at New Mexico School for the Deaf.
Since its earliest days, though, Lovato said the college has grown into "an integral part of Santa Fe."
"It reaches so many segments of our city's population, everything from high school students taking supplementary courses ... to senior citizens," Lovato said.
He added, "Every possible generation and segment of our city has probably had some kind of connection with the community college."
The college's role is "really multifaceted," Rowley said. For some, it provides a great fitness center or continuing education options geared toward personal enrichment, such as art and music classes.
But the college's "central role" is to meet the region's workforce needs, Rowley said. Members of this year's graduating class, which includes nearly 550 students ranging in age from 16 to 84, are likely to fill some much-needed jobs.
SFCC data shows this year's most popular associate degrees are in early childhood education and nursing, and the most popular certificates are in early childhood development, community health work and phlebotomy — drawing blood.
But to ensure Santa Fe has the workforce it needs, students have to graduate.
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Estevan Roybal-Anaya, degree audit technician, shakes hands with Alexandra Romero as graduates practice receiving their diplomas during a Thursday rehearsal at the Santa Fe Community College.
The Opportunity Scholarship helps get students in the door. It pays for up to 100% of tuition for New Mexico residents at two- and four-year public colleges pursuing higher education later in life. That has increased first-time college enrollment in the state, but it's still tough for the state's institutions to keep students in college after they enroll.
Only about half the students who start pursuing a bachelor's degree in New Mexico finish it, according to analysis by the Legislative Finance Committee. Just three out of 10 graduate in four years.
As such, student retention — not just student enrollment — has become "a much more visible priority" throughout the state, Rowley said.
"The way that we're measured by the Legislature is really helping students get into the workforce ... have better jobs and meet the training and education needs in Santa Fe and the surrounding area," she said.
Attached to SFCC's $68 million allocation for fiscal year 2026 are several performance measures, including requirements that 35% of first-time, full-time students complete an academic program within 150% of standard graduation time and 60% of first-time, full-time freshmen be retained to the third semester.
That means maintaining student support services, making sure students have access to tutoring, counseling, a food pantry and other resources on campus. In recent years, SFCC has focused in particular on better supporting the roughly 40% of SFCC students who are also parents.
The college is now implementing online tools to help better identify students struggling in class and connect them with resources, Rowley added.
"We have to prioritize all the kinds of outreach that we can do in terms of connecting with students in their classes really early on," the college president said. "You can't wait until a student has not shown up for six weeks or not turned in a bunch of assignments."
As Rowley looks toward the college's future, she plans to focus on programs that will allow students to get in, get out and get better opportunities that add value to Santa Fe and surrounding communities. Rowley sees growth opportunities in the college's nursing program and the trades, particularly green technologies.
"Our students are coming to us wanting to get into the workforce as quickly as they can, and so we're trying to provide those opportunities for them," she said.
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Joanna Johnston, student resource coordinator at the Student Wellness Center, cuts out gold stars Monday to decorate her cap for her graduation ceremony Saturday at Santa Fe Community College.
'A way through this'
Johnston's college education restarted with renewed focus in fall 2018 — six years after her first time on SFCC's campus.
She still didn't know what her final career destination would be, but a love of writing pushed her to pursue a certificate in creative writing, a longtime goal.
And as she grew more and more involved on campus, the path to success in college became clearer and clearer, Johnston said.
"Once I became immersed in the kind of culture here, I found people who were willing to help me," she said.
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Joanna Johnston's graduation cap features her cats Kitty Kitty and Rune.
She connected with TRIO Student Support Services, which offered academic coaching and mentorship. She found the Student Accessibility Services for disability accommodations. She relearned study skills, constructed a schedule that worked for her and signed up for tutoring when necessary.
One day as Johnston visited SFCC's Campus Cupboard and Exchange — an on-site food pantry with meals, snacks, cookware and hygiene products available at no cost to students — another student recommended she apply to be a student ambassador and work at the Campus Cupboard.
The job cemented an existing interest in helping her community, Johnston said. After meeting with the head of the human services program, she declared the major. After graduation, she plans to continue her education at New Mexico Highlands University's Facundo Valdez School of Social Work, with a long-term goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker.
But Johnston's career as an SFCC worker continued long after her ambassadorship. She spent about nine months as a student worker in the college's Student Wellness Center before applying for her current position as the student resource coordinator, where she helps connect students with housing, transportation, food, legal assistance and other essentials they need to attend college.
"Working in this area has really made me realize how passionate I am about access to basic needs," Johnston said.
For the past year or so, Johnston has been providing exactly the kind of assistance that helped her continue to pursue her degree.
So when she offers students encouragement: "I have been there. There is a way through this. I know this because I've done it." Johnston means it.
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Elberta Rosetta, who will be receiving a degree in phlebotomy from Santa Fe Community College, shows her 2-year-old daughter, Adelaida, her graduation cap, which said, 'I wanted to give up but then I remembered who was watching.' She was participating in a graduation rehearsal Thursday in preparation for Saturday's event. 'Everything is for her. I want her to see her mom graduate. I want to encourage her,' Rosetta said of her daughter.
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Deaf Edinburgh woman makes urgent plea to cyclists after a few 'near-misses'
Deaf Edinburgh woman makes urgent plea to cyclists after a few 'near-misses'

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Deaf Edinburgh woman makes urgent plea to cyclists after a few 'near-misses'

An Edinburgh woman has issued a plea to cyclists in the city, urging them to be more 'considerate'. The resident, who is deaf, took to the capital's community forum on Reddit to "ask a favour" after she encountered a few "near-misses" while out walking her dog, reports the Daily Record. In a post on the site, she wrote: "Just wanted to ask people who are cyclists to maybe be a little more considerate of other individuals when using a shared path. READ MORE: Edinburgh Castle concert-goer slams 'disrespectful and disappointing' audience READ MORE: Edinburgh passengers 'left at platform' as 'packed' train arrives with two carriages "I walk to work with my dog through Holyrood Park/Arthur's Seat and I've experienced a few times near-misses with cyclists as they are zooming up behind me. I am deaf and cannot hear anything behind me, especially when it is windy." She went onto explain that while she does her best to stick to one side of the path to allow bikes to pass by her with ease, she "had at least 3 occasions where a cyclist swooped past me" on one particular morning. "They may have rang their bell, but I cannot hear that. I had thought about putting some sort of badge on my bag to say I am deaf but then that makes me a bit more vulnerable" she added. "Just asking please to slow down when you are going to overtake people. That's all I can ask for. Thank you." Sympathising with the woman's predicament, one Reddit user responded: "Cyclists should be used to non-responsive pedestrians, the way people respond to a bell is painfully diverse and you never know what they will do. I'm sorry you've been frightened, it's not okay to buzz people out of frustration." A second person clearly understood the woman's frustrations, as they added: "The crossroads bit at the bottom of Middle Meadow Walk is hell for this. All directions have 'give way' signs for cyclists, and I don't think I've ever seen a cyclist bother to do so." While a third was also apologetic, penning: "There's no excuse, and I'm sorry that's happened to you. Shared paths should make everyone who uses them more considerate, but that doesn't always happen. I cycle; I ring my bell to let walkers know I'm there (lots of folks don't respond to that), and will slow down, unless the path is wide enough for me to pass at a decent distance on the other side of the path. "There's idiots on legs as well as any number of wheels, but there's decent folk there too." "Thanks all for the comments and insights, really helpful!" she said. "Not intending to diss cyclists or anything; I know people have opinions of them. "My post genuinely was just asking for a bit of respect/shared responsibility although some people don't seem to get that my being deaf, they seem to think it's somehow my fault for nearly getting spooked by someone coming behind me." The City of Edinburgh Council has a page devoted to "paths for everyone", meanwhile. Its guidance for cyclists is as follows: Use your bell to let people know you are there well in advance, especially at blind corners Give others space Don't pass at speed At night - avoid dazzling others with your lights: dip, dim, don't strobe Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

As Lake Tahoe storm turned deadly, another boat was in crisis. This is their harrowing story of survival
As Lake Tahoe storm turned deadly, another boat was in crisis. This is their harrowing story of survival

San Francisco Chronicle​

time01-07-2025

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

As Lake Tahoe storm turned deadly, another boat was in crisis. This is their harrowing story of survival

The sky darkened over the Johnston family and its guests aboard a luxury ski boat on Lake Tahoe. Within minutes, a cold wind whipped up waves so big they threatened to inundate the craft. The boat's passengers had just finished a leisurely lunch on shore, during a celebratory excursion on a relatively placid day. Now they were in deep trouble. As her husband manned the steering wheel, 53-year-old Dani Johnston ordered the passengers — her 22-year-old son and his seven friends — to do two things: put on life jackets and bail water from the boat using anything they could find. Then she called 911. Answering, South Lake Tahoe dispatcher Nicole Sykes could hear only screaming. It was around 2:20 p.m. on June 21. Then the line disconnected. Sykes sent a text to the caller instead: 'What is your emergency?' The response was direct and dire: 'Boat sinking.' A day that had dawned chilly but beautiful in Tahoe was veering toward tragedy. As a deadly squall swept the lake with no warning, boaters either raced to shore or fought for their lives. Roughly five miles from where the Johnstons were caught in distress, 10 people were thrown into the water as their boat capsized. Eight died and two survived off the rocky shores of D.L. Bliss State Park, marking one of the famed destination's worst-ever catastrophes. In the days since, it has become clear that many more could have died, if not for a series of narrow escapes and harrowing rescues — like that of Johnston and her guests. The incident on the Mastercraft ski boat, which has not been previously recounted in detail, raises questions about how resources were allocated during an emergency that caused widespread damage and panic, straining local agencies. 'Everyone had an emergency,' Sykes said in an interview with the Chronicle. 'Everyone thought they were going to die.' From celebratory to 'serious' Dani and Dan Johnston, 62, were celebrating their son Connor's recent graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo by hosting his friends at their home in Tahoe City, on the lake's northwest edge. The visit was a chance for the engineering grads to relax before starting internships and first jobs. The young friends had visited the Johnstons' home many times, skiing in the winters and wakeboarding in the summers. Most were surfers, athletic and comfortable in open water. Dani Johnston had taken a boat safety class through the Tahoe Yacht Club several years earlier, so she prepared for the Saturday morning boat excursion accordingly: checking weather apps, counting out enough life jackets for all passengers and reminding everyone where they were stored. The first stop of the day was Gar Woods Grill, where the graduates posed for a photo with the restaurant's famous rum punch in hand. The parents said they did not consume any alcohol. The friends wore sweatshirts to brace against the morning chill, but on the lake behind them, the water stretched out calm beneath a sunny sky. For lunch, the group cruised to Round Hill Pines, a resort in Zephyr Cove on the east shore. Johnston said she checked the weather again before departing the dock shortly after 2:05 p.m. Winds were blowing west to east at 5 mph with gusts up to 12 mph, a typical summer pattern. Back on the water, however, the conditions quickly deteriorated. Johnston spotted dark clouds gathering in the north. The winds were picking up. When the first big wave slammed into the boat, she instructed everyone to put on their life jackets. 'This is serious,' she recalled saying. Meteorologists said later that a cold front materialized that afternoon with wind gusts topping 45 mph. Accelerating winds were likely fueled by a phenomenon known as a downburst, which is sparked by a mix of dry and moist air pockets, and can send wind in all directions. 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Sykes estimated that she fielded more than 50 calls at the onset of the storm between 2 and 3 p.m. She stayed on the phone only long enough to instruct boaters to strap on their life jackets and to direct them to the closest shoreline. Then she moved to the next call. 'You're almost there, you're almost there,' she recalled telling people. 'Keep going and get the boat to the shore.' A flood of water With first responders on the way, Johnston told her son and his friends to keep bailing. They used empty coolers, trash cans and Stanley cups. The effort appeared to buy them precious minutes in which the boat stayed afloat. 'When it comes to the cold lake and the treacherous conditions, the No. 1 thing you're fighting is time,' Lt. Scott Crivelli of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department said later. About half a mile from shore, between Reagan Beach and the Tahoe Keys Marina, Johnston saw the blue lights of the police boat. 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More firefighters staging on the shore helped guide the swimmers onto a sandy beach. 'We were completely committed' Back at the dispatch center, emergency calls were coming in from a different part of the lake. Callers were distraught as they reported seeing people floating face down in the water near a capsized boat at D.L. Bliss State Park, off the lake's southwest edge. Sykes said she transferred the calls to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, which had jurisdiction over the area. With a rescue still underway at the Tahoe Keys Marina, the dispatcher had no available resources to immediately deploy to the new call. 'It was almost simultaneous. … We're pulling people out of the water — we can't release anything,' Sykes said. 'We were completely committed at that time.' From the Tahoe Keys Marina, ambulances transported the Johnstons and their friends to nearby Barton Memorial Hospital as a precaution. Dani Johnston said none of them suffered from hypothermia or other injuries. During the ride to the hospital, the ambulance radio crackled with reports of the search for those whose boat had capsized off the western shore. There was no break for the South Lake Tahoe first responders. As soon as the rescue crews delivered the group safely into the marina and the ambulances dropped them at the hospital, Sykes sent each crew toward D.L. Bliss, which was at least 5 miles away by boat. Six bodies were recovered by nightfall. Two more bodies were found in the following days. Authorities identified the victims as 37-year-old Joshua Pickles, a tech executive from San Francisco; his parents Paula Bozinovich, 71, and Terry Pickles, 73, from Redwood City; his uncle Peter Bayes, 72, of Lincoln (Placer County); and four other friends and family members, including three from New York. The group had gathered to celebrate Bozinovich's birthday. Only two people survived what was supposed to be a joyful outing: Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay, whose husband, 63-year-old Stephen 'Zippy' Lindsay, was killed. Friduss and Lindsay were wearing life jackets, officials said. Sykes went home exhausted that night. The dispatcher felt confident she had made the right decisions and was proud of how South Lake Tahoe rescuers saved 10 lives. But she wondered about the drownings: What if she could have gotten resources there? Would the outcome have been different if that call came in first? Sykes said she asked the difficult questions the next day at a multiagency debriefing. They reached a consensus. 'No one saw that boat capsize,' she said of the D.L. Bliss incident. 'We don't think that by the time the calls came in, it could have changed anything for that call.' Many questions remain unanswered about the deaths. The National Transportation Safety Board and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office are investigating the incident. As Johnston and her family grappled with the emotions of surviving the deadly storm, she said they were grateful for the heroic efforts of their rescuers. She also hopes other boaters can learn a lesson from the ordeal: always be over prepared on the water. 'We're here today,' she said. 'It could have been a very, very different situation.'

A wave of change in leadership is hitting Rhode Island school districts
A wave of change in leadership is hitting Rhode Island school districts

Boston Globe

time12-06-2025

  • Boston Globe

A wave of change in leadership is hitting Rhode Island school districts

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