Candidate for
Board Member; San Mateo County Community College District

The Mission That Must Always Be The First Test: STUDENTS FIRST

San Mateo County community colleges rank with the best in California; with students earning well respected associates degrees and highly specialized vocational and technical certifications.

Our teachers are motivated, passionate about teaching, and committed to educational excellence. We have the most incredible asset here in our own backyard.

But to truly prepare our students, teachers and community for the future our colleges need more.

Our students and teachers need more.

As a Trustee, these are the initiatives I would spearhead to deliver what I believe they need:

More targeted degrees and courses that can focus on our student's goals and student retention.

More online and remote programs for those without mobility.

More continuing education and sponsored lectures for students of all ages and more repurposed education for people who have lost jobs.

More affordable transportation options to and from our colleges, with the help of local congestion agencies and Metropolitan Transit Commission programs.

More affordable housing near and on our campuses for our teachers and college staff + so their long commute is eliminated, and they can live in our community.

More focus on STUDENT RETENTION

And more innovative thinking that adds value to our colleges creates greater opportunity for our students and ultimately fuels growth for our communities.

So how would I spearhead these changes? Core to my efforts would be developing stronger partnerships:

• Partnerships with our region's large technology and bioscience corporations, the tourism and hospitality industry, transportation, public safety and small-to-medium-sized manufacturers.

• Powerful partnerships that bring corporate executives to our community colleges, to help us create and even teach coursework that directly maps to skillsets needed at their companies.

• Inspiring partnerships that lead to every community college in San Mateo County having an Innovation Center that houses new levels of creativity, enrichment courses and business specialties, like the current plans at the College of San Mateo.

• Strategic partnerships with other colleges and universities locally and around the world to bring new, exciting areas of study to our colleges.

Education is for everyone and all qualified members of our community should be able to attend our colleges and have access to courses and degrees that launch them into the workforce, help them reinvent their career or simply expand their knowledge + at any age.

Today, our San Mateo County Community Colleges are superior our goal as Trustees, should be to make them even better.