December 2018 NEWS from CAA We are Different. We are Able. Mission CAA provides an equitable collegiate experience to adults with special needs who Cisco employees and CAA students making connections historically have not had access to college education. A Stellar 2018 for the CAA Student Body Vision Empowering the student body DeAnna Pursai—Co-Founder and Executive Director to creatively transform the way The summer and fall quarters at the College of September, Cisco Systems, under the leadership the world views individuals Adaptive Arts brought an abundance of new of Karen Sanders, Chief of Staff, Enterprise with disabilities. CAA creates performances, learning experiences, artistic Networking Product Management, invited CAA successful contributing citizens creations, and endless bursts of boundless joy. students out for a team-building afternoon with through the arts. In June, the School of Theatre produced a Cisco employees learning in five CAA classes Motto fabulous version of the musical Guys and Dolls. alongside CAA students. Showcase Ability! The summer months also included a professional Next year, CAA turns ten years old, so get ready theatre audition workshop at City Lights Theatre for an epic ten-month celebration beginning Founders Executive Board of Company and a Thank You breakfast for the CAA 1.1.19 and ending 10.10.19 (at 10:10pm) at Pamela Lindsay, Dean Directors staff, parents, and volunteers. Saratoga Springs! DeAnna Pursai, Exec. Dir. Ali Barekat th Board of Directors Reverend David Bird September brought our 7 Annual Golf Classic at Adrien LeBiavant, Chair Piero Dusa the beautiful Santa Teresa Golf Club. The amazing Brian H. Appleton Fleet Easton Santa Teresa team, under the leadership of Robie Toni Cook Omair M. Farooqui Kramer, each year helps CAA put on an incredible Geri Jewell David Cross Golf Classic. This year a record number of new Sam T. Liccardo Mimi Giannini community members played side-by-side with Sandee Raval Kiehl David Maley Michael Pritchard CAA student golfers. Peninsula Visa stepped up to Joe Siecinski be an Eagle Sponsor, and Nick Nicolas, Peninsula Loni Spratt Blair Williamson Visa CEO, gave a touching testimony describing Charlie Vlahogiannis Gail Williamson Shar Yorgey how golf has brought him and his daughter Hubert Gotuaco, together to collaboratively transform perception. Business Advisor The number of seats filled jumped from 374 to 420 CAA stage actors Robby, Michael, and J-Lo in Guys Jen Mulry, ex-officio for the fall quarter, with total student enrollment and Dolls topping 103 students. We now regularly offer over 42 distinct courses each quarter; new courses @CAACardinals include Fused Glass and Song Writing. caacardinals CAA opened its doors to a new Digital Media Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .ai Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .ai collegeofadaptivearts Lab, thanks to a generous grant from the Rotary Club of San Jose Foundation. CAACardinals CAA’s 10th Annual Celebrating Ability Film Festival was a raving success at 3Below, the Los Gatos Ballet did a phenomenal Nutcracker ballet www.collegeofadaptivearts.org workshop with the graduate ballet dancers, and 1401 Parkmoor Ave., Studio 260 Susan Ellenberg, newly elected County Board San Jose, CA 95126 Supervisor, was the keynote speaker at the 408-538-3809 annual Graduation and Holiday Choir Concert CAA's new Digital Media Lab features four [email protected] at the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose. In workstations thanks to Rotary Club of SJ Foundation From the Board The Dean's List Adrien LeBiavant—Board Chair Pamela Lindsay, MA—Co-Founder and Dean I’ve had the privilege of being the Board As we reflect on 2018, we can’t help but study that must be developed, prepped, Chair for over a year and a member of the wonder at the growth of CAA’s programs and delivered, and personalized by our uniquely CAA Mountain Movers leadership team students. Perhaps even more wonderous is the talented staff. Multiply that by outreach, for almost three years now. I am just blown speed at which this year as so many before it set-up, management, and manning of 10 away by the positive energy and explosive has flown! different community performance touring growth in the past two years. As we prepare for the BIG one—our tenth ensembles that grace our community and This past summer, I had the honor of anniversary celebration in 2019—we are change perceptions of ability every week, hosting a Photography workshop for the filled with gratitude for our staff, students, every year. All increased to the power of nine students. They did such a fabulous job families, community members, and the most schools of study with their own departments, putting into practice the photography supportive board any college has ever enjoyed. projects, events, and our cutting-edge ARTS concepts and techniques discussed. We Your support in our palpable change from a approaches to sustainable learning in the went out in the local neighborhood and “little conservatory that could” to a thriving coolest classes around. Plus, our confident took pictures and came back and reviewed collegiate environment with a broad, liberal commitment to work tirelessly in continued their work. It was such a fabulous afternoon arts course of study has been astounding service of our current and future Cardinals. spent discussing photography with fellow to witness. photographers who love improving and We look forward to ten more years of learning new concepts. As Dean, I am ever-conscious of the broader expanding possibilities for lifelong learning effort of our diverse team of instructors and and those exciting moments when we That’s what I love most about this lifelong college men and women. We may have an get to equitably announce to prospective learning model —that each adult gets to average of 100 students per quarter, but we fill students, “When considering YOUR college continue to grow and learn and become the well over 400 seats. That equals 400 individual opportunities, we hope you will consider the best version of themself every day, just like learning experiences in different areas of College of Adaptive Arts!” typical college students. I am so proud to play a small part in building this equitable college model for lifelong learning. We have a fabulous Mountain Movers board, and we’ve got the right team of leaders to keep growing this college model and take this notion nationwide so any adult, anywhere in the country can have access to lifelong learning opportunities. Come take a tour with me anytime—I am so proud to show you what the students are accomplishing each and every day! Caption needed CAA student artist Tiffany doing printmaking Board Chair Adrien LeBiavant teaches a In Song Writing class Ariel displays the lyrics with gel plates photography workshop at CAA of her song entitled "Hummingbirds". Superstaff Spotlight: James Fu James Fu has been a Superstaff member for a CAA students. She assigned him to work with year. He is a graduate of San Jose State with a most colorful student who asked James to a degree in History. Local to San Jose, James recite the ABCs during the course of their attended Chandler Tripp Preschool because guitar lesson. When James dutifully and on of medical circumstances, where many of our point recited the whole alphabet with grace troupes now go back to perform. and kindness, DeAnna knew that James James brings a calm, caring, and positive had the right mindset to support our adult presence to the CAA site. An outstanding student learners. site manager, he is always on alert to make James has become sure that students get to learn in a safe and a rock-solid, structured environment. He always exudes steadfast leader a confident professionalism and a positive, who jumps in can-do spirit. where needed James describes his work days at CAA as and gives astute “unique,” because every moment is different, suggestions and and each new day brings many opportunities feedback. He has to enjoy the excitement of Cardinal life with become a dear and his CAA family. essential member of the CAA DeAnna likes to share the story of how she Superstaff. wasn’t so sure how James would take to the Cardinal Student Highlight: Curtis Kitaji Curtis Kitaji is a delightful surprise. He has and that infectious grin. He recently shot a grown leaps and bounds since arriving at public service announcement at CreaTV for his first CAA class. The staff identified him CAA and was cast in a major television series. as focused and academic and, although he Next time you see him, ask Curtis to tell you was outgoing, he kept his amazing acting about the amazing story of how that role and leadership talents “on the down-low.” came to be. (Spoiler alert: if you loved the TV Then one day, he burst forth in Professor show “M.A.S.H.” you will be excited about the Katie’s acting class and found his groove in director.) performance. Curtis works hard to represent the abilities His fellow students describe him as talented, of all individuals in the community and we confident, mature, capable, and motivated. In couldn’t be prouder! a word, he is a Cardinal. Nowadays, you will usually find Curtis on stage or in front of a camera treating Curtis on camera at CreaTV, for a public audiences to his special brand of charisma service announcement about CAA Caption needed CAA's graduate ballet dancers at a Nutcracker CAA student artists showing off their work workshop with Los Gatos Ballet CAA College of Adaptive Arts 1401 Parkmoor Ave., Studio 260 San Jose, CA 95126 408-538-3809 [email protected] www.collegeofadaptivearts.org Together We Are Moving Mountains 2017-2018 School Country Club *Judy Blair Linda Forsberg & Juan Ledesma *Ken & Candy Rains *Leticia & Nate Wilke Underwriters *MyProGroup Leads/Referral Ken & Ellyn Bloomfield *Rodney Fong Jun Lee *Gaye Renna *Becky Williamson Health & Wellness: Group Danny Bozzuto Rick Freedman *Bill & JoAnn Leonard *Diane & Dan Riccio *Cynthia Wong Cisco Systems *Nvidia Corporate Match Nathalie Bradley James Fu Barbara Leone *Mary Beth & Philip Riley *Heda & Kathryn Yamada Theatre: *Olander Company, Inc.