Commencement
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90th Annual Commencement JUNE 26, 2 0 20 Santa Monica College Celebrating 90 Years of Student Success Santa Monica College Changing Lives in the Global Community Through Excellence in Education SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Nancy Greenstein, Chair Dr. Susan Aminoff, Vice Chair Dr. Louise Jaffe Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez Rob Rader Dr. Sion Roy Barry A. Snell Joshua Elizondo, Student Trustee Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President ORDER OF CEREMONIES Celebrating Student Success Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery Superintendent/President Santa Monica College Board of Trustee Remarks Dr. Nancy Greenstein Chair, SMC Board of Trustees Faculty Challenge Dr. Nathaniel Donahue President, SMC Academic Senate Associated Students Remarks Daniel Cha President, SMC Associated Students Commencement Address Sandra Evers-Manly Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility Northrop Grumman Corporation Conferral of Degrees and Certificates Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery Superintendent/President Join SMC graduates online! June 26 at 5 p.m. Live stream: smc.edu/graduation KATHRYN E. JEFFERY, PH.D. Superintendent/President Santa Monica College Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., has served as Superintendent and President of Santa Monica College since February 2016. With more than four decades of diverse higher-education experience, Dr. Jeffery has successfully served in roles as college professor, academic and career counselor, and superintendent/ president. She is highly regarded and respected by her peers and colleagues for her knowledge and experience in educational leadership, and especially for her strong background in student services, transfer curriculum, and Career Technical Education (CTE). She is a passionate advocate of higher education, courageous and innovative, and takes pride in using a student-centered approach to address the challenges and opportunities that are part of the emerging landscape of higher education. Dr. Jeffery has a rich and comprehensive knowledge of community colleges reinforced by her broad work experience and academic preparation. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration — Community College Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in Applied Behavioral Studies in Education (Counseling) from Oklahoma State University, and a B.M.E. (Bachelor of Music Education) with a major in piano and minor in voice from Oklahoma State University. A lover of the arts — especially music and theater — Dr. Jeffery is a talented classical pianist, vocalist, and plays the viola. On the national level, Dr. Jeffery is on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), President’s Round Table of African American CEOs. She is also the co-chair of the AACC Commission on Student Success. In California, Dr. Jeffery serves on the CEO Executive Committee for the Los Angeles-Orange County Regional Consortium Committee, ACCJC CEO Workgroup, and Board of Directors for KCRW Foundation, The Broad Stage Foundation, and the Santa Monica College Foundation. Prior to serving as the CEO of Santa Monica Community College District, Dr. Jeffery served as President of Sacramento City College and Hennepin Technical College; Provost/Chief Campus Administrator of the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas; Vice President of Columbia College in the Yosemite Community College District; and Dean for Faculty and Staff Diversity/Development and Dean for Student Services at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office in Sacramento. 2 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Sandra Evers-Manly Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility Northrop Grumman Corporation Sandra Evers-Manly was a junior in college when she took a summer internship position with Northrop Grumman more than two decades ago. She rose through the ranks to become the company’s Vice President of Ethics and Diversity, and then advanced to her current position as Vice President, Global Corporate Responsibility. Evers-Manly is also president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation, which she was instrumental in founding. The Foundation is committed to promoting STEM-related initiatives. A strong advocate for STEM education, she has received the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Gene Washington Champion Award for promoting diversity in STEM as well as the prestigious Chairman’s Award from Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC). Evers-Manly comes from a civil rights family and is a cousin of slain civil-rights activist Medgar Evers and is a longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion in education, the workplace, and everyday life. Evers-Manly is a past president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP and a member of the Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct Working Group. In 1991, she founded the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating, educating, researching, developing, and preserving the history and future of black images in film and TV, while also supporting the early work of student filmmakers who have gone on to become blockbuster directors. The organization has helped to supply more than $4 million in film equipment and scholarships to date. Evers-Manly has been executive producer of several films, including Last Breeze of Summer, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. She has also been honored for her leadership by organizations, including the March of Dimes, the Anti-Defamation League, the City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade to name a few. In October 2018, she released her first children’s book, Raised Up by Mrs. Manly and Her L’s, from which all proceeds go to charitable organizations. Evers-Manly is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in public administration and, in 2019, received the USC Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumni Merit Award. 3 GRADUATING STUDENT PROFILES David Atash Reading [for] the Future David Atash was enjoying a career in television production when he volunteered for Reading to Kids, a program that helps children develop a lifelong love of reading. It changed his life. “The teachers in the program,” he said, “inspired me to pursue my education, and I enrolled at SMC.” He involved himself in student clubs and activities, and was named a Santa Monica College Student Ambassador, representing the College at community events and promoting student leadership. He also worked at the welcome desk in the SMC Student Services Center, often the first point of contact for new and continuing students. David serves as co-president of the SMC chapter of Active Minds, which works to promote mental health, combat the stigma of mental illness, and encourage students who need help to seek it by providing resources. He also contributes to the work of Active Minds National as a member of its Student Advisory Committee. Of the 20 college and university students from across the nation chosen for the committee, David is the only one from a community college. “I just love representing SMC — yes, I’m ‘Proud to Be SMC!’ — and have really enjoyed my time here,” said David, originally from Israel and the first in his family to attend college. “There is such a strong sense of community, and I’m grateful to SMC’s counselors — like Dan Nannini — for encouraging and helping me to succeed in so many ways.” David graduates with an Associate Degree for Transfer in Political Science and will be attending UCLA, where he will major in Public Policy. Dee Cappelli & Dory Seeing Beyond the Immediate Dee Cappelli transposed a class section number, and accidentally enrolled in ANTHRO 3: World Archaeology. “I was a Liberal Arts major and didn’t even know what anthropology was,” she said, “but I discovered a field of study with everything that I love.” Anthropology became Dee’s new major. In Physical Anthropology, Dr. Ciarán Brewster encouraged students to apply for SMC’s STEM program, which Dee did. STEM provides an academic support program for science, technology, engineering, and math majors. “STEM focused me on scientific research,” she said, “and gave me the opportunity to study with students in other majors.” She also credits STEM counselor Debbie Ostorga for professional guidance and support. Dee, past president of SMC’s Anthropology Club and a commissioner on the City of Santa Monica Disabilities Commission, walked marathons for 10 years. She said she’s learned that “one person — like Jane Goodall — can make a huge difference in a lifetime. You can create change to make the world a better place. Just do it one step at a time, like a marathon.” With limited vision, Dee is inseparable from her service dog Dory, who guides her around physical obstacles and helps keep her from losing balance. “He’s the reason I could go back to school and has been a true partner. Too bad we’re not having a real-life graduation ceremony. I’d love them to acknowledge what a service dog can help accomplish.” Dee graduates — along with Dory — from SMC with Associate degrees in Anthropology and in Liberal Arts. She has been accepted to four UC campuses as an Anthropology major, and has decided to attend UC Santa Cruz. 4 Stories available at smc.edu/graduationstories GRADUATING STUDENT PROFILES Daniela Davalos Engineering Her Future A first-generation college student, Daniela Davalos is setting out to make her mark in the traditionally male-dominated field of mechanical and aerospace engineering. “As a Latina, I’m aware that the path to success will be an uphill battle,” she said. “However, thanks to the amazing opportunities I’ve had at SMC, I am confident that my perseverance and grit will enable me to overcome any barriers.” Growing up with a keen interest in the physical world around her, Daniela chose engineering as a path to improving that world. “Whether it’s running with a prosthetic leg, flying on an airplane or launching a rocket into space — the work of an engineer is behind innovations that drive society forward.” Daniela racked up a number of impressive achievements as a student in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at SMC — both on campus and beyond.