Greetings, WVC Community,
In community we trust. October is here and we are well into our work serving West Valley students. I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have stepped up in leadership and representative roles to serve students, each other, and the college in meaningful ways. In establishing professional connections, we often extend ourselves personally, which may sometimes call for us to have the courage to be vulnerable. Vulnerability brings opportunities to build trust; trust begets trust.
As I shared at the 60th-anniversary gala, when I think of our college mission, I always come back to the people, all of us, who have chosen to recognize and serve, to celebrate in our work, our diverse learners and communities. Indeed, West Valley acknowledges everyone’s diverse backgrounds, abilities, ages, orientations, political affiliations, and beliefs. Community college educators are unique people, inspired people, because we see what can be in our students, in our communities, and for our college.
Understanding, grace, and the courage to be vulnerable bring clarity of purpose. What kind of campus community do we want to fabricate together? Amidst the heightened rhetoric of national politics, the vicissitudes of local government, and the complex issues which threaten to divide us, what remains true are our values and hopes for students and communities. It is not what we can do for students but what we ought to do. We work with care, passion, intellectual fortitude to ensure opportunity and success, excellence in academics, services, programming, and athletics. We center on open dialogue that lies at the heart of engagement because we know the cost of disengagement.
Latine Heritage Month is recognized from September 15 to October 15, 2024. In this period and beyond, let’s continue to honor the history, arts, business, innovation, achievements, leadership, and resilience of generations of Latine communities. And let’s honor the work of colleagues, specifically, who serve our Latine populations day-to-day. The theme of Latine Heritage Month this year is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” We recognize how the past connects to the present and ultimately shapes the future.
Likewise, bridging past, present, and future, our current delegation in Ghana, West Africa, is learning about the history of the African diaspora as they create the space and freedom to reimagine how we teach and serve Black students. We wish our colleagues a safe return: Eric Grabriel, Joe Hasty, Renee Paquier, Philip Severe, Hannah Tabor, Leo Villalobos, and Tina Vossugh.
In acknowledging our communities, we act intentionally to craft a way forward.
No community is immune to the forces that distract us from our common purpose. It is essential for us to remember that as differences emerge, we challenge ideas not people. As I reminded folks in College Council, we must take seriously our commitment to civil discourse, refuse to point fingers at others, and share responsibility for our words and our deeds as we create community this academic year.
We have many things to be excited about and for which to be grateful. Just yesterday we celebrated AB 3158. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 3158 into law, marking a major victory for students in the West Valley-Mission Community College District (WVMCCD). The groundbreaking legislation, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), grants WVMCCD the ability to waive tuition fees for all residents living within its service area, expanding access to higher education and removing financial barriers for thousands. We want to acknowledge the West Valley-Mission Board of Trustee’s dedication and commitment to student learning and the visionary leadership of Chancellor Bradley Davis.
Here's to the courage to be vulnerable, to trust in each other, and to represent on behalf of our students, colleagues, and the college.
In partnership, and I hope to see you at College Council!
Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, Ph.D.