2021 Spring Awards: Student Awards

Hi, I am Bill Bloom, director of Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid, here at Cerro Coso Community College. It's an honor and a privilege for me to address one of our student scholars, recipient of the Pam Coward Memorial Scholarship. Pam Coward was a 10 year employee here at Cerro Coso and was known for a passion of higher education, personal integrity, and selflessness. This scholarship is awarded annually to an outgoing Cerro Coso student who exhibits the leadership, passion for education, for which Pam was known.

Emily Roman is the recipient of the Pam Coward Memorial Scholarship. In her scholarship application she talks about seeking to transfer to UCLA major in film. I have every confidence that she will excel and contribute significantly to the academic research and creativity at that school in her area of study: art, media, film, business accounting, and entrepreneurship. Since Fall 2019, she has been a member of the honors program, as well as serving in the community as pathways intern at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, helping them develop their media presentations.

It's my distinct pleasure to congratulate Emily on being selected as Pam Coward memorial Scholarship recipient.

Hi, I am Bill Bloom, director of Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid, here at Cerro Coso Community College. It's an honor and a privilege for me to address outstanding student scholar of ours, recipient of the Ronald Curtis Wilson Memorial Scholarship. something about Ronald Curtis Wilson was that he was a true patriot. Employee of Naval Air Warfare Center weapons division at China Lake for more than 20 years leading teams of engineers and such diverse projects, vehicle structures, materials, electromagnetic environmental affects, and systems safety engineering, along with many others. Ron exhibited and engineering excellence and his support for STEM students at Cerro Coso.

This year's Ronald Curtis Wilson Memorial Scholarship recipient is Daniel Westbrook. Daniel is seeking to transfer to UC Santa Cruz pursuing studies in sciences focusing on anthropology and archaeology with the end goal of teaching in higher ed as a college professor. Daniel has been active at Cerro Coso serving as a tutor, peer mentor, assisting our students to persist and succeed in their endeavors. This award requires a minimum GPA of 3.5, which Daniel has exceeded while being a non-traditional student, an adult learner, which demands being flexible, balanced, and focused. I have every confidence that Daniel will bring this experience to UC Santa Cruz and contribute and excel to their scholarship and academics while there. Congratulations, Daniel, on the award of this significant scholarship.

Noa Lish was nominated and received the most faculty votes for Eastern Sierra College Center Student of the Year for 2020-2021. Noa started taking Cerro Coso courses as a concurrently enrolled high school student, continued taking courses online after graduating from high school, and in Fall 2019 began taking classes on the Bishop campus as an Eastern Sierra Foundation Scholarship recipient. She began working as a student worker on the Bishop campus fielding questions and helping students complete matriculation. She then became the ESCC Bishop Student Ambassador. As Student Ambassador during COVID times, Noa drew upon her experience as an online student to provide support for ESCC on-campus students who suddenly found themselves taking all courses online. She presented stress relief, organization, and motivation workshops during scholarship lunches and brunches; she hosted Student Coffee Breaks to learn more about what support students needed in these unprecedented times; she navigated the CCCC participatory governance process advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in curriculum - eventually being appointed to both SSSP and CIC as the student representative; she hosted a virtual tour of the Bishop and Mammoth campuses for incoming students who could not visit during campus closures; and she began working on a presentation with Mono County Health Department about positive consent in intimate sexual relationships. This latest project was motivated by the prospect of being back on campus and students worried about how to have healthy conversations with new partners as their dating lives started to pick back up. And in her spare time, Noa continued to excel in her coursework! If Noa represents the positive force of the next generation, our future is in excellent hands! Congratulations, Noa!

Hello, my name is Lisa Stephens. My position at Cerro Coso Community College is the Director of East Kern. This position allows me to oversee and supervise several campuses including campuses located in Tehachapi, Kern River Valley, and Edwards Air force Base, along with dual enrollment and face-to-face college programs inside two prison institutions. As the Director of East Kern, I am fortunate to be able to meet and directly work not only with staff, faculty, and community members, but also with our valued students. The process of selecting the Kern River Valley's student of the year is a team effort. Students are nominated and a decision is made as a team for this annual award. From this process, only one student is selected each year to hold the title of Kern River Valley's student of the year. The student that is selected represents the college and campus with honors based on their drive, dedication and overall academic success. For the academic 2020-2021 year, it is with great excitement to announce that Morgan Green is Cerro Coso Community College's Kern River Valley Student of the Year! Morgan started her college pathway at the Kern River Valley campus two years ago. Faculty were very impressed with her focus and academic ability right off the start during her first semester with us. Her academic and exceptional work ethic continued and provided her with an opportunity to work at the campus as a student worker. Her professional abilities shined in that student employment role. Morgan Green graduated with degrees in Liberal Arts: Arts & Humanities and Liberal Arts: Social & Behavioral Sciences. Staff state the following about Morgan, “Morgan is dedicated, reliable, hardworking, and always willing to lend a hand. She is a valued student worker for the KRV site and ISEP. She thrives when challenged and learns new skills with ease. Morgan will succeed in anything she sets her mind to.” Staff, faculty and administration are so proud of Morgan, and wish her the best with her future college and career plans.

Congratulations Morgan and good luck!

Hello, my name is Lisa Stephens. My position at Cerro Coso Community College is the Director of East Kern. This position allows me to oversee and supervise several campuses including campuses located in Tehachapi, Kern River Valley, and Edwards Air force Base, along with dual enrollment and face-to-face college programs inside two prison institutions. As the Director of East Kern, I am fortunate to be able to meet and directly work not only with staff, faculty, and community members, but also with our valued students. The process of selecting the East Kern student of the year is a team effort. Students are nominated by faculty and a decision is made as a team for this annual award. From this process, only one student is selected each year to hold the title of East Kern student of the year. The student that is selected represents the college and campus with honors based on their drive, dedication and overall academic success. For the academic 2020-2021 year, it is with great excitement to announce that Maya Plata is Cerro Coso Community College's East Kern Student of the Year! Maya started her college pathway as a concurrent enrollment high school junior at the Tehachapi campus two years ago. Faculty were very impressed with her focus and academic ability right off the start during her first semester at Cerro Coso and staff truly enjoyed seeing Maya on campus and at school events. Faculty and staff stated the following about Maya, “Maya was always so willing to help with our different events when we were on campus such as Junior/Senior Day Open Houses. Her participation and help were greatly appreciated.” For the next two years, Maya worked diligently and became a successful college student once again while being a junior and senior in high school. Maya Plata is graduating with degree in Liberal Arts: Arts & Humanities and will be obtaining this college degree before she receives her high school diploma. Her future plans are to explore the work of acting and theater and transfer to Cal State Long Beach so that she can earn a bachelor's degree. Staff, faculty, administration are so proud of Maya, and wish her the best with her future college and career plans.

Congratulations, Maya and good luck!

The Tutor of the Year award is presented to a peer tutor who embodies the characteristics that make up an excellent tutor: patience, empathy, kindness, subject area expertise, and excellent communication skills.

This year's tutor of the year is Coby Roberts. For the past two years, Coby has received recommendations from multiple faculty to tutor numerous courses: BIO 251 and 255; CHEM 101, 113, and 223; ENGL 70 and 101; HIST 131 and 132; MATH 55, 141, 142, and 151; as well as POLS 101. Not only has he tutored in all of these areas, but he has also worked in the Math and Writing lab where he has frequently worked with multiple students, in varying subjects, at the same time. Additionally, he has filled a role as an embedded tutor in both English and Math classes.

Here is what some of the students he has worked with said about him:

"Coby Roberts is the best chemistry tutor I've had at Cerro Coso. He takes the time to make sure the student understands the material and breaks down the information in a way that is easy to understand."

"Coby was a wonderful tutor throughout the semester. He is highly knowledgeable and made all concepts simple to understand. I attribute a large part of my success in passing the course to all his tutoring. He answered all my questions and broke down concepts to assist me. I am very grateful to have had such a wonderful tutor this semester!"

It my pleasure to name Coby Roberts, Tutor of the Year. Coby, you've done tremendous work at Cerro Coso. Best of luck to you as you continue your educational Journey at UCLA.