L t R: Andrea Schmitt, Diana Di Battista, Ronya Waters

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the CASE Conference for Community College Advancement in Rancho Mirage. Advancement professionals from more than 400 community colleges around the country attended, sharing best practices and building community. A key statistic we learned is that out of $4.92 billion dollars raised to support higher education in 2025, community colleges received less than 1%, even though we educate approximately 40% of college students nationwide. Community College Foundations have their work cut out for them, as we seek to increase our ability to provide crucial philanthropic support for our students. We'll be sharing more on how to help us close this gap in December's newsletter.

Finally, we would like to thank two notable Foundations for their support over the past few months: The Golden Globes Foundation for fellowships for Cinema Arts and Journalism students, and the Fred J. Aves Foundation, as administered by the California Community Foundation for Scholarship support. We are grateful for your partnership!

Sincerely,

Andrea Schmitt

Sasha Baluka joined the LAVC Foundation Board two years ago and currently chairs the Foundation's Audit and Investment Committees. She has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting and is a Partner with the national accounting and advisory firm Eide Bailly Advisory, LLC. In her role, Sasha leads and mentors firm professionals and oversees tax and consulting engagements for clients across a variety of industries, including businesses with complex organizational structures.

Sasha was also recognized as a Trusted Advisor by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal in 2017 and as a Woman of Influence: Accounting by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2023.

As a community college graduate herself, Sasha has a personal appreciation for the important role community colleges play in creating educational and career opportunities and providing pathways for students to transfer to four-year universities. Serving on the Foundation’s Board gives Sasha the opportunity to support education, help students achieve their goals, and give back to the community that helped shape her own career.

LAVC Faculty Spotlight:

Respiratory Therapy

Roman Kazariants

Los Angeles Valley College's Respiratory Therapy Program offers both an Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Respiratory therapists care for patients whose breathing and cardiopulmonary function have been affected by illness, injury, surgery, chronic disease, or emergency conditions. They serve newborns, children, adults, and advanced-age patients in hospitals, critical-care units, emergency departments, rehabilitation settings, diagnostic laboratories, and other health-care environments.

Recently, Professor Roman Kazariants was appointed Director of both LAVC's Associates and Bachelors Respiratory Therapy programs. After obtaining his degree in Kinesiology, he originally set out to become a physical therapist, but he was quickly drawn to Respiratory Therapy because of the excitement of being a first responder serving various hospital teams.

When asked what his vision was for the future of LAVC's program, Professor Kazariants responded: "Our first goal is to turn this classroom space into a dedicated laboratory. We have already received some donations from partner hospitals including Cedars Sinai. Finally, we want to explore an interdisciplinary approach with our nursing program. As First Responders, when we transition to a hospital setting, we need to work well with all interdisciplinary professions. So, my goal is to have more collaborative experiences between the programs."



You can learn more about LAVC's Respiratory Therapy Program here.

Notable Alumni Visit

Lonn Friend and Jason Beaton

LAVC Alumnus Lonn Friend, acclaimed rock journalist and author, paid a visit to his alma mater last month! Lonn stopped by the broadcasting suite in the new Valley Academic and Cultural Center and caught up with Professor Jason Beaton. Lonn hosted KQLZ's 'Pirate Radio Saturday Night' from 1991-1993. LAVC still keeps it rocking on KVCM Monarch Radio, available to livestream here.

It's so fetch! The LAVC Theater & Dance Department proudly presents Mean Girls, the Musical, which was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and is adapted from Tina Fey's hit 2004 film, Mean Girls.

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady and her friends devise a "Revenge Party" to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung. 

Evening Performances

Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m., &

Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Matinee Performance

Sunday, November 22 at 3 p.m.

Valley Academic & Cultural Center (VACC) - William R. Payden Mainstage Theatre. Tickets: $20 online; $25 at the door.

Purchase Tickets Here!