ISSUE NO: 1 • NOVEMBER 21 2024

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PRESIDENT'S UPDATE

Dear SVC Community,

I am excited to introduce the inaugural edition of the SVC President’s Newsletter — a space dedicated to celebrating the many positive things happening across our college. This newsletter will capture and reflect the unique spirit that we embody at SVC that is rooted in respect, integrity, open and honest communication, collaboration, and compassion.

As highlighted at our Fall In-Service, compassion stands as a cornerstone of our shared values. In a world filled with challenges — both personal and professional — we are here to support one another in a vibrant and positive culture we strive to uphold at SVC. This resilience, paired with our unwavering commitment to our values, defines who we are and who we aspire to be as a community.

In each edition, you will find stories and updates that showcase the heart of SVC — our people, our achievements, and our shared journey. Together, we will celebrate the many ways we embody the values that make SVC a truly special place.

Thank you for being part of this incredible community. I look forward to sharing more about who we are and what we are accomplishing together.

With gratitude,

Chris

Fall Athletic Wrap-Up: Historic Year for Cardinal Women's Volleyball Team!

This season marks a remarkable milestone for the Skagit Valley College volleyball program. For the fourth consecutive year, the Cardinals have advanced to the Elite 8 of the NWAC Volleyball Championships with a 30-4 overall record. Adding to this achievement, the team claimed their first divisional championship in 17 years, a testament to their hard work and dedication.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Joe Amaral, now in his fifth season, the Cardinals have transformed into a volleyball powerhouse. Coach Amaral has built and sustained a winning culture, guiding the program to unparalleled success in such a short time.

Congratulations to Coach Amaral and the entire Cardinals volleyball team on this historic year!

There will be a volleyball send-off this Thursday, Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. in the Cardinal Center. Please join us and help send them off to the Elite 8!

Cardinal Athletics Fall Round Up

Skagit Valley College’s women’s soccer, men’s soccer, and men’s and women’s golf teams' current season standings and rankings are as follows:

Women’s Soccer: The women’s soccer team wrapped up its season in third place in the north region of the NWAC with a 7-6 overall record.
Men’s Soccer: The men’s soccer team also wrapped up its season in third place in the north region of the NWAC with an 9-8 overall record.
Men’s and Women’s Golf: Both golf teams competed in fall tournaments with the objective of qualifying for the NWAC Championship tournament in May.

This fall season, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams advanced to the NWAC Championship Tournament. This marked the first tournament appearance under men’s coach Richard Henderson, now in his third year, and the fifth consecutive appearance for women’s coach Tony Savoy.

Go Cards!

Mens basketball team with president Villa

SVC Cardinal Men's Basketball Team earns NABC Academic Excellence Award

This past summer, the SVC men’s basketball team was awarded the National Association of Basketball Coaches Team Excellence award. SVC was the only program in the NWAC and one of only eight two-year colleges nationwide to receive this honor. The team's GPA was 3.43 for the 2023-24 academic year. The award recognizes men’s basketball programs that completed the 2023-24 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.

This year, over 2,100 players and 360 programs were recognized by the NABC. For more details, visit nabc.com.

SVC Marketing team poses with their 21 medallion awards

SVC Marketing and Communications Team earn 20 Medallion Awards at the NCMPR District 7 Conference

The Skagit Valley College Strategic Marketing and Communications Department recently was awarded 20 prestigious Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) for work promoting the college during the 2023-24 academic year.

The awards include 11 first-place Gold Medallion Awards, six second-place Silver Medallion Awards, and three third-place Bronze Medallion Awards. Medallion Award winners were announced Oct. 17 during the NCMPR’s annual District 7 fall conference held in Spokane, Washington.

Dr. Farhana Loonat receives prestigious national award

The American Political Science Association (APSA), the largest association of political scientists in the U.S., has awarded Dr. Farhana Loonat, political science and philosophy instructor, the 2024 Community College Faculty Award.

This honor is presented to a faculty member from one of the 1,167 community colleges nationwide in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of innovative curriculum development, creative teaching practices, equity in mentorship, civic and community engagement, participation in institutional shared governance, and/or the promotion of research.

The award recognizes Farhana’s contributions in these areas, which include efforts to enhance the educational experience and foster an inclusive and engaged learning environment.

Skagit Valley College Foundation awards more than $1 million in scholarships

The Skagit Valley College Foundation is proud to announce a remarkable milestone in supporting education and transforming lives. For the 2023-24 academic year, the Foundation awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to students across Skagit Valley College, continuing our nearly 50-year legacy of making higher education accessible.

Beyond scholarships, the Foundation awarded $144,000 in emergency and childcare support, easing financial burdens for students and ensuring access to vital childcare services. Additionally, $464,000 was dedicated to program support for academic and professional-technical programs.

These achievements reflect the extraordinary generosity of SVC employees, community donors, and our partners. Together, these contributions have grown the Foundation’s endowments to more than $23 million, enabling meaningful investments in student success through scholarships, emergency funding, and program support.

As Skagit Valley College approaches our centennial, the Foundation celebrates the transformational power of education. Together, we are opening doors, inspiring success, and building a legacy of hope and opportunity.

Foundation Give Now

Cover of the Fall 2024 issue of Currents magazine

Now available! The fall 2024 issue of Currents and the Foundation's annual report

The fall 2024 issue of Currents, Skagit Valley College's premier magazine, is now available for download. The issue features stories from around the districts, Dr. Villa's fall message, and the SVC Foundation's annual report.

View Currents Fall Issue

SVC Marine Technology students working on the sailboat One Island One Ocean

Visitors at the marine center open house with one island one ocean boat in the background

Photo collage of SVC Marine Technology students working on the Around the Americas vessel, One Island One Ocean. The boat is in dry dock at the Marine Technology Center and was featured at its open house.

SVC Marine Technology Center hosts open house featuring Around the Americas project

SVC held an open house at the Marine Technology Center in Anacortes on Friday, Oct. 25. The event featured the marine maintenance technology program and a collaboration project, Around the Americas, which focuses on marine technology and environmental initiatives.

The open house provided an opportunity for attendees to tour the Marine Technology Center and learn about SVC's programs related to marine maintenance technology, including projects and educational activities under the Around the Americas project.

Professional Development – faculty non-instructional day focused on advising and student support resources

SVC held a non-instructional training day for faculty and staff engaged in academic advising on Nov. 4.

Student Services teams hosted various sessions focused on the following topics:

Financial Aid and Funding Resources for Students including Veterans Education benefits, Workforce Grants funding, and emergency grants for housing and basic needs.
An overview of student support programs including introductions to Disability Access Programs, CAMP, Cardinal Achievement Program (CAP), TRIO, Maestros, Tutoring/Writing Center, and Student Life.
Helping students prepare for transfer to a four-year university.
Advisor technology tools for SVC faculty including an overview of ctcLink, TargetX, and Education Planning.

Following these sessions, faculty and staff attended a presentation on program review and learning assessment led by Dinty Musk, which promoted a robust discussion about ways to improve assessment practices and how to best support student learning.

Attendees capped off the day with a delicious lunch provided by COA Mexican restaurant in Mount Vernon, where conversations and good times were had by all.

Skagit Valley College would like to welcome the newest members of the Cardinal family and congratulate those with job changes.

New Employees – Welcome Aboard!

Kylee Dowe

Director of Philanthropy

Kylee brings more than six years of experience from the Skagit Regional Health Foundation, where she served as the Development and Digital Engagement Coordinator. Her leadership extends beyond her professional role, including many years of service as president of the Madison Elementary School PTA and her ongoing volunteer work with Children of the Valley. A proud Skagitonian, Kylee graduated from Mount Vernon High School and is an alumna of SVC.

Katie Ventura

Controller

Katie has worked in accounting for 30 years now and has done AR, AP, full cycle financial accounting, tax reporting, and payroll. Previously, she worked at Western Washington Medical Group and has mostly worked in the medical and insurance industries. She is excited for this new venture and to move into a learning environment as that has always been a passion of hers.

Michael Reese

Executive Dean of Workforce Education

Michael is the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college. He took his first two courses at Portland Community College and then went on to earn a bachelor's from Reed College and a master's from the University of Washington. He is a giant believer in the community college mission: all three of his younger sisters attended community college, as well as all three of his wife’s sisters. Michael worked at Bellevue College from 2010 to 2024, most recently as Bellevue’s lead workforce officer.

Sydney Wattley

Talent Acquisition Consultant

Sydney is from Denver, Colorado, and has been in Washington for three months. She comes to SVC with more than eight years of administrative experience, with an emphasis on project management and process improvement. She is also currently working on her master's in organizational leadership. She enjoys all sports-related things, specifically basketball. She is the JV girl's basketball coach at Oak Harbor High School. She also enjoys traveling to visit family and friends with her husband, Michael.

Hannah Escobar

WorkFirst and Open Doors Program Coordinator

Hannah was born and raised in the Skagit Valley area and recently moved back after teaching English in Japan. She attended North Park University in Chicago and studied Education and History. She loves starting new hobbies, writing poetry, learning languages, and learning new fun facts.

Job Changes – Congrats!

Tiffany Scribner

Leadership Whidbey Program Manager

Tiffany brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership, education, project management, and community engagement. Before joining Leadership Whidbey, she served as the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County and worked as an undergraduate instructor in theatre and art. In her new role, she will oversee the recruitment of program participants, coordinate community engagement efforts, and support the ongoing development of Leadership Whidbey's participants.

Kayla Angulo

INVEST Program Director

Kayla has deep roots in Mount Vernon, having lived here her entire life. Her journey in teaching began at Mount Vernon High School, where she had the privilege of teaching and experiencing the vibrant school community firsthand. She graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 2017, which gives her a unique perspective on what the students experience daily. Kayla previously served as a part-time faculty member in the Library.

Jocie Slepyan

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Arts and Sciences

Jocie started at SVC in 2012 as associate faculty in the English department. Since that time, she has taught English composition and research writing courses as well as learning communities. She served in the VP/Associate Faculty Liaison role for the SVCFT Faculty Union from 2020-2022 and has worked as the Director of TRIO SSS from 2022-2024. She attended undergraduate school at Cornell University and holds a master's in arts in English Literature from Durham University and master's in arts in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. For fun, Jocie drags her child on moderate hikes, cooks, reads, and tames her weed garden. She loves pub quizzes, building community over dinner, and history-based travel.

Celebrating Retirement

Congratulations to Ed Jaramillo, VP Administrative Services, Claus Svendsen, Environmental Conservation, and Mary Kuebelbeck, Welding, on their retirements from Skagit Valley College in December. Their dedication, passion and commitment have profoundly impacted the lives of countless students and colleagues, their legacy will be cherished for years to come! Wishing them all the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER 2024

Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month
Women’s Work International Market - supporting women artists and women’s causes – Sat., Nov. 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Cardinal Knutzen Center

DECEMBER 2024

Holiday Community Lunch/Potluck - Tacky Sweater Theme
Whidbey Island campus, Tues., Dec. 3, 12-1:30 p.m., TBD
Mount Vernon campus, Thurs., Dec. 5, 12-1:30 p.m., Cafeteria
President's Monthly Meeting
Whidbey Island campus, Tues., Dec. 3, 2:00 p.m.
Mount Vernon campus, Thurs., Dec. 5, 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Board of Trustees Meeting, Tues., Dec. 10, Boardroom
Study Session, 3:30 p.m.
Board Meeting, 4:30 p.m
Claus Svendsen Retirement Party, Wed., Dec. 11, 3-4:30 p.m, Multipurpose Rm
Nursing Pinning Ceremony, Fri., Dec. 13, 5:00 p.m, Tarro Theater

FEBRUARY 2025

Skagit Valley College 22nd Annual SVC Athletic Auction - Sat., Feb. 1, 2025, Swinomish Casino and Lodge

For more college events, check out these calendars.

SVC Events

Athletics Website

McIntyre Hall

For more information about the Skagit Valley College President and Leadership Team, visit our webpage at: www.skagit.edu/leadership

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

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