Graduating Seniors--Neat Way to Earn Money this Summer!

PACES PROGRAM GIVES FIRST-TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS
HEAD START TO FALL SEMESTER, CASH

SAN ANTONIO—Palo Alto College is launching a new summer program aimed at helping first-time college students get started on the right foot while putting some extra cash in their pockets.

The Palo Alto College Early Start (PACES) Program is intended for first-time college students who are on the threshold of being able to enroll in college-level math courses. Students selected for the program will attend two classes, along with receiving mentoring, tutoring and support services designed to assist them into their transition into college.

Tuition, textbooks and project supplies are free for participants. Students will also be given $400 upon completion of the program with a grade of a “C” or better and a 90 percent class attendance rate.

New high school graduates who scored at pre-college math levels on college placement tests and have finished high school or a high school equivalency program but who have never been to college are eligible for this program. Other requirements include being between the ages of 18-22, having an admissions application on file at PAC and have a FAFSA 2008-2009 application on file by June 4.

The program runs from June 8 to July 9 at the PAC campus, Mondays through Thursdays from 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The deadline to register for the program is June 4. Students will be selected through a lottery-like process to participate in the PACES Program.

For orientation times and dates or more information on the program, please call Claudia Castillo at (210) 486-3300.

Congratulations, Carmen Velasquez

Please join me in congratulating Carmen Velasquez on her selection to a E. "Kika" de la Garza fellowship. Carmen was one of 13 Education Fellows winners nationwide to receive the honor.

From a USDA News Release:

USDA SELECTS 2009 CLASS OF E. (KIKA) DE LA GARZA FELLOWS

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2009 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program office today announced the names of the 20 members of the 2009 class of E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship participants.

The 20 fellows, highly accomplished faculty members at Hispanic-Serving Institutions from across the nation, were selected based on the compatibility of their research interests with USDA mission areas and the value their experience with the Department would add to their institution's curriculum.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions are accredited and degree-granting institutions of higher education with a full-time Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or more. Through a partnership fostered by this fellowship program, USDA and HSIs are better prepared to address educational challenges faced by the Hispanic community and to promote services and employment opportunities offered by USDA agencies while diversifying the Department's workforce.

The 12th class of the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship is divided into three categories, each specially tailored to meet the interests of fellows and provide them with an enriching experience. The education and high school fellows experience first-hand the policymaking process by meeting with USDA personnel and connecting with federal agencies such as the Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of State. The science fellows collaborate with leading scientists from USDA's Agricultural Research Service-one of the world's premier scientific organizations-and learn about state-of-the-art agricultural research that solves problems affecting the Hispanic community on a daily basis.

The 2009 E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellows are:

High School Fellows - 2
Adewale Alonge, Homestead High School, Homestead, Fla.; Judy Newman, Southwest High School , San Antonio, Texas

Science Fellows - 5
Dora Maul, Saint Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Fla; Rudy Ortiz, University of California, Merced, Merced, Calif.; Mariel Perez-Velez; Universidad Del Este, Carolina, P.R.;Garth Schultz Riverside Community College, Riverside, Calif.; Sylvia Vetrone, Whittier College, Whittier, Calif.

Education Fellows - 13
Ricarda Cerda; Fresno City College - Fresno, Calif.; Martha Garcia, Imperial Valley College, El Centro, Calif.; S. Aaron Hegde, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, Calif.; Thavery Lay-Bounpraseuth, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.; Neil Ledford, Hartnell College, Salinas, Calif.; Eric Lopez; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.; Lora Lopez, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, Calif.; Lorena Ochoa, Victor Valley College, Victorville, Calif.; Maria Poviones-Bishop, Miami-Dade College, Miami, Fla.; Enrique Renteria, Merced College, Merced, Calif.; Carmen Velasquez, Palo Alto College, San Antonio, Texas; Maria Villanueva, The National Hispanic University, San Jose, Calif.; and Beatriz Zay, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, P.R.

For more information on the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship program, visit: http://www.hsi.usda.gov/Programs%26Services/fellowship.htm.

Old Phone Numbers Go Away June 30

REMINDER: Old phone numbers go away June 30.Please remember that all pre-VoIP phone numbers go away on June 30. Calls made to legacy numbers will no longer be routed or referred to the new numbers. Please ensure necessary changes have been made including updating websites and various publications throughout the college. All new numbers are of the 485- and 486- prefixes only.

PAC's Summer Transfer Exploration Program

Ride VIA to PAC

Ride VIA To Palo Alto College and your first ride is FREE!

Smart Palo Alto College students already know how convenient it can be to ride the bus to campus. But if you haven’t tried VIA yet, you can try it for free as part of a promotion for a new route and the new Madla Transit Center nearby.

Routes Serving Palo Alto:
- 520 Zarzamora and 524 General McMullen run every 15 minutes, every day
- Routes begin early, end late
- 520 travels from Palo Alto College to Madla Transit Center and Crossroads Park & Ride
- 524 travels from Palo Alto to Crossroads Park & Ride
- Riding the bus saves time, gas, and money

VIA announces new 48 Express. For fast connections to downtown, Express Route 48 travels from the Madla Transit Center on IH-35 to the central business district in only 15 minutes. This route runs Monday through Friday every 40 minutes beginning at 6:50 a.m., and then it runs every 45 minutes each afternoon beginning at 3:35 p.m. For more details, check bus route schedules online at viainfo.net.

Free Ride Tickets are now available! Ask for a free ride brochure at your Student Activities office or Public Relations Department. Supplies are limited. The free tickets are valid through Dec. 31, 2009, and all you have to do is tear one off, insert it in the bus farebox, and you’re on your way. Ask the operator for your free first transfer, which can be used to board a connecting bus or on your return trip within two hours.

VIA’s new Madla Transit Center near South Park Mall serves routes 48 Express, 520 Zarzamora, 51 Nogalitos, and 550/551 Skip Looper. The Center has an indoor waiting area, vending machines, restrooms, lighting, security, and free customer parking. The facility also features VIA’s new real time next bus arrival displays.

VIA’s Semester Pass is the best deal for students during the regular school year. Get 5 months of unlimited rides for just $35 during fall and spring semesters.

Contact VIA for trip planning information and information on how to get your semester pass at viainfo.net or 210-362-2020.

Marcotte Study Abroad Report

THE FOLLOWING EMAIL IS SENT ON BEHALF OF KAREN MARCOTTE, WHO IS HEADING A TEAM OF 36 STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS ON A TWO WEEK STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM FOCUSING ON THE HOLOCAUST:

The PAC Study Abroad program on the Holocaust is off to a fantastic start. The 36 faculty and students have embraked on a two week study of the Holocaust in Europe in Berlin and Munich, Germany; Warsaw and Krakow in Poland and Prague in the Czech Republic. We have been in Europe for four days and this is my first chance to write. We flew in two different groups through Chicago to Berlin, Germany where we spent our first three days. After that first day of being tired from jet lag, the group began to focus on various aspects of the Holocaust in earnest.

Among our study points were the Jewish Museum, an orientation to the city of Berlin both past and present and a stop at the remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Students were impressed and in some cases highly moved by the sites. Our stop at a Jewish cemetery which had been desecrated brought into sharp focus the extent of the human suffering. We also spent time at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which is very near the Brandenburg gate. Again it was a somber group that boarded our bus.

A special visit to the Wannsee Conefernce House complete with a tour and presentation by a Professor of History was a sobering experience. The Wannsee Conference was where the Nazis decided on the Final Solution to the Jewish problem - they would be eliminated.

We have balanced the difficult topic of the Holocaust with visits to museums and other cultural sites. It was so good to see the statue of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti as she awaits the completion of her new museum. She still looks good after 3500 years.

We all enjoyed a panel discussion by professors of history on the East/West division of both Berlin and Germany. Two of the professors were born and raised in East Germany and one in West Germany. Our students are now more knowledgeable on this topic and understand the value of primary resources.

Today, May 21, we took the train from Berlin to Warsaw, Poland. This is my first trip to Poland. We watched the landscape change throughout our journey and enjoyed a walking orientation of the city center. Tomorrow we will vist the site of the Warsaw Ghetto and Uprising as well as the Jewish Synagogue. We will also have an orientation to the city as a whole.

For more information on the program and to read about some of the student impressions so far, look for an email from Rob Hines, History Professor.

This is Karen Marcotte, Professor of History and Humanities, Palo Alto College

Rob Hines' Study Abroad Update

THE FOLLOWING IS SENT ON BEHALF OF ROB HINES, WHO IS ALSO ON THE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM IN EUROPE:

"Reporting" from Warsaw, Poland, this is Rob Hines, History department, sharing some observations and experiences here in Europe this spring.

Most of the students and faculty on the trip this spring have had little or no practical experience with the holocaust or the history of Europe. Everything we are hearing and seeing is new. I am a history teacher, and I have taught my students about World War II and the Holocaust for decades. I thought I knew something about this difficult subject. Simply put: there is absolutely nothing like being there. And we are here.

Presently, we are now in Warsaw, Poland, having completed our stay in Berlin Germany this morning. After a light dinner this evening at our hotel, the faculty asked students to participate in a discussion: Share with the group some of your impressions about the trip so far - something you leanrned or were surprised by.

A student of Dr. Dorothy Haeker and Karen Marcotte's, Kevin James, spoke about our visit to the Wannese Villa outside of Berlin . It was here that the Nazi regime in Germany made their plans for the so called "final sollution" - the mass murder of perhaps millions of European Jews. The information shared, the rooms toured, the pictures and transcripts we saw from this crucial meeting of Nazi leaders, all made a huge impression on Kevin. When he spoke, it was clear to me he had been changed by the experience. I was too. In a couple of days, we will visit the result of this crucial meeting of Nazi leaders - the killing center of Aushwitz, outside the Polish city of Cracow. After this tour, I will report back to the PAC community.

On a more personal note:

Despite some misgivings expressed by my wife Kimberly, I brought our 13 year-old student to Europe with me . The trip is changing him every day. He has been struck by the vast differences in economic activity (Eastern Europe is not wealthy by the standards of south central Texas). Internet service is slow; cars are smaller and slower. People live in apartments, for the most part. Polish kids don't talk on cell phones, because they don't have one. It's not a question of shock. Kids his age know the world isn't the same everywhere. It is more a matter of awareness: this is how it is here. And people live their lives as happily as "richer" Americans.

He grew up learning about the Holocaust, and has not been shocked by the information so far. I am wondering how he will react to our visit to the killing centers the day after tomorrow.

Thanks.Rob Hines

Vet Tech Program Granted Continued Full Accreditation

Palo Alto College’s Veterinary Technology Program has been granted continued full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

Full Accreditation denotes that the program has met or exceeds all Standards of Accreditation.
Eleven program strengths were identified including the affordability of the program, the contemporary, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and the dedicated, enthusiastic Program faculty and staff.

Accreditation by the AVMA CVTEA represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. By maintaining continued accreditation, PAC’s program has ensured that its graduates meet a competency threshold for entry into practice, including eligibility for professional credentialing, and that the program measures up to national standards for veterinary technology teaching programs.

PAC’s Veterinary Technology program is one of only seven accredited veterinary technology programs in the state of Texas and 154 nationwide.

Palo Alto College, one of the Alamo Colleges, is a fully accredited community college located on the Southside, and awards associate degrees, short-term certificates and offers non-credit continuing education classes. The campus is located at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 South and Texas Hwy. 16 or online at www.accd.edu/pac.

Spring 2009 Recycling Efforts

Congratulations to PAC's Go Green! Viva Verde! Committee on it Spring 2009 Recycling efforts throughout the campus! Please take a moment to thank a committee member for their hard work in keep the campus beautiful and protecting our environment.

Children's Leadership Academy

Palo Alto College Corporate and Community Education invite you to participate in the summer 2009 Children’s Leadership Academy. Classes begin June 15, 2009.

The Children’s Leadership Academy is designed to offer children, ages 7-11, the opportunity to learn leadership skills that can be applied to school, sports, and community involvement. Children will have fun learning leadership through theories and techniques, critical thinking, motivation, team building and other related components. One of the program objectives is to create the LEADERS of tomorrow.

In addition, students will learn and participate in various sports, officiating rules and physical activities throughout the entire program.

Dates & Themes
Courses will be offered in three week intervals as follows:
Course One June 15 – July 2, 2009 -Tall Tales of Texas
Course Two July 6 – July 23, 2009 -Art and The Wild

Course Cost
$150 per student/per course - parents that register multiple siblings into the same course will be charged $75 for each additional child.

Course Days and Time
Monday – Thursday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Students may be dropped off as early as 7:30 a.m. and must be picked-up no later than 5:30 p.m.)

Lunch: Noon – 1 p.m. – Palo Alto College will participate in the City of San Antonio Nutrition Food Program. Students will receive a free daily hot lunch.

REGISTRATION
Please register your child by grade level for the 2009-2010 school year.
For Registration Information, call:
Linda Mesa
Children’s Leadership Academy Registrar
210.486.3413

Sarabia Receives Honorary Degree

PAC’s Spring 2009 Graduation Ceremony featured the presentation of the Alamo Colleges’ fourth Honorary Degree to Andy Sarabia, an early Communities Organized for Public Services (COPS) organizer, who was instrumental in the established of Palo Alto College in the Southside of San Antonio in the mid-1980s.

Presenting Sarabia with a medallion and a framed degree were Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzmán, PAC President; Denver McClendon, Alamo Colleges Board Chairman; and Dr. Bruce Leslie, Alamo Colleges Chancellor. The presentation was the highlight of the PAC Graduation Ceremony held at the Municipal Auditorium, May 5.

According to college history, the opening of Palo Alto College was the realization of a community dream to build an institution of higher learning in the Southside of San Antonio. Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) — a grassroots organization, predominantly Hispanic, with the mission of advocacy for the underserved, and a commitment to making government responsive to citizen needs — spearheaded the efforts to establish the college in the southern section of San Antonio.

Palo Alto College was established by the Alamo Community College District (ACCD) Board of Trustees on February 21, 1983, and chartered by the Texas Legislature on March 19, 1983, as an open admission, public, two-year institution.

Palo Alto College is federally designated as a Hispanic–Serving Institution and fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Classes began in September 1985 with 231 students enrolled.

PAC Spring Graduates--Look Here!

Save the Date--August 18

Take a look at the beautiful nighttime photo of PAC's New Performing Arts Center taken by Joan Snow. We will hold a grand opening of the Center on Tuesday, August 18 at 10 a.m. Please be sure to Save the Date!

Suzman Exhibition at PAC

PALO ALTO COLLEGE TO HOST EXHIBITION
HONORING LIFE OF HELEN SUZMAN

HELEN SUZMAN—FIGHTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS


WHO: Palo Alto College will host the national tour “HELEN SUZMAN: Fighter for Human Rights.” The tour is generously underwritten by
Dobkin Family Foundation
Tolan Family Foundation

WHAT: Helen Suzman was one of South Africa’s most energetic opponents of apartheid. She takes pride of place among those liberals who devoted their lives to the fight for human rights and the rule of law in South Africa

WHEN: Tuesday, May 12 at Noon

WHERE: Palo Alto College New Performing Arts Center

Free and Open to the Public

PAC Summer Four Day Work Week

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS SENT ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT OF PALO ALTO COLLEGE:

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Among the items on the agenda under consideration during April’s ACCD Board of Trustees Meeting was Agenda Item #7: Summer Four Day Work Week at Palo Alto College (June 8—July 31, 2009). The Board voted in favor of agenda item # 7.

Under the Summer Four Day Work Week, normal work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday – Thursday, and the college’s hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday – Thursday. Employees will be expected to work 10 hour days. As we have done in the past, we will continue with schedule flexibility particularly for those who have family responsibilities.

This year Memorial Day does not fall within the Summer Four Day Work Week period. For the week of June 29 – July 3rd, 2009 we will observe normal working hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the college will be closed Friday, July 3rd for the observance of Independence Day. All summer staff schedules should be submitted to your Supervisor so that the Vice President will have a list of everyone’s schedule.

PAC JOINS CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE STUDENT SUCCESS

SAN ANTONIO, TX (May 6, 2009) — At a time when our nation’s economic competitiveness depends on providing every child with an education that will enable them to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce, Gateway to College at Palo Alto College is providing pathways to higher education for 73 young people who might not otherwise go to college. It is one of over 200 early college high school programs nationwide.

From May 4-10, early college high school programs around the country will celebrate Early College High School Week, bringing together students, administrators, parents, community leaders, and legislators to honor the commitment and success of the Early College High School Initiative.

Gateway to College at Palo Alto College will be presenting a Parent Night in the Student Center Annex on Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. Graduating students will speak about their successful Gateway to College experiences, and join other Gateway to College students in displaying their work.

With startup support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other funders, early college high schools offer college courses to high school students underrepresented in higher education (low-income, minority, English language learners, and first-generation college students) so they gain the skills they need to succeed in college and careers.

Gateway to College is unique among Early College programs, as it serves high school dropouts ages 16 to 20 and enrolls them as college students in a college-based program. Through Gateway to College, students are able to complete their high school diploma requirements while simultaneously earning college credits toward an associate’s degree or certificate. Gateway to College is currently offered at 24 colleges in 14 states, partnering with 111 school districts.

“Gateway to College at Palo Alto provides students the opportunity for a real second chance,” said Abel R. Gonzales, the program’s director. “Every staff member is truly invested in the success of our students and every student in our program is given an opportunity to rewrite their story and experience success on a college campus.”

“Gateway to College has taught me how to be responsible for my own actions, and has provided me with a clear pathway to success,” said Justine Torres, currently enrolled in the program. “Without this program, I would have never seen myself as a successful college student, but today I am discovering that I can achieve all the goals in my life.”

At a time when up to half of young people drop out of traditional schools, over 9 in 10 early college students nationwide get a high school diploma and 88 percent graduate with at least some college credit. Nationally, students who’ve graduated from the Gateway to College program have earned both their high school diploma and an average of 42 semester college credits out of 60 needed for an associate’s degree. The college credit is earned tuition free, at a time when one year of public college costs an average of $6,600. Students with two years of credit or an Associate’s degree would save an average $13,000.

“These numbers prove that challenge—not remediation—is an approach to education that works,” said Marlene B. Seltzer, CEO of Jobs for the Future, which leads the Early College High School Initiative nationally. “The opportunity to earn free college credit is something every student and parent would invite, especially during these hard economic times.”

“We will have 250 schools by 2012, serving 100,000 students,” added Seltzer. “Early college high schools are already helping the nation meet President Obama’s charge: ‘By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.’”

For more information about the Early College High School Initiative, visit www.earlycolleges.org.

Newly Elected PAC SGA Officers

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED
STUDENT GOVERNMENT OFFICERS
2009-2010

PRESIDENT
Karisa Hernandez

VICE-PRESIDENT
Samantha Triana

SENATOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Angela Rodriguez

SENATOR OF STUDENT SERVICES
Vivian Partida

SENATOR OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Thuong (Tee) Nguyen

PAC Graduation Party

Photo from Stefani Montiel MySpace website

Did I mention that the graduation party was

FREE

That it's being catered by

LAS CAZUELAS

That the performance is by

STEFANI MONTIEL

RSVP NOW AT (210) 486-3880

PAC GRADUATION PARTY

FRIDAY, MAY 8

STUDENT CENTER ANNEX

6 P.M.

PAC Graduation Party

Palo Alto College Graduates—
ARE YOU READY FOR A PARTY!

PAC Graduation Party/Concert
Friday, May 8
PAC Student Center Annex

Featuring
Stefani Montiel

Free!

Doors open at 6 p.m.
Food Service begins at 6:30 p.m.
Performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
Celebration ends at 8 p.m.

Celebrate with your Family!

Must RSVP by
5 p.m. Wednesday, May 6
Call (210) 486-3880

Frontier Bowl Scholarships

Top Photo: Ray Hernandez, PAC Recruiter; Diana Casas, McCollum H.S. Principal; Ashley Ramirez; and David Alfaro, PAC Recruiter, at McCollum H.S.

Bottom Photo: Dr. Robert Garza and Robert Herrera at Harlandale H.S.

Area High School Students Awarded Frontier Bowl Scholarships

Robert Herrera, a senior at Harlandale H.S., and Ashley Ramirez, a senior at McCollum H.S., were the recipients of a $500 Scholarship to attend Palo Alto College in the Fall 2009 semester. Both students had submitted their name for Scholarship consideration during the annual Frontier Bowl 2008 game held at Memorial Stadium.

Herrera, 17, is no stranger to PAC. He has already amassed 24 dual credit hours and will be attending PAC in the summer. He plans to major in computer networking and security.

Ramirez, 17, is planning to attend Angelo State University in the fall, but is happy to have the scholarship available to her in case unforeseen circumstances cause her to change her plans.

Congratulations Robert and Ashley!