PRESIDENT’S CORNERSummer is here and with the high temperatures comes high hopes for catching up on projects, and a time for some major facility improvements and maintenance. We have a number of major facility projects taking place this summer. Currently the main parking lot at the Ridgecrest campus is being resurfaced, and construction has begun on a new, long-overdue, maintenance and operations facility.

July 2021

President’s Corner 1

The Art of Killing Monsters 2

Lish Named ESCC Student of the Year 3

Bowers Retires After 14 Years of Service 3

Nine Graduate College Before High School 4

Foundation Feature:Amazon Smiles 4

Inside this Issue

REGISTER NOW FORFALL CLASSES!

With the completion of the parking lot, you will start to see more staff returning to their offices throughout the month of July. Our phased-in approach to returning to campus has already begun. The May revision of the Safe Campus Reopening Protocols has been updated on the college website for your review. A June revision of these protocols will be updated to reflect the June 17 vote by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt the revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards. Governor Gavin Newson signed an executive order to allow the revisions to immediately take effect. The updates include changes to face coverings and physical distancing requirements. Cerro Coso is planning on providing a full complement of on-site instructional and student support services for the fall semester at each of our campuses. Please read the latest Safe Campus Reopening Protocols for details and expectations. Contact tracing will still be required of all employees, therefore everyone must complete the coming on campus form on the website or via the KCCD Campus App and scan appropriate location QR codes.

As we begin a new fiscal year, I am happy to report that the college finished the fiscal year in a positive position despite the challenges of the pandemic. This past year can best be summarized as a year of dramatic change and adjustment that affected every area of the college’s operation. While the pandemic brought disruption and uncertainty in its wake, the college continued to move forward, building new programs of study and modifying existing academic programs that will attract new students. Enrollment and retention continue to be a primary focus for the upcoming fall semester. I hope you all take some time off over the summer to refresh and boost your wellbeing to carry forward to the fall semester. Wishing you all a happy and productive summer.

Construction on a new Maintenance and Operations facility has begun.

2 COYOTE HOWLER

The Art of Killing MonstersBy ISEP Patrick Larmour, Ranked 1st Place in the USC Underground Writing Project

I was almost 24 the day I realized I was a monster. This dawned on me while I was housed in the solitary confinement unit in Corcoran state prison. Alone in a bare cell, I was staring at my reflection in a small metal mirror bolted to the wall. The face staring back at me was hideous. My head was as swollen and disfigured as the Elephant Man. My left eye was bloodshot with broken vessels and nearly swollen shut. A jagged scratch was slashed down and across my face, still inflamed beneath the trail of fresh black scabs—all the result of a nasty fight with other inmates the day prior. I continued to stare at my reflection for minutes on end, trembling as I fought back tears of pain and bitterness. I wasn’t upset that I’d been beat and stomped nearly unconscious. No, this face was insignificant in light of the harsh reality which was somehow only now dawning on me: I wasn’t yet 24 and I’d already been in prison for six years of a life sentence. And rightfully so: At seventeen, I’d assaulted one friend and killed another in a drunken rage. In the process, I’d destroyed countless lives and brought only shame and misery to my family. To make matters worse; all I’d done since coming to prison was hang out with the homeboys, get high, and fight—further alienating myself from those who still loved me. Seething with raw contempt, I remember scowling at my ugly reflection and thinking: “I hate you…one way or another I am going to kill you.” This path left me with only two options: I could either start the long, arduous journey of changing everything about myself, or I could simply hang myself with a bedsheet and call it quits. Suicide seemed the easiest option. The only obstacle holding me back was the thought of my parents crying when they heard the news. After all the misery I’d caused them I couldn’t fathom putting them through more. So…change it was. I started with the obvious: no more drugs or homemade wine. No more hanging out with the homeboys. No more fights. I enrolled in a few self-help classes, began exercising, and did my best to surround myself with a positive crowd. For years I struggled desperately to prove to the world that I was a good person. None of it worked. Deep down I still loathed myself. To make matters worse, the older I got the less I understood my behavior as an adolescent. And I knew that until I got those answers---and some damn good ones, too—I would never see myself as anything but a monster undeserving of its next breath. Over the years this sustained self-hatred began taking its toll. Eventually, I was diagnosed with severe depression and put on the strongest medications available. They didn’t work; I would still break down into tears at times, then want to scream in frustration at others. At one especially bad point, I was sent to a mental health ward and put on observation because my psychologist feared I was going to kill myself. Looking back, I believe I was close to having a nervous breakdown. I simply could not handle hating myself anymore. Something had to change. It was around this time that California began offering college inside prisons. I signed up, eager to have some distraction from my depression. Little did I know that this decision would

change my life. Amazingly, each class I took seemed to teach me something new about myself. In my psychology class, I studied the development of the male brain, how it doesn’t fully mature until 25 years of age. Due to this, many young men have difficulty processing emotions, foreseeing consequences, or controlling their impulses—just as I did. In sociology, I learned how various social factors have the power to mold individuals and how coming from a white, upper-class family, can contribute to illusions of superiority, entitlement, and arrogance. It was as if each class that I took – human development, anthropology, administration of justice, and philosophy—taught me some priceless insight into myself. Little by little things began to add up for me. With each class I took, I began to understand that I wasn’t a monster. I was a human being who—because of my adolescent brain development, elevated testosterone levels, negative social background, substance abuse, and feelings of entitlement—had made some very awful choices and hurt a lot of people in the process. I say this not as an excuse, but rather as an acknowledgment of the factors which contributed to my decisions. This realization has changed my life. I no longer burn with self-hatred, nor do I feel the need to lash out at the world, or numb myself with drugs. I still struggle with depression, but I know it comes from a place of remorse, which is healthy. I don’t even take medication anymore. I don’t need it. Thanks to this college program I’ve finally found a way to accept myself. I now work as a literacy tutor in the college department here at CCI and am in training to become a mentor. I help people to read and write. I am useful, my life has purpose, which is more than anyone could ever ask. Anyways, I’ve said all this to make one point absolutely clear to the educators, policymakers, and taxpayers: if you want the criminals you lock up to stop acting like monsters, then teach them they were never monsters, to begin with. – This writing by ISEP student Patrick Larmour ranked 1st place, out of 177 submissions, in the USC Underground Writing Project. The writing contest asked system involved individuals to write a 1000 word essay on how education has positively impacted their lives. Larmour is also one of twenty-six Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) members to have his writing published in the 2019 issue of PTK’s online literary journal, Nota Bene.

COYOTE HOWLER 3

Lish Named ESCC Student of the YearNoa Lish chose Cerro Coso because it was close to home and allowed concurrent enrollment while in high school and says she stayed because it has provided an incredible opportunity to develop skills for studying, conflict resolution, and engaging her curiosities. "I feel that the stakes are reasonable at a community college and that the low-stress environment has allowed me to develop methods for working through challenging subjects, such as math or anatomy. In addition, there is ample support from professors, tutors, and counselors.” Lish plans to graduate this fall with degrees in Liberal Arts: Arts and Humanities, and Math and Science, and is currently interested in a career in public health or environmental science, with a possible focus on policy or research. “Due to the wonderful Eastern Sierra Foundation Scholarship, and low cost of tuition,” she continued, “I have been able to take classes that wouldn’t fit squarely into either of my majors. I have greatly enjoyed these classes, and found that their content dovetails beautifully with curriculum in major-related classes.” Lish said she would encourage others to consider Cerro Coso,” the financial aid, and local scholarships

make it initially attractive, but it offers so much more. The close family environment provides a comfortable and supportive setting for meeting challenges. I know that what Cerro Coso has taught me will come in handy with more challenging classes.” Lish began working as a student worker on the Bishop campus fielding questions and helping students complete matriculation. As a Student Ambassador during COVID times, she 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; hosted Student Coffee Breaks to learn more about what support students needed; and navigated the CCCC participatory governance process advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the curriculum. This led to her being appointed to both the SSSP and CIC Committees as the student representative. Lish hosted a virtual tour of the Bishop and Mammoth campuses for incoming students who could not visit during campus closures, and began working on a presentation with the Mono County Health Department on positive consent in intimate sexual relations. Her 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 start to pick back up. “If Noa represents the positive force of the next generation, our future is in excellent hands,” said Dr. Deanna Campbell Director of the ESCC campuses.

Bowers Retires After 14 Years of ServiceSpecial Services Assistant, Dolores Bowers, retired in June after almost 15 years of service at the Lake Isabella campus. She started her career at the college like many other dedicated employees as a student and became a classified employee in October of 2006. She loved wandering the halls, engaging with students in Access Programs. Her job was to monitor the progress of

students in the program and assist them in meeting their career, academic, and personal goals. Providing resources and aid where needed, Bowers assisted with student success workshops and activities in support of student achievement. Recognized for her dedication and outstanding service, Bowers was named Special Services Staff of the Year in 2006-2007 and 2010-2011; ASCC Staff of the Year in 2011-2012; Classified Staff of the Year in 2012-2013; and 10 Years of Service to the EOPS program in 2017. As a student, she

made the President’s List in 2007. In retirement, she hopes to relax, spend time with family, and travel. “The past 20 years starting as a student, and the last 14 years as a classified staff member, have brought me great joy,” said Bowers. Thank you, Dolores, for your commitment to Cerro Coso’s mission to improve the life of every student we serve.

The Coyote Howler is a publication of Cerro Coso Community College. For more information about the stories in this publication, or to include information in

this publication, contactNatalie Dorrell, Public Relations Director,

at 760-384-6260 or email ndorrell@cerrocoso.edu.

BAKERSFIELD COLLEGECERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

About this Publication

FOUNDATION FEATUREAmazon Smiles AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the CCCC Foundation every time you shop and it doesn’t cost you anything. Simply go to smileamazon.com and choose the Cerro Coso Community College Foundation for your charitable organization. It is your same Amazon account. Your shopping cart, wish list, registry, and other account settings are all the same. On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select the Cerro Coso Community College Foundation to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. AmazonSmile will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make through AmazonSmile will result in a donation to the CCCC Foundation. Share, share, share—what an easy way for family and friends to support the work of Cerro Coso every time they shop!

Nine Graduate College Before High School

High school students across Cerro Coso’s service area are enrolling in college credit classes and finding that graduating from

college before even graduating from high school is a very real possibility. Nine high school students graduated with Associate Degrees from Cerro Coso this May, within weeks of graduating from their respective high school. Two of the students attended the college’s Tehachapi Campus, one from the Online Program, and seven from the Mammoth Lakes Campus. All the result of partnerships with service area high schools. These nine students are way ahead of the curve. Earning their associate degrees will save them tuition at a four-year university. Mammoth Campus student Cesar Pina, took dual/concurrent enrollment classes at Cerro Coso because it was an easier way for him to replace regular high school classes with classes that would satisfy both college and high school credits. “This is great because now I am a college sophomore technically,” he said. Pina is headed off to CSU Northridge in the fall. “These classes also helped me get a feel for the college workload early.”

These graduates represent a growing trend of high school students graduating college before graduating high school. The Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program is an early college program that allows high schoolers to earn college credits before their high school diploma. “I would recommend other high school students take these classes. They are free and get you ahead as well,” concluded Pina. “We are very proud of these exceptional students,” said Cerro Coso President Sean Hancock. “They have taken and completed college-level courses that give them a head start on college credits, save time and money, and prepares them for the demands of higher education. They inspire us all to create even more unique pathways to college degrees and credentials that give them a head start.” More information on Cerro Coso’s Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program is available on the college website at www.cerrocoso.edu.

Mammoth Campus student Cesar Pina is one of nine high school students to graduate college this May before graduating from High School.

4 COYOTE HOWLER