December 2023

Vol. 14

Bakersfield College Philanthropists and Supporters to be Honored at 16th Annual Sterling Silver Saturday, March 16, 2024

The BC Foundation will honor some of the community’s most generous supporters of Bakersfield College on Saturday, March 16 at Bakersfield College Foundation’s 16^th Annual Sterling Silver. The gala will be held in the Renegade Event Center at BC’s main campus, 1801 Panorama Drive. 

This year’s honorees include:

California Resources Corporation, Corporate Philanthropist of the Year— California Resources Corporation (CRC) is being honored for their years of supporting STEM and other programs on campus, and for their more recent, generous funding of the Kern Community College District’s CRC Carbon Management Institute.  The work of the Institute focuses on deployment of emerging technologies to sequester carbon emissions, processes which climate and energy experts have identified as vital in order to accomplish an expedient and successful global transition to a carbon neutral future.

Jeffrey and Amy Bell, Individual Philanthropists of the Year— Jeff and Amy Bell established a scholarship for BC students in 2011.  Since then, the couple has grown the fund by making monthly contributions that directly influence our students’ success now and in the future.  Jeff is past chair of the BC Foundation Board of Directors and has been a director since 2011.  Jeff is a strong proponent of higher education because of the impact it’s had on his own family.  His commitment goes beyond board-related activities, and he devotes time to campus functions that allow him to meet and encourage students to stay on the path toward achieving their educational dream.

Dolores Salgado, BC Foundation Service Medal— Dolores Salgado is a registered civil engineer, and is Group Leader at Ardurra Engineering. She plays a vital role in and devotes much of her time to BC’s Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program (MESA). Dolores chairs the BC MESA Industry board, and she leads academic and industry partners in enhancing, expanding, and sustaining the college’s MESA program. Dolores has organized outreach initiatives that help with enrollment, and she also donates and fundraises for campus programs.

Community Partner Award, Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK)—CAPK is a tremendous supporter of the Basic Needs program at Bakersfield College, helping feed students on campus, and even neighbors in the community.  In the first 10 months of 2023, CAPK provided nearly 81,000 pounds of food to the food pantries at the Panorama Drive and the Delano campus. In January 2023, the college partnered with CAPK to hold monthly farmer’s markets for the BC family and the surrounding community. Since January, free produce has been provided to more than 4,000 members of our community.

For Sterling Silver ticket or sponsorship details, call 661-395-4800 or visit Sterling Silver Tickets & Sponsorships.

From the Executive Director

Dear friends and supporters of Bakersfield College,

After losing my husband earlier this year, I’ve learned many lessons about life and about myself, too. 

During this time, I’ve been thankful for my role at the Bakersfield College Foundation where I work with the community to support students in pursuit of their educational dream.  Having this job made it easier to dive back into work without wondering if I was spending my days in a job that was fulfilling. I knew I was right where I should be.

I was surprised by how much my experience would affect my perspective about my work, our mission at the BC Foundation, and my role as a donor.

Like many of you, I have supported a variety of organizations and causes over the years. I’ve always felt good about supporting students through my automatic payroll deduction since joining the BC Foundation.

After my husband passed, my family and our friends joined together to create something larger and dear to our hearts; something that will support Bakersfield College students long after we are all gone.  We established an endowed scholarship in honor of Darren, and it will benefit BC students who are interested in a career in construction, the industry sector where Darren spent his entire career.

Creating this scholarship has transformed my attitude about giving, and it is an example of the difference between “charity” and “philanthropy.”  The two are closely related, of course, and both result in addressing current or future needs.  Philanthropy, though, tends to be more strategic about addressing the root causes of the greater issue.  At the BC Foundation, we are seeing more and more supporters (corporate and individuals) approaching their contributions as an investment rather than a “gift.” 

For our corporate supporters, that often means creating a new program or supporting an existing program that will help prepare students for jobs that their own company or industry will be creating in the future.  For individuals, we are seeing more people establishing family scholarships in honor of a loved one.  We work with them to establish criteria for the student applicants, and scholarship donors can even review the applications and weigh in on the decision, along with a committee.  

We are in the middle of scholarship season at BC, meaning students are completing their applications for review by committees and donors in February.  Persistence is a top priority for Bakersfield College.  Enrolling students is critical; helping them cross the stage at graduation is imperative.

If you’ve been pondering how you can invest in the future of our community in a meaningful way, I encourage you to consider setting up your own scholarship at Bakersfield College.  When you create a scholarship in honor of a family member or a special cause, you will impact students now and in the future.  At the same time, you can begin your journey into philanthropy, a truly fulfilling and impactful way of helping address some of today’s greatest social and economic challenges.

If you’d like to explore opportunities for supporting or creating a scholarship at Bakersfield College, please call our office at (661) 395-4800 or email us at foundation@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

BC Celebrates Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Agriculture Sciences Building

By Monika Roberts, BC Director of Marketing & Communications

Bakersfield College celebrated a significant milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony for its new Agriculture Sciences building. The event marked the commencement of construction on a cutting edge, 3-story facility that will revolutionize the learning experience for students within the College’s top-ranked agriculture program.

Funded by Measure J, a $502 million bond passed in November 2016, the new Agriculture Sciences building is planned to include an impressive 49,546 square feet of total building area, which includes exterior covered areas. Designed as an all-electric building, it will exceed Title 24 standards by more than 24%, showcasing BC’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

This state-of-the-art learning space will be a hub of innovation, providing students and faculty with cutting-edge resources to advance research and education in agriculture. The building will house food production and sciences facilities, a mechanized agricultural workshop, and a range of agricultural sciences labs, including those for tissue/growth, animal studies, vet tech, horticulture, soils, plant science, and forestry.

In addition to the building itself, the project includes extensive site improvements aimed at creating a dynamic and conducive learning environment. New greenhouses, shade houses, storage bays, seating areas, planters, and accessible routes throughout the site will further enhance the overall experience for students and faculty alike.

The new Bakersfield College Agriculture Sciences building is scheduled to be completed in December 2025.

Money & Munchies Scholarship Event

Through the generous support of our donors and community partners, the Bakersfield College Foundation takes great pride in bolstering student success through scholarship funds. Bakersfield College provides an array of nearly 300 different opportunities amounting to almost $500,000 in scholarships annually! Whether you’re an incoming, current, or transferring student, you have the chance to apply for Bakersfield College scholarships each academic year. Mark your calendars as the application period for 2024-2025 BC scholarship application is currently open until February 1^st, 2024. The simple and streamlined application process can be completed online through the KCCD scholarship portal at https://kccd.academicworks.com/users/sign_in. If you’re a prospective student or currently enrolled at BC, ensure you submit your application! Please visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships with any questions.

In partnership with the BC Foundation, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships hosted a scholarship outreach event in celebration of November is National Scholarship Month. The event, Money and Munchies: Scholarship Fair, saw an impressive turnout of over 30 students! It was a thrilling event that provided students with information and resources on the scholarship application process, all while enjoying a delightful lunch. We are excited by the opportunity to assist even more students in the future!

If you would like to donate to the Bakersfield College scholarship program, you can contribute to the success of our students by going here: Donate.  Any gift is appreciated and will be used to fund our student’s educational goals and aspirations.

Amazon Partners with BC’s Basic Needs Center 

By Caitlin Davidson, BC Program Manager, Basic Needs

The Renegade Nexus – BC’s Basic Needs Center is excited to announce a new partnership with Amazon through our pantry. On November 7, 2023, our staff picked up our first donation from Amazon which included four pallets of food and household products. Items included canned goods, Gatorade, protein bars, and other pantry staples. Once stocked in our pantry, the items were quickly taken and enjoyed by students. We would like to thank Amazon for the generous donation to our pantry and also thank the BC Foundation for connecting us with Amazon.

BC Hosts 12th Annual College Ethics Bowl

By Bryan Russell, BC Philosophy Professor

The Bakersfield College philosophy department hosted the 12^th annual Two-Year College Ethics Bowl Championship in the Campus Center on the Panorama campus on Saturday, November 18th. Ethics Bowl is a competitive academic activity where teams engage in structured debates discussing ethical dilemmas and analyzing moral reasoning to develop thoughtful and well-reasoned arguments. The competition featured ten teams from nine colleges from across the country. Bakersfield College faculty, administrators, and students served alongside community members as judges, moderators, and organizers for the event. It was a positive and enriching experience for all participants. 

The Bakersfield College Ethics Bowl Team’s performance was a definite highlight, as the BC Ethics Bowl Team, consisting of students Karla Rivera, Melanie Husband, and Jessica Killmer and coached by BC philosophy professors, Anna Collins and Bryan Russell, remained undefeated through all four matches until the intense finals, in which we encountered a formidable opponent in Marion Military Institute, who would win the closely contested match. We are incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to mentor such dedicated and intelligent students! We also received positive feedback on the judging of our faculty, the moderating of our students, and the impressiveness of the Campus Center. Thanks are due to the Bakersfield Foundation and the Office of the President for providing financial assistance necessary for putting on the event and to all volunteers and competitors.

Renegade Promenade & Alumni BBQ Recap

Bakersfield College was filled with Renegade pride at the 63rd BC Alumni BBQ. The event, hosted by the Bakersfield College Alumni Association and the Bakersfield College Foundation, was held in conjunction with Renegade Promenade. The day started with a festival that included community vendors, Bakersfield College exhibits, and live music and performances by talented BC students and alumni. The crowd was in awe of some of these performances by the BC Jazz, BC Choir, BC Drumline, and the BC Ballet Folklorico Ritmo y Sabor.

All this was happening while the BC Culinary team (mostly students!) was preparing to cook steaks and hot dogs for about 300 people. The food, being so tasty, was in popular demand and sold out quickly! Also in popular demand was the beer garden which overflowed throughout the whole event.

Every meal ticket encouraged the community to express even more Renegade pride by including general admission to the BC Homecoming Football game vs. Moorpark College. More than 3,000 people filled Memorial Stadium that night and the Renegades were victorious with a 25 to 17 win.

Proceeds from the event will benefit BC student programs and future BC alumni activities.

3rd Annual Back to BC Golf Tournament

The faces seen on October 20^th at the 3^rd annual Back to BC Golf Tournament were both new and known!  Smiles filled the day as BC alumni and supporters made their way around the Rio Bravo golf course.  Teams had a wide array of BC supporters including past BC football players, cheerleaders, current faculty, retirees, Foundation Board Members, donors, and even teams consisting of future alumni!  The event proceeds benefited the Bakersfield College Football program and the BC Alumni Association.

Inaugural College Rodeo a Success

By Andrea Prise, Head Coach

It is close to three weeks since our Inaugural College Rodeo that was held at the Kern County Fairgrounds on Veterans Day, and the joy of our success has not worn off!  Many of the schools, coaches, and even our rodeo contract help whom have been involved in rodeo for years said that our rodeo was one of the best they have been to in quite some time.  So I guess our efforts were successful! We just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to our supporters who have believed in our Rodeo Team for these past two years.  We would not have had the opportunity to showcase College Rodeo in our hometown if it was not for people like YOU!

Our first ever College Rodeo brought close to 2,200 spectators to the stands to watch over 200 college athletes from 12 colleges and universities across California and Western Nevada.  While this rodeo was the end of the Fall rodeo season for our region, we will continue the 2023-2024 rodeo season next March at West Hills College in Coalinga, CA. From there, we will travel to San Luis Obispo to compete at the Cuesta College and Cal Poly, SLO rodeo in April, to Clovis for the Fresno State rodeo and then our finals will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the South Point Arena for UNLV’s rodeo in May.

The success of this rodeo was not only measured by the entertainment provided to the spectators in the stands, but also by the positive exposure that our Rodeo Team and Bakersfield College received. Through this event, we were able to showcase one of the many reasons that Bakersfield College is a viable option for not only an exemplary education, but how we can provide activities for college students to participate in outside of the classroom.  We hope that this inaugural year is just the start of a long tradition of the Renegade Rodeo Team. As we come towards the end of the semester and the end of this year, we wish you success and happiness in the year 2024!