My introduction to you happened in the late 1990s.
I arrived in Los Angeles, a foreign graduate student, trying to understand America through textbooks and LA’s RTD routes.
And then I met you.
An institution built on virtues I could not quite comprehend.
Infinite hope. Untiring patience. Radical non-judgment. You met people where they were.
Not where they should have been. Not where someone thought they ought to be. But where they were.
You were born long before I met you in the Central Valley, where community colleges first took root in California soil. Practical. Accessible. Close to home. Built for possibility.
And then you spread.
From the Central Valley – Fresno, Bakersfield, Merced you reached into the Inland Empire – Riverside, San Bernardino out to the eastern edge of our state – the Coachella Valley, Palm Desert, Indio up the North State – Chico, Redding across the Bay – Oakland, Hayward, San José down the Central Coast – Monterey, San Luis Obispo into Los Angeles – every corner, every neighborhood in LA and all the way to the borderlands – San Diego, Imperial Valley.
Across the Sierra foothills. Along Highway 99. Down the 5 and the 101.
Into farmworker towns. Into port cities. Into rural mountain communities. Into urban corridors. Where opportunity needed a doorway you became that doorway.
You evolved.
You empowered people. You improved constantly You innovated for students. You added programs. Added pathways. Added chances.
And over three decades, I have watched you love Californians by taking action in real tangible ways.
I have seen the foster youth who carried everything they owned in a backpack walk across a commencement stage because someone at a community college refused to give up on them.
I have seen the formerly incarcerated Californian who found purpose through education, completed a certificate, earned a degree, and now gives back to their community.
I have seen the veteran, resilient, carrying both visible and invisible weight, find a Veterans Resource Center and a faculty member who said, “You belong here.”
I have seen the student with a disability navigate hallways that were once barriers and find accommodations, allies, and a future not defined by limitation but by capacity.
You do not ask for perfection. You ask for effort. You do not require pedigree. You require courage.
Over two million students a year.
Two million stories of trying again. Starting over. Leveling up.
You are accessible. You are practical. You are relentless in your belief that Californians deserve more.
On this Valentine’s Day, I say it plainly:
I love you, California Community Colleges, – for your open doors. – for your stubborn optimism. – for believing in people before they believe in themselves.
You are California at its best.
And after three decades of watching you in motion … through reform, recession, innovation, and renewal,
I am convinced of this:
If there is an institution built on hope in America,
It is you!
With gratitude, admiration, and love Your chancellor, sonya
The end of September and the beginning of October present possibilities of Nature’s miracles in the Colorado Rockies. As the temperature looks winter-wards, the green on the Aspens deepens, presenting a dazzling spectacle of colors. From a greenish yellow to deep crimson, a plethora of colors erupt into a visual delight for the mesmerized eyes. Season’s first snow lends added contrast to rich colors. The colorful flora in the lap of towering, freshly snow-covered mountains wows the casual to the committed.
I happened to avail myself of Nature’s blessings this time around, an annual ritual in this part of the world. Aspen, Snowmass, and Vail are small towns with worldwide fame. It’s easy to see why.
Nature speaks for them. It finds eloquence in colors, in towering height of fifty-eight 14ers, and lung-cleansing air. The magic seeps deep in the soul.
A single day may befit a year.
Early morning freeze, midday heat on a taxing hike, late afternoon thunderstorm with “tropical” rain shower, followed by a sudden break in clouds, only to be substituted by late evening snowflakes. It’s a cycle we experienced more than once during our week-long escape to the Rockies.
The long hikes at demanding inclines and challenging altitudes confer long periods of absolute silence. The sense of awe finds a companion in introspection. Problems seem to find solutions.
Plagued by divisiveness, an unsettled mind yearns for an answer in nature. It strives to seek a resolution.
The changing colors tell a captivating story.
Photosynthesis is the foundational miracle of nature that harnesses water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce life-sustaining oxygen and energy. Trees have evolved to do it effortlessly and flawlessly with 100% efficiency—no wasted effort. No toxic residues. As Fall temperatures plummet, days get shorter, photosynthesis splutters, and leaves blush. No more worthy of photosynthesis, leaves fall and fertilize the next bloom. They fall in style and breathtaking splendor.
Hate should be deciduous, love perennial, the falling leaves seem to say.
Hate should blush with shame and fall, like fall leaves, to be reborn as love. That’s a cycle of life the Fall seems to inspire.
Imagine spellbinding colors of a Fall leaf drifting elegantly towards the ground, having fulfilled its obligations to support photosynthesis and now committing to raising the next generation. That’s how nature renews its vows. Life intuitively sustains itself.
Hate is counterintuitive to humanity. Love is the necessary glue.
The falling leaves helped me shed some of my prejudices. It was a refreshing and necessary interlude.
As the Earth completes its 25th orbit of the millennium, we pause to reflect on the journey behind us and look with zeal toward the path ahead.
In a time-honored tradition, a reinforced spirit will disavow the spirits again in favor of the gym and likely succumb to the inevitable, waiting for the circle to square again a year later. The Earth is closest to the Sun this time of year (perihelion), but the Northern Hemisphere is facing away from the Sun, so, as usual, we have winter in our part of the world.
We hope 2025 was a year of fulfillment for you, and we wish 2026 holds even greater promise.
We pray that 2026 exceeds your expectations in health, happiness, and prosperity.
Here is a piece on how we recognize military training in our colleges.
Army 1st Sgt. Joey Mora returned from four overseas deployments with hopes to advance into the next chapter of his life by graduating from college. It was a fight. Juggling classes and full-time policing, he watched his dream stall for over 10 years. Then, he arrived at Norco College, located 50 miles east of Los Angeles, in the Riverside Community College District. Staff helped him translate his Joint Services Transcript, the official document that details his military training and experience. He received 30 college credits, enabling him to complete an AA degree in one year, get promoted, and transfer to a four-year university for his BA and MS.
Mora’s success shouldn’t be the exception. It should be the norm.
The essence of Thanksgiving is around the corner; Black Friday awaits. Retailers are busy counting their money, which is sitting temporarily in our wallets. But Thanksgiving is not merely a day marked on the calendar for exhausting shopping. Thanksgiving is a day rich in history, a tapestry woven with generosity, mercy, empathy, love, kindness, and gratitude. These timeless values trace their roots to the earliest Thanksgiving celebrations, when Pilgrims and Native Americans came together in unity and shared gratitude.
The Pilgrims struggled through adversity, enduring the harsh conditions of a new world. They were met with empathy and kindness from the Indigenous Wampanoag people, who offered assistance and knowledge essential for survival. This powerful gesture of mercy and understanding laid the foundation for what we now recognize as the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
As the story goes, Thanksgiving was a feast shared between these disparate groups, symbolizing the spirit of generosity and love. “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest,” said poet William Blake, capturing the reciprocal nature of gratitude evident at that historic gathering.
Thanksgiving itself is a time to practice gratitude—a virtue that Roman philosopher Cicero once heralded as not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others. Gratefulness opens the door to empathy and kindness, encouraging us to recognize and appreciate the humanity in each person we encounter.
The Thanksgiving tradition was further cemented in American culture by President Abraham Lincoln, who, in the midst of the Civil War, proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863. Amidst the conflict, Lincoln saw a nation in need of unity and healing, and in his proclamation, he urged citizens “to cherish a spirit of gratitude, recognizing with merciful importance, the highest virtues of kindness, warmth, charity, and empathy.”
In modern times, Thanksgiving remains a symbol of these timeless values. It encourages families and communities to come together in expressions of love, sharing meals and moments in humble appreciation for one another. Prominent author Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.” This echoes the Thanksgiving spirit—acknowledging our struggles but choosing to meet them with gratitude and generosity.
Another dimension of Thanksgiving is the act of giving back. It’s time to do good, to spread kindness beyond our tables to those in need. This act of giving is a concrete manifestation of the mercy and love that this holiday encourages.
As we gather around our tables, let us remember the values that history has endowed upon Thanksgiving. Let the spirit of generosity, mercy, empathy, love, kindness, and gratefulness guide our actions during this holiday and throughout our lives. Let us be inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words: “In everything, give thanks.”
By embracing these virtues, we honor Thanksgiving’s legacy and help our nation, which is struggling with political division, be bonded by love and understanding.
The Brook Falls is legendary, where hungry bears load up on the fish jumping upstream. Nature creates a spectacle; life’s cycle plays out in plain sight. Today we chose to fish in the Brook River.
We encountered bears all day long, sometimes too close for comfort. The first encounter occurred within the first five minutes, a bear was within 15 feet of the trail, giving us a pause.
The cycle would repeat ad nauseam during the day. We waded all day, in my case with porous waders that filled my boots and pants with a few pounds of glacier water to keep me calm during hairy encounters with the grizzlies. Too often, we had to reel in the line to make room for the bears and hasten away.
Near the end of the day, we seemed to have found a sweet spot and caught a bunch of rainbow trout in quick succession. Predictably, the splashing fish attracted hungry grizzlies who converged on us. We quickly moved to the other direction and found another bear closing on us. We waited for the bears to ignore us and walk away to the safety of a bar.
It was an intensely fun day, and I hope it doesn’t repeat itself anytime soon.
The allure of the United States has long captivated hearts and minds across the globe, drawing individuals seeking opportunity, freedom, and a new beginning. My journey toward this nation, which I view as a near-utopian island amidst an inflamed world, has been shaped by a profound belief in the philosophical beacon of Americana. This isn’t merely a geographical entity, but an idea—a forceful voice in human affairs, built upon a foundation of laws.
The Imperative of Lawful Entry
The very essence of a nation founded on laws dictates that the initial act of any new entrant must not be a transgression of those laws. This principle is paramount. Illegal immigration, regardless of its underlying incentives, is, by definition, a deliberate affront to the soul of the notion of Americana. It undermines the legal framework that underpins the nation and the very idea of a society governed by rules. Therefore, it is my firm conviction that illegal immigration must be decisively halted, and no individual who has entered the country illicitly should automatically be granted the privilege of remaining.
However, recognizing the complex realities of those already present without legal status, a nuanced approach is warranted. For those already in the country unlawfully, a structured path forward could be considered: providing a work visa and a potential path to permanent residency. This, however, must be contingent upon a set of clearly defined conditions, including a demonstrated commitment to lawfulness and the payment of a financial penalty. This approach may best accommodate the current situation while upholding the foundational principle of adherence to the law.
The True Meaning of Assimilation
My dream of coming to America was rooted in a singular aspiration: to become an American. This goes beyond merely residing within its borders; it signifies embracing the nation’s values, principles, and cultural ethos. The challenges arise, however, when new immigrants carry the “legacy burden” of their past prejudices and inject them into the prevailing culture. This act can diminish and vitiate the country, slighting the welcoming hand.
The United States, through its First Amendment, guarantees profound liberties, including freedom of speech. Yet, decency and a sense of reciprocity should temper this freedom. While one retains the right to harbor dissenting views, including those critical of the prevailing economic or social systems, disparaging the country that offered refuge and opportunity is a profound disrespect. To trash the capitalism that inspired one’s journey to America, while legally permissible, is morally incongruent with the spirit of welcome. Similarly, one’s racial or ethnic background should not be used as an excuse to conflate the historical journey of the USA and to arbitrarily “pick sides,” particularly in ways that sow division.
America’s welcoming embrace should be extended to legal immigrants who are prepared to comply with the laws of the land and who arrive with the genuine intention of becoming exemplary citizens. Those who come with an agenda to proselytize, to abuse the generosity of a welcoming people, or to force a cultural metamorphosis according to their deeply held prejudices can never truly be considered citizens, nor should they be granted such rights. The nation’s strength lies in its ability to integrate individuals who seek to maximize their potential as productive human beings within the existing framework. Therefore, the foremost rule for any new entrant must be to assimilate, not to erase one’s heritage, but to actively embrace and contribute to the American fabric, upholding its laws and respecting its core values.
