Mary Rees: Good afternoon and welcome to our last campus update. We'll wait a minute or two while people come and join us.
Yes, for the last campus update of the fall semester for 2020. We're gonna wait just another minute while people are continuing to come in and join us for the event for today.
Well, thank you for joining us for the December 7, Moorpark College Update. As I said, this is our last update for the semester, it has been quite a semester and a huge congratulations to all of our faculty, staff, and students. Well done.
For today's update, I should mention that the update is being recorded and if you would like to see it closed captioned, if you click at the bottom of your screen on the CC,
the update is being closed captioned. It will be captioned, and it will then be the recording will be placed on the President's website for all, for the future.
Today's agenda, we're going to go over key points as far as update from the campus, as well as we will have a special recognition at the end with some guests coming back to join us as well as a tribute video. Julius? Good afternoon.
Julius Sokenu: Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you so much for joining us. I know you're very busy, the end of semester,
you know, business is upon us. Again, thank you for joining us as Mary said it has been a challenging semester. We have been resilient. We have made it through.
Thank you to each and every one of you, the ways in which you have risen to the challenge, the ways in which you have transitioned from on ground to remote instructional work, and the ways in which you are addressing the challenges that we're all experiencing
in this world right now and you're still providing the very best service to our students, to your excellent colleagues, your partners, and we are making sure that we're meeting our mission to support the community at large.
As you know, as of this, as of yesterday actually at midnight today I guess, new restrictions were put in place for either stay at home order for the for this region well in Southern California region and statewide actually and with that are limitations in terms of movement
and so our college district has generated a commuter authorization form for those who are essential workers and those individuals will be able to
will be we can get that form signed by me and it's a form that's being generated for all essential employees at the college district,
and as well as other colleges and you can, those of you who are essential workers, you know who you are,
we can generate that form that letter and send it to you so that you have it in your person as you travel to work and back.
Those restrictions or for big gathering for non essential personnel.
And in so doing, we will have to modify a very, very, very few things. The bulk of our work in education is essential. So the bulk of our work the instruction that we've been delivering will continue and Mary will speak to this later on.
But for those of us who, for those of us who are working in campus offices, please do make sure that you
contact your supervisor and we'll get you the commuter authorization as needed.
Kudos to the CNSE and CS program, the
LACCD, LA Community College District is
a grant that supports our program as well. This is a grant for the Amazon web service certification. Students in that program are eligible to have their testing costs their testing fees covered by this grant,
and this is due to the great work that is being done by our faculty and CNSE and CS and we want to thank them. Particularly want to call attention and kudos to
Ed Garcia for his work and for this brilliant opportunity that is available to our students. You should know that the grant was written for LACCD and they know one of the great work that we're doing,
and have chosen to invite us to participate in that grant and benefit from those resources.
We continue our social justice work and and thank those of you who have participated in our work groups and those of you who are leading our groups.
As you can see from the presentations of the past two campus updates that this college is invested in making sure that we work on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The leads of those groups will come into consultation council tomorrow and the next steps in terms of our spring planning will continue at that time.
Just want to again say thank you to everybody involved in that effort. In terms of our enrollment, enrollment in terms of headcount is increased. We're about
a little bit over 600 students and but our units are down by 2.9%. Our goal is to try and get students to take more sections,
but we also know, given the challenges with Covid and with students who did not want to study online that out there managing their study online and taking few classes,
that our goal is to make sure we keep providing them the best service and the best support while we still have high expectations of them, but we are
experiencing as we did this, this fall semester lower unit registration by our students. So if you can please encourage our students
to take make use of our tutoring facilities, that tutoring services,
or that they should come back in the spring. For students who are thinking of opting out if they talk to you, please, please, please encourage them to stick with it.
Dropping out is not an option, and if that is what they're thinking, please have them speak to their counselor before they do. So I am going to pass on to Sharon, who is going to give us an update regarding the Covid
dashboard.
Sharon Manakas: Good morning everybody, or afternoon or in the new time hour. I just want to thank all of you, faculty, staff for your work that you're doing with our students and to keep them safe and keep all of us safe and
help them to get through their educational experience. I also want to just start out by saying thank you to our screeners, who are the frontline out there and working on keeping the campus safe and
meeting day to day with those students who do come on campus, and then
finally to my staff because they are the ones who are doing a lot of the contact tracing that's going on for...
Mary: Sharon, I believe you've frozen.
So it looks like Sharon's frozen here. I know everyone's having a lot of wind issues today. So we apologize for that. If her internet comes back on, we'll go back to it.
But if you look at the dashboard. I know soon Sharon would call out that we have currently two students who are currently positive. Here you go. [Sharon]: Hi. Yeah.
Hi. Sorry, the power just went out of the college, and that's where I am right now. So thank you for the backup generator.
So anyway, just this Covid dashboard is just a, it's a moving set of data as of Saturday we had two students that were
had were tested positive for Covid and we had 14 students who were exposed and all of those are either in isolation or quarantine, and you can see the recovery on that.
But I just have to tell you there's a lot of work that goes into because my staff of Dena Stevens and
Denise Stevenson are calling all these students and employees, and just making sure they're following what they need to, and getting the care and for those who are symptomatic
when to get tested. So I just want to give a big shout out to them and to all of you to say thank you for your efforts and keeping one another safe.
Julius: Okay, so just to just to remind and that, as we said today's our last on campus update for the calendar year we were initially scheduled for December 21
campus update we're canceling that update and we will actually reconvene here on the January 11 for another year of campus updates, and that first campus update will also be at noon on January 11. Thank you.
Mary: And Jennifer, can you
update us? [Jennifer Clark]: Yeah, absolutely. I am good. Good afternoon, everybody. I was just going to first thing I was going to say is that we received about 30 minutes ago
notification from SCE that power at the campus could very well go down within the next one to four hours. So it sounds like half an hour after they sent out that notice it happened. So,
just keep in mind that with this wind depending on your local area, you know, condition power might be fine, where you are, but, you know,
in other locations it could be a problem. So just bear that in mind as particularly as we come down on the finals and final days of the semester.
I wanted to also update everybody on our screening locations during the holidays. We're going to have some modified hours because there will be, we expect very, very few people on campus,
after the end of the semester, next Wednesday. We are modifying our hours then beginning next week, Thursday, December 17 through Wednesday
December 23. So before Christmas Eve, after the semester, our locations
location hours will be 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. So until 3:00 after 3:00 screening locations will be closed. So if you must, must, must, if it's imperative that you come to campus and then obviously we ask if you can stay away please do so,
with particularly given the new order stay at home order, but if you must come to campus, please just come earlier or let your dean know, get permission first, of course, so they can inform Lynda Dobson coordinate with
Campus Police, etc., and maintenance. If you must come on campus, just do it early if you have to.
Beginning and then the campus of course will be shut down during the holidays between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. The whole district in fact will be shut down completely. So they're screening locations, nothing will be open between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.
After that, the first week of January, before this is again before the beginning of the semester, so Monday, January 4
to Thursday, January 7 screening location hours will be the same 7:00 to 3:00 still abbreviated. Again we expect very few people on campus. Friday at 7:00 to noon, as it normally is. I will put those hours in the chat so that in case you miss them.
You can have them to copy paste or take a picture of. I wanted to also let everybody know financial aid CARES is still going. We've awarded almost just under $2 million to our students in direct aid to over 2500 students
that keeps going. We are we are still awarding we have a bit less than 600,000 to go. So, those that 600,000 or almost 600,000 will be awarded for the spring semester.
So thank you to Kim, huge shout out to Kim and all her Financial Aid team that have been working so hard to get so much money, more so than, you know, then certainly more than we normally do we distribute a lot anyway but this year has been unprecedented.
And also with the Covid Response Block Grant, we've fully dispersed
monies to over $200,000 to monies to students who have EWs. So we've been able to help those students.
And we continue with Johnny Conley's help we continue to spearhead efforts to get some direct aid students that are having housing,
having housing problems, particularly during holidays so thank you thank you to everyone involved in that effort and helping our students.
Couple last things we are almost complete having the emergency, our new emergency notification system completely installed on campus. So all of the devices.
The new devices that are going up in classrooms and in hallways and buildings all over campus will be completed we hope by the end of this week. So totally done,
and then testing is going to occur on December 23 so that would be Wednesday, December 23. We're not sure of the time yet but
notices are going to be going out to campus on that. And then the last thing from Business Services is please December, as an extremely short month for any of you that had a hand in getting in requisitions.
Please, please, please, please, please get your requisition in now ASAP. There's a lot of work to be done
from Business Services and Fiscal by the end of December, January so please help us out and get those requisition in ASAP, if at all possible. And that is it from Business Services. Thank you.
Mary: Thank you Jennifer a lot going on a lot going on for students. We are getting notices that
the powers gone off on campus as well as too many local areas. We don't know when it'll be coming back on. The generators are working on campus in critical areas as over by the health facility and several other areas.
But we don't know when it's going back on. If you do have an on ground class, I would recommend that you please notify the students and move to an alternate to your
to a zoom or alternative assignment as with the winds going today we don't know whether there will be stable power onto the campus.
We're going to go ahead and continue with the update. And I think this is a wonderful
way for us to show as well as the value of the closed captioning and the recording. So, we will be able to save it. So if people do lose us in the middle, they will be able to go back and look at it later for all the events that are going on. So thank you for that.
Jennifer: Hey Mary, I had a quick, it looks like I was trying to type in hours. It looks like chat is not active. So I don't know if we can get that activated? That would be awesome.
Mary: You know, I'm not sure I know Matt's power has gone off, Jennifer.
Jennifer: Okay, so.
All right, know that Michael is hosting. So we're we're doing what we can on it.
[Julius]: I just spoke with Matt and chat will come on shortly. [Mary]: Thank you.
Mary: But I think that was a question I was going to ask for Jennifer for later on too, if we can make sure that we do post the hours
on our website so that it's easy for students and it's easy for faculty to know what the hours are at all the different stages as we go through the holidays and the time off, and all of that. So if we can have that for everybody that'd be wonderful.
Thank you, that'd be great.
Okay.
On the next slide, we wanted to talk a little bit about just a couple of the updates that are ongoing right now. There's still a decision going on
for what's going to happen on Athletics and we want to just a call out to our student athletes who are on top of all this going on are continuing to struggle as we try to work out what's
the best for our student athletes and the safest, you know, as we know, we always try to balance that so just a call out to that group.
With this today's a good example of the kindness and the flexibility we all need and dealing with all of our students and with each other with the power going off.
Connectivity going down. We are going to be providing a computer lab. There's a sign up sheet.
I shouldn't say that's old fashioned, isn't it? There is a link here in the chat that shows where people could go to sign up if your students want to sign up for a spot in the LMC 138 139
computer lab. So if the students want to use that to take their final so that they can
be more likely to have stable internet,
that is an option for them. It isn't a huge room, but if that does get more students apply the need to need it, will open up other areas on campus. So if you have students or, you know, students that need a stable internet for final week for finals, please have them sign up
for a spot there in the testing area so that they can be assured a safe place. And we can have them come in for that.
Another option is another thing we need to consider is the final grades. Now we know everyone has been super busy and that and there is so much going on and all of that, but we do need to make sure that grades get turned in on the usual what two days after 48 hours after the final.
It's really important for students to make sure that they get their grades, so many of them have relying on that to get into their next stage to transfer and all of that. So,
all of the things that you're doing, please make sure that getting the grades submitted in a timely manner is absolutely critical. So thank you for all of that work.
Julius called out the importance of spring registration, and I think one of the best ways we can contact students is through in your classes, in your interactions, if you're in Student Services.
Our students are struggling. We all know that. And part of how we can help them is providing continuity. Help them continue to move forward on their educational plans, move forward with their life,
being frozen reacting from fear or being reactionary rather than forward looking is not going to be helping to
helpful for them. So the more we can help them to try to move forward on their educational plans, move forward with their classes,
you know, we have extensive tutoring available. Student Services doing a phenomenal job of supporting
the instructors with all of their office hours and extra activities that they have plans for their students to help them through. So we are there for the students. So please encourage them to register and continue to move forward for the students.
One of the things we want to do looking forward as we want to hear from the faculty and staff. Right now it seems far away, but for fall. So we're going to have a survey.
You can see it here on the slide. There's a
link we'll also have the link in the chat. We also will send out an email for this link.
The link just ask some basic questions so that we can know if you're a adjunct, full time faculty, professional staff,
as an administrator, what's your role is, and then what your comfort levels are for working on campus in the fall and what your preferences are, whether you want are working remote,
working on ground, or doing a hybrid version of that. So we're just trying to get additional information
so that we can make recommendations for moving forward for fall. As you know, our spring is like our like this semester in that we've got
majority of our classes and lectures are online, but we do have about 10% on ground. We're looking for setting up our plans for fall on that. So if you would please fill out the survey that would be really helpful. So thank you so much on that.
Amanuel is not here today, but he did ask us to remind students and remind everyone that counseling is there for the students.
Please remind your students to make appointments in Counseling. Counseling is working to see what they can do to meet the student needs.
Student Services there online. So please encourage students to reach out to students services and particularly the counseling and thank you to all of them for their work that they're doing on behalf of the students. So thank you.
On the next slide,
most of the questions and things that I've been seeing have been really dealing with the
the power.
So... power.... electricity...
Mary: Okay, one question will we be expected for staff to return fall 21?
And that's one of the good reasons for doing the survey. So please do the survey. We want to get some additional information so that we can have information as far as whether the
staffs' comfort levels are, and as far as whether they were currently working remote whether they continue want to continue to work your remote, hybrid, or on ground so
these aren't binding, but they do give us information that will help make some more informed decisions. So please do the do the survey on that. So thank you on that.
On the next slide, Julius, did you have questions?
Okay, great. Thank you.
Now, we wanted to take a couple of minutes just to recognize
two of our family that are going to be retiring. We do have the chat or the questions if people wanted to put comments into either the chat or the questions and we will be
having those closed captioned and recorded for the future. Julius?
Julius: Thank you Mary and thank you everyone for joining us this morning, this afternoon to celebrate on Sharon and Vance. We're going to wait for a few just to just a minute or so to make sure that folks have joined us, and then we'll go ahead and and start
a celebration of Sharon and Vance, as you've been told, please feel free to put messages in that acknowledging our colleagues and our friends who will be retiring.
First of all I want to say Sharon and Vance. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, you will see from the, from the celebration this afternoon, not, not just how much you're loved and you know that already,
for the impact that you've made on this college community and on this district. Between Sharon and Vance, they have close to 70 years, 7 0 years of service at this district.
We have been blessed to have had not only their compassion, their empathy, their diligence,
but we've also been blessed in that in any, if you look at all the initiatives that we have been a part of on this campus in the past at least for as long as I've been here 15 years and prior to that,
Sharon and Vance have been part of that work. And one of the things that they embody for us is the importance of relationships. Every one of you will probably has a Sharon and Vance story to tell and every one of you in some way know that Sharon and Vance
are exemplars of this note that every contact is an opportunity to make a positive impression.
Every contact is an opportunity to make a positive impression, and Sharon and Vance take that to heart with students, with faculty, with staff, with community members,
and in that, in that way, they exemplify the mission of our college. We are in the human development business at any at any way we want to look at it.
We just don't connect people to careers and jobs, but we connect them to a way of being in the world. Sharon and Vance are examples of that as well.
Their commitment to equity, their commitment to student success, they're always asking the question, what is best for students,
brings us back and connects us to our missions and and as an institution, as a community, and, dare I say it as a family that is invested in one another success.
You will hear from a variety of people today, Sharon and Vance, not only what you mean to us, and you will see it as the messages are on scrolling,
but you already know this, what we want to say to you is thinking, but we also want to say to us that you will always, always be in our hearts.
The fact that you're no longer on campus, doesn't mean that you can't come on campus, and when we can actually come back on campus, but it's a fact that you will always be Moorpark strong.
I would like to turn the mic, so to speak, to Chancellor Greg Gillespie, who will also say a few words.
Dr. Gillespie.
Chancellor Greg Gillespie: Yeah, thanks President Sokenu, appreciate that and I were just to like to add, on behalf of the Community College District
our thanks and congratulations to Vance and Sharon for their many years of service at Moorpark College, and, you know, you have, each have a wonderful legacy there of helping students in
an unlimited number of ways that have positively impacted their lives, as well as were also very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with you as colleagues and professionals. So,
again, just wish you the best in your retirement and as Julius stated too you're always part of the Moorpark College and VCCCD family. So congratulations Vance and Sharon and thank you.
Julius: Thank you, Dr Gillespie. I would like to pass the mic on to President Luis Sanchez former President Moorpark College and current President of Oxnard College.
Luis Sanchez: Thank you, Dr. Sokenu, I'll keep this brief, because I know that you've got lots of folks that want to talk and honor the formidable legacy of Vance and Sharon.
Vance's maybe the first or second person that I remember meeting on my journey to Moorpark College and,
you know, there are some people on this planet, when you when you meet them, you just connect as though your long lost brothers and that Vance to me it's always been Vance to me.
And then Sharon when I met her I think that you probably all affirm too that she has the kindest face I think I've ever seen.
You can see the empathy and the kindness in her the minute you meet her.
If there is such a thing as an afterlife and if I make it to the right place I sort of expect to be greeted by somebody who looks a lot like Sharon.
So I wrote this little ode to my friends Vance and Sharon and it starts this way. If you have a glass of anything with you raise it with me please.
Raise a glass with me my Moorpark friends. A toast to colleagues, dear, whose time with us comes to an end and so we gather here. To Vance and Sharon, the best of us may joy and health embrace you, and may we sometimes come to mind, don't make us contact trace you.
We were honored to work beside you in a noble mission, but now we know it's time for Vance to concentrate on fishing.
And grandchildren are beckoning, growing, talking, raring, who can blame them for needing more time with favorite grandma Sharon.
But we'll be left with a gaping hole in our hearts and in our hallways, and every day we had with you, we'll treasure still and always. The best to you both.
Julius: Thank you so much, President Sanchez for those wonderful and beautiful words of celebration. I would like to now pass the mic, so to speak on to President Emeritus, Dr. Eva Conrad.
Eva Conrad: Can you see me and hear me?
Hi, Sharon. Hi Vance. Jim Walker and I wish you every happiness in your retirement, a lot of rest and a lot of adventures. You both dedicated your energy and wisdom to Moorpark, to the institution but to all of us who had the honor of working beside you.
In higher education we talk a lot about campus climate and at various times over the years we've attempted to define Moorpark College's culture that we are so proud of,
and decided that it was a unique mix of multiple cultures culture of excellence, of collegiality, of dialogue, of inclusiveness, of evidence, of innovation,
but all of these descriptions of Moorpark College are empty id you speak, unless people embrace the ideas as their own.
Unless people use them as a way to guide everyday work.
Sharon you educated all of us about what excellence looks like in a Student Health Center. You expanded those aspirations of collegiality, and dialogue, and inclusiveness,
and evidence, and innovation beyond the health center to encompass the entire campus. I am honored to have had a front row seat watching you
across many years and in many situations simultaneously serve as a strong advocate for the health center and an equally strong advocate for college wide goals.
Vance you educated, all of us, especially me, about what excellence looks like in a comprehensive athletics program, and about the importance of athletics in students' lives.
You used evidence, collegiality, dialogue to show us that there are multiple paths for student learning and student success.
I am honored to have had a front row seat watching you across many years and in many situations serve as a strong advocate for the varied paths that students take in their educational journey.
Sharon and Vance your work strengthened the collaborative student first culture of Moorpark. Thank you for all the lessons, for your strength, and your vision. May you both reap all possible rewards in these next chapters in your lives.
Back to you, Julius.
Julius: Thank you so much Dr. Conrad for those inspiring words and we appreciate your presence with us here this afternoon. I'm going to pass the baton and the mic now to
President Kim Hoffmans, former dean here at Moorpark College who is here as well to say a few words celebration of Vance and Sharon.
Kim Hoffmans: Hello everyone. I hopefully you can see me too. It's odd in this setting you can't see yourself, but anyways
I've already had the opportunity to tell Vance and Sharon, how much I appreciate them and I enjoyed working with them, but I think that it's, it's important to note that they are true gems, two true gems at Moorpark College.
They've worked tirelessly behind the scenes to really support our students and as other people have mentioned to support each other. I always felt like in both Vance and Sharon that I had a friend to go to, and they were always
lend their ear and we're just so empathetic on whatever the situation was and always had sage advice. So I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything that they did.
As we all know, working with the community colleges that people are true resource and both Sharon and Vance Manakas are huge resource to Moorpark College and they will be missed greatly.
One of the things that Moorpark College always talks about is Moorparking it. Well Sharon and Vance you definitely Moorparked
everything that you've done in the many years that you've served at Moorpark College. Thank you so much. I'm also honored to be here today and I look forward to future interactions with you in your lovely retirement. Take care.
Julius: Thank you so much, President Hoffmans. We have also joining us this afternoon, former dean and now President at Golden West College President Tim McGrath.
Tim McGrath: Thank you Julius.
You know, I was thinking, I haven't worked at Moorpark for 10 or 15 years but I think once a raider always a raider and Vance, you have illustrated that
not only in your work, but also in your presence statewide with your peers and with students and Sharon you have illustrated that as well with your campus work as well as your work with students.
I was also thinking if there were two people from Moorpark in my mind that really illustrated the campus, the culture, as others have said it's both Vance and Sharon and to have us be honored that you chose that college
to be the place that you really have devoted their professional lives, only makes all of us look so much better.
Both of you have had such a huge presence with students, Sharon in the student health where students are vulnerable and looking for
advice in in ways that others can't give it to them and you have been able to walk alongside of them, comfort them,
and really put them back in a place that they know the proper steps to take not only physically, but also emotionally, mentally. And Vance,
athletes as we both know are vulnerable in lots of places, when they're injured, when they are healing, and on the sidelines when they need someone to comfort them. You have been someone that
have walked alongside of them sometimes with your arm around their shoulders, sometimes kicking them in a place to get them going,
and sometimes just knowing what needed to be said. So for all of us as Eva said student first really has been illustrated by your careers,
by your friendship, by your partnership, and, above all, by your mentorship, because as you walk out,
Moorpark is a much better college, a much better place, and all of us are much better people for being part of your lives.
And finally, I personally am hoping that you will continue to keep your front door open. The gatherings at your house have brought the college together in a number of different ways at really key times and those
times have allowed friendships to deepen, work to be done in ways that it normally wouldn't have been done, and finally for the college to seem like really personable place and that for us is really why we're in the business. So I wish you well and thank you for your friendship.
Julius: Thank you so much, President McGrath, we appreciate your joining us this afternoon. As you can see, you are highly respected Sharon and Vance.
And all of us, all of us know that the contributions you've made in the lives of our students will be forever. We think this is a good time to hear from both of you and your reflections on your experiences here at Moorpark College. So there's a tribute video that
will testify to you both
and your remarkable, presence, friendship, commitment, and most importantly love for this college. Please roll the video.
Vance Manakas: I'm Vance Manakas I had the opportunity to be at Moorpark College for almost 39 and a half years. It's kind of interesting that I remember the exact date that I started on,
which was August 3, 1981 and you see, well, how do you remember that? Well, that was like 24th birthday.
Sharon: Hi, I'm Sharon Manakas and
I started at Moorpark College full time in 1992, but prior worked in the health center as a substitute nurse. When I first started in Moorpark College
primarily, we had one exam room and we had three beds for people to take a nap on, and that was our health center. We're able to make some changes and add some great resources in for our students and
it's been
the best. It's been the best job.
Vance: I started as the Athletic Trainer and as the athletic trainer I also had the opportunity to teach classes in our back then the physical education and health department. I taught first aid, and I taught archery, and
CPR to our students which was very enjoyable. I was with the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee,
the Pan-American Games with the United States Olympic Organizing Committee, I worked sports festivals early on in my career, volunteering giving back to
the athletes of the United States.
Sharon: And I do want to share a funny story though.
As a coordinator, you know, we have rules and regulations that we have to follow and things our health fees
can be used for, and one of them was that the athletic trainer could not be paid out of health fees. Well, when I came in, in 1992
lo and behold, the Athletic Trainer Vance Manakas, my husband was being paid from the health fee budget. So that was one of my first orders of business was to free up the funds for what it could be used for and kick him out of the budget.
Vance: And we started having a family. I kind of
quit volunteering, if you will with the Olympics and I started just to spend my summers with with them. And we have two beautiful daughters.
Moorpark College played an integral part in their development. They were both raised here at Moorpark College. You know, the were at all of our contests. They were at, you know, at events here on the campus. Going to the zoo all the time.
Moorpark College is part of their life as well as it is mine and my wife Sharon's.
Sharon: It's been a wonderful ride with opportunity of
not just taking care of individual students, but also looking at Moorpark College community as a whole. And how do we improve the wellness of this community, whether it be
helping that instructor how to better serve that student in the classroom,
maybe it's for behavioral issues or how do I work with them to making changes in our smoking policy, bringing in and being on the forefront of our behavioral intervention team, so that we hear and we care for and take care of our students.
Vance: Now in the new position of Athletic Director,
I'm still looking at for the well being of our student athletes, but not only in the health and wellness, just a total athlete as well from their classes, to their matriculation.
So I think part of my job has always been to assist students whatever their goals would be. So I assist them. I try to make their dreams come true. And I'm very, very fortunate to be able to say that Moorpark College's been a home for me.
I mean, the reality 39 and a half years, one location,
what more could a person ask for?
Sharon: I think one of the
biggest pleasures has been to work with Moorpark College family as I talk about our colleagues across campus and inner disciplines it doesn't matter, but to rally together
in a willingness to think outside their subject matter and to see a whole student and not just instructors, our staff, our services which are so instrumental in supporting our students,
but the importance of recognizing when things aren't quite right and being willing to step forward and I like to say it's offering hope.
It's offering hope
to a student or a colleague when they feel like there is no hope. Life has not been easy. There are a lot of challenges. I'm just amazed daily at the resiliency of our students,
but also the need, the need to know that they matter.
I look at the concept of family,
you know, we can start from our student athletes, they're all family members and as the Athletic Trainer,
I've developed lifelong relationships with our student athletic trainers and being their mentor to allow them and help them go to the next level.
Sharon: And usually when the student lets us into that world. They're saying, "I need some help. Are you listening? Can you come alongside me?" and I just happy to say that our instructors and our staff are listening.
It was that instructor that I had in community college that said, "You need to keep going.
Don't let this stop. The doors are gonna open to you," and invested and I know our instructors are invested in students, and they invest in their education, but I think more importantly they invest in them as a whole person, and I can't thank you enough Moorpark College for doing that.
Vance: My coaches are we have we have 16 different sports and and they're all family as well and I you know I would do anything for any one of them, and I'm sure that they would do the same for me.
And not only is it in our department, I think we've developed a lot a lot of relationships with with faculty and staff on campus.
It's all the way up to administrators as well, and I think, yeah, this this college is my family, this college is my life.
Sharon: I come from a home where mental illness was part of my life and
my mom struggled with her bipolar disorder. And those are difficult times.
And for me I just felt if I can
give hope to a student, to hear them to make them feel like someone cared, and that they can get through this,
that is a good day and
it's a difficult day. It's an emotional day.
But to see a student move on the other side of that
is worth everything and to know that they can because they can, but they need to be heard.
And
offering that for me means the world.
Vance: You know, I've got a beautiful wife who's been on my at my side throughout this whole journey and to be honest with you without her
I wouldn't be where I'm at today. There's no question about that. And I look at my family, my family, my personal family has always been my, my first and foremost. And right behind that personal family comes Moorpark College and
my wife may say sometimes the college seemed like they have to the better hand the upper hand sometimes, you know, just because of our work,
but I would hope to be able to honestly say that my family came first.
So what adds meaning and purpose to my life is, is my faith in Jesus Christ, and that is so much of who I am and maybe the way I respond to things and my
love for people and the other is my family, I love them dearly, and my husband who's been so supportive.
Vance: I think when you when you invest your time and energy into the institution
it reinvests back into you. And so I have never had a problem coming to work and I put in quite a few hours and I've never ever had a problem getting up,
showing my face first thing in the morning at Moorpark College.
Sharon: I just thank you from the bottom my heart for supporting me and our health services
in this time that we've been here and I love you all and but I do look forward to this next chapter.
Vance: I love Moorpark College. I love the students that I serve. I love the people that I work with.
Sharon: Saying goodbye is really difficult.
I will miss you all.
But it's time to turn
this over to a new coordinator to take you to the future.
To provide the best care that we can for our students, and this college community. So it's not goodbye, we'll see each other in the community and
it's um..
anyway, love you.
On screen text: And the Moorpark College family Loves you, Vance and Sharon Manakas.
Julius: Wow, thank you so much Sharon and Vance. As you can see, they give us some words to live by.
Seeing the whole student. Understanding their resiliency.
They call upon us to work from a place of ethics, kindness, hope, caring.
What matters right? They asked us to be invested in someone's success.
And most importantly, to lead a life of service.
Sharon and Vance you have led a life of service to this college community. We are thankful. We are grateful. We wish there wasn't Covid, so we could have a real life
party with adult beverages in a real place on ground, but that will happen at some time in the near future when this is all behind us. But for now, from our heart to your heart. Thank you.
Sharon and Vance would you like to say something?
Vance Manakas: Sharon you wanna go first or...?
Sharon: Of course,
Um,
I just
want to say thank you.
I'm overwhelmed.
We've loved this college. We've loved our work here and it's
been our pleasure and
we just encourage you each and every day to continue making a difference, because you all make the difference in our students lives and
thank you for this beautiful tribute for the words that were said, not just today, there's been words being said for the last couple weeks, and it's just hard to soak it all in and take it in and
for those of you that know Vance and I, well this is, this is hard
to hear and
but so appreciated. We love you all and thank you for our journey here at Moorpark College.
Vance: Kind of echo what Sharon had to say it's so
tougher than I was expecting.
It was a nice tribute. I really appreciate that.
Really appreciate the friendships that we've developed through the years, and
kind of come back to see Dr. Conrad here and
Tim McGrath, it just just means so much to us to hear your words and see your faces again and, you know, we we've just been been blessed to be here at Moorpark College. I've just been so fortunate and
as was said earlier, you know, to raise a family here. I mean, my family is Moorpark College and my personal family is Moorpark College as well, and maybe just
can't say enough about about our college and
in reality, I just really want to thank each and every one of you, and especially, look at my coaches. I've had the opportunity to work with my support staff and
Howard's A team. I just can't stress enough, everybody knows who they are and I just can't call names because I'm gonna forget one so I just, I just can't stress enough to everybody how how fortunate I have been
to be part of Moorpark College and how much Moorpark College has given to me. So I really all I'm gonna say is just thank you for everything.
Sharon: I think one last thing I want to say is that this is such a wonderful tribute but Vance and I are not an island to ourselves and
as he said, we have had great wonderful staff and colleagues that have been there along this journey with us and we're so appreciative of that. So we're look forward to seeing the awesome things
that all of you are going to continue to do to support students and
we'll come back and visit but we won't stay. So anyway, thank you all for everything.
Julius: Thank you Sharon and Vance and thank you to Dina Pielaet for this incredible video that captures the spirit and the essence about our friends Sharon and Vance.
Thus concludes our celebration and as, as we said this is our last campus update for this calendar year. We will be back January 11 at noon.
Same space, you know, same bat station, as they say. And again, please have a safe, please have a healthy,
please have a social distanced holiday, so you can get back with us in the spring, so we can all enjoy one another's presence and continue this incredible work
of being of service to our college community, to our district community, and clearly to anyone who comes in contact with us. That is our gift to you and that is our gift to our community.
Thank you, everyone. Thank you to Dr. Conrad, thank you to Dr. Hoffmans, thank you to President Sanchez, thank you to Dr Gillespie, and thank you so much Mr. President McGrath for joining us this afternoon to celebrate Sharon and Vance. Take care everyone.
Sharon: Thank you. [Sharon waves]