Keeping UP with Central Coast College
In this issue: (Winter 2007 Archive)
- Welcome - name the newsletter!
- What's new at Central Coast College – new programs, new Alumni Association, and new TV ads
- Tips from Career Services – this issue: Brush up on your interview skills
- Tips from Financial Aid – this issue: Hot News!
- President's message – Welcome to our first alumni e-newsletter!
- CCC Heroes
- CCC in the Community – the tradition of community service continues
- Announcements/Upcoming Events – December graduation
Welcome to your Alumni Association Newsletter
We hope you enjoy reading it. This is a fast and easy way to keep in touch with your alma mater. We’re looking for a snappy name for it – so send your ideas to alumni@centralcoastcollege.edu!
If you would rather not receive this newsletter, just send an email to alumni@centralcoastcollege.edu and in the subject line write: Unsubscribe.
What's new at Central Coast College
- New Programs
- Phlebotomy Technician – currently only open to our Medical Assistant grads and those with previous experience in venipuncture/phlebotomy. For more information, go to the college’s website: www.centralcoastcollege.edu, or call the Admissions Department at 831-424-6767.
- Hospitality & Tourism – Hospitality and Tourism is the second largest industry in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. This new 34-week program can prepare current and future employees to move into management positions. For more information, go to the college’s website: www.centralcoastcollege.edu, or call the Admissions Department at 831-424-6767.
- Alumni Association
- The first Alumni Association mixer was held on October 11th at the school. We had a fun time talking with grads and finding out about their work and home life successes. We would like to hear from more of you, so write and tell us how the alumni association can help you.
- New Central Coast College Alumni license plate covers are now available – stop by the school and pick yours up!
- Look for our new ads! September 11, 2007 was a crazy day at CCC, with a film crew, director, producer, make-up artist and photographer descending on the school for a day of gathering film, photos and quotes from grads and employers, transforming Room 6 into a video studio, Room 3 into a photography studio, and the back conference room into a hair and make-up salon. The occasion was the filming of testimonial ads by the Gragg Advertising Company. The video footage and photographs will be the basis of a series of new TV and print advertising for CCC. Keep an eye out for our new look and let us know what you think of it!
Each of the following grads and employers gave us the benefit of their time, sharing their experiences at Central Coast College and the success they have achieved based on those experiences. We really appreciate their generous spirits!
Thank you to the following employers: Ruby Cohan, Monterey Bay Urgent Care Rita Goel, TAMC; Charlotte Martin, Chamisal Tennis Club; Cindy Pierson, Pierson & Associates; and Dr. Alan Smith, Smith Foot & Ankle Center;.
Thank you to the following graduates: Olivia Cessa, COA March 2006; Mary Gamotan, Medical Secretary May 1996; Marisol Hernandez, Medical Office:Biller/Coder Jan 2007; Melissa Pugliese, MA Jan 2005; and Valente Quintero, COA June 2007.
Tips from Career Services – Brush up on your interview skills!
Central Coast College is dedicated to helping you succeed in your career. Throughout the development and growth of your career, many changes can happen. You may find yourself looking for a job after having held one for a few years. Going job hunting takes diligence and a consistently positive attitude. One of the most valuable skills you can have is making a great impression at a job interview. Esmeralda Maldonado, Career Services Coordinator, put together the following list of job-winning interview skills:
- Smile — a smile will go a long way with a person that does not know you; you seem more friendly and approachable.
- Always be honest — any falsehood will be grounds for immediate termination, but don’t give too much information! Remember: don’t answer questions nobody asked!
- Do not bad mouth anybody — this is a red flag for interviewers; they automatically think that you will badmouth them as soon as you turn around.
- No whining or complaining — Interviewers want a person that will be an asset to the company, not someone who will complain all the time.
- Show enthusiasm — Remember that the interviewer does not know you; if he/she does not see a sparkle in your eye he/she will think you are not really interested in the position.
- Ask questions — any question related to the position is a good question: What are the hours? How many employees are in the facility? How long has the position been open? What is the management style in the company? When will you be making a decision?
Tips from Financial Aid – Hot News!
While it may not be fun keeping up with repaying your college loans, it is crucial to your financial success. Here’s some news students & borrowers can use from Mary Jennifer Servano, Financial Aid Advisor.
Perhaps you borrowed money to attend school; perhaps you’ve accumulated other types of consumer debt – maybe even a little more than you planned. Now what?
Managing debt after college can be challenging, but the reality is that it must be repaid. Will your salary be enough to pay your bills? Does your student loan payment fit into your budget? These are just some of the questions you might ask yourself when considering your student loan repayment options.
Repayment plans and payments
- Paying your student loan on time affords the chance for you to start building a solid credit history that will help define the course of your life.
- Prompt repayment of your student loan is one of the first steps in this process. Your loan is real money with real consequences for nonpayment, and it’s an obligation that must be taken seriously.
- Repaying your student loan on time and as promised is the beginning of a responsible and rewarding future.
You will start repaying your loan six months after you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment. You have a choice of repayment plans, and you may change your repayment plan once a year.
- Standard Repayment lets you repay the loan in equal monthly payments of at least $50 for up to 10 years.
- Graduated Repayment allows you to begin with a lower monthly payment which increases gradually over 10 years until the loan is repaid.
- Income-Sensitive Repayment adjusts your monthly payment annually based on your total income and student loan debt. You can repay for up to 10 years.
- Extended Repayment for up to 25 years is available if you borrow a student loan for the first time after October 7, 1998, and you have more than $30,000 in student loans.
Remember…stay in touch with your lender, who is always there to help you keep your loan payments on track and to provide options to solve financial difficulties.
If you miss a payment, contact your lender or EDFUND toll free at 800.298.9490 immediately. CCC is here to help you maintain good credit - call Mary Jenn at 831-424-6767.
President's message – Welcome to our first alumni e-newsletter!
The American Heritage Dictionary defines "alumni" as "…. graduates or former students of a school, college, or university." I don’t know if you realize it, but you are part of a large family with a proud history. Over the nearly 25 years that Central Coast College has been in operation, we’ve produced thousands of graduates who now work here on the Central Coast, throughout California, and even around the world. It is truly gratifying to run into you at local businesses and to hear how well you’re all doing. Graduations over the past few years have become even more meaningful as parents who are alumni come to watch their children graduate from CCC (even if that does make some of us feel a bit older than we’d like!).
As we enter our twenty-fifth year in 2008, we have an exciting future ahead. We want you to be part of that future, so we will be contacting you by email from time to time to keep you informed of news and special events. I hope you enjoy reading about the college and about your friends. If you have news to contribute, please contact us at alumni@centralcoastcollege.edu; we’d love to hear from you!
CCC Heroes
In 2007, we’ve noted with great sadness the passing of two Central Coast College instructors who have changed many, many lives. In fact, calling them "legendary" would not be an overstatement, especially to the students they taught. Elsie Pyne passed on in March; Willie Curtiss in August of this year. We have created tribute pages on our website to honor their memories. To read them, go to www.centralcoastcollege.edu and click on the "About CCC" link and then the "Heroes" link.
CCC in the Community – the tradition of community service continues
- Taylor Farms Health Fair - For the past five years, Taylor Farms has been holding a Health Fair at its Abbott Street plant to benefit their employers. "We like our employees to get information they need," said Farncica Preciado, Safety Coordinator for Taylor Farms. "This is a good opportunity to bring agencies to provide information our employees don’t have about their health."
Central Coast College sent two groups of Medical Assistant students to perform basic blood pressure and glucose screening procedures, under the supervision of the late Willie Curtiss, MA Program Coordinator. This was Central Coast College’s second year to participate. While students are not allowed to diagnose, they were able to tell each patient if their results were in the normal range, or if they should have the test re-done by a doctor. Esmeralda Maldonado, Career Services Coordinator, was on hand to translate for the mostly Spanish speaking employees.
And as it just so happened, three of the other healthcare provider booths were manned by former Central Coast College students, including Rolando Cabrera, Clinic Manager for Pinnacle HealthCare in Salinas. "It was great seeing our grads at work," beamed a proud Mr. Curtiss, who started the Medical Assisting program at Central Coast College in 1997. See if you can recognize some of your classmates:
- Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk - For the second year in a row, Central Coast College staff, family and friends joined many other businesses, organizations and individuals in support of the Alzheimer's Association. Dubbed the "Memory Walk", hundreds of supporters walked 4 miles along the coastline at Seascape Resort to raise money for, and awareness of, this debilitating disease.
The Central Coast College team walked in memory of Elizabeth Schaefer's mother, Clare Mason-Davis. Participants included the school's President and Vice President, Robert and Elizabeth Schaefer, as well as Elaine Giuliano, Administrative Coordinator, and Sara Benevento, Community Relations Representative. They were joined by Mrs. Schaefer's brother and sister-in-law Bill and Pegine Davis of San Francisco, and her sister and brother-in-law Anne and Cliff Tyler of San Jose. Rounding out the team were family friends, Mike and Lorraine Lavelle and their dog, Sid, from Santa Cruz. - Mock Interviews – Several CCC staff helped local high school students hone up their interview skills during the fall. High School Admissions Advisor Claudia Inzunza was joined by Admissions Advisor Linda Resendiz and Career Services Coordinator Esmeralda Maldonado at North Salinas, Alisal, and Salinas High Schools. Community Relations Representative, Sara Benevento, also participated in mock interviews at Alisal HS.
- Job Fairs and College Fairs were attended by various staff members throughout the Tri-county area September through November. These fairs give us an opportunity to introduce potential students to our programs, reach potential instructors, and develop new business relationships for internship/externship and/or employment opportunities for our students. If you would like to help with these events, please let us know. They are fun and can be scheduled in hour –long shifts.
Announcements/Upcoming Events
Graduation will be held on December 13, 2007 at 7 PM at the Sports Complex in Salinas. At this time there are approximately 60 students who are working on completing their classes, internships, and externships in time to graduate. We are looking forward to welcoming a new group of grads into our Alumni Association!