Northeast Lakeview College and Judson ISD Net $200,000 Grant for College Connections Project

(l to r) Dr. Marcus Nelson, Judson ISD deputy/associate superintendent of instruction and student services; Rick Maas, Judson ISD board president; Dr. Bruce Leslie, ACCD chancellor; Erika Carmona, Wagner HS senior; Richard Corona, Judson HS senior; Joseph White, Judson Learning Academy senior; Jacob Fraire; AVP for Educational Alliances, TG Public Benefit Grant Program; Dr. Eric Reno, Northeast Lakeview College president; Roberto Zárate, ACCD Board of Trustees chairman

TG Public Benefit Grant Program has awarded a $200,000 grant to fund the College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality project between Northeast Lakeview College and Judson ISD. College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality is designed to streamline the transition from high school to college and to provide financial support for college. 147 need-based scholarships will be awarded to JISD 2008 seniors to attend Northeast Lakeview College, totaling $122,000.

Through a college preparation series of presentations, workshops, and college campus visits, College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality is intended to provide hands-on and personal student guidance through the college application and registration process. As the project fiscal agent, Northeast Lakeview College advisors will deliver the college presentations and workshops on each of the JISD high school campuses and provide a two-week academic camp in Summer 2008 to those scholarship recipients in need of remediation.

College Connections is an Alamo Community Colleges district-wide initiative modeled after the state and nationally recognized college preparation course developed by Austin Community College. However, the College Connections: Making Dreams a Reality project is the first to award scholarships. “The structure of this program will jumpstart high school seniors into the college process and provide the ongoing student support services they need for academic success,” says Dr. Eric Reno, Northeast Lakeview College president.

Piloting this 2007-2008 academic year, all current JISD seniors will participate in the program. “Our graduating seniors will benefit from this partnership grant financially and through assistance in the application process, both of which are invaluable,” said Judson ISD Deputy/Associate Superintendent of Instruction and Student Services Dr. Marcus Nelson.

Judson Education Foundation (JEF), an organization dedicated to generating revenues for student scholarships, will process the applications that will be available shortly on the JEF website. Interested students will be able to apply on line for the TG scholarship. For more information on the application process contact e-mail bmeade@judsonisd.org or call 210-945-541

SAC Faculty and Students Set New Record for Globe Awards

San Antonio College Theatre and Speech Communication faculty and students recently received eight Alamo Theatre Arts Council Globe Awards for their work in San Antonio College productions last season.  According the Jeff Hunt, Department Chair, this is a new record for the college.  The Globe Awards recognize outstanding community and educational theatre productions in acting, direction, set design, and costuming.
       
"We also received more awards than any other educational institution this year," said Hunt, who noted that both Trinity University and University of the Incarnate Word received one award each.
       
Student Allison Vasquez won Best Actress in a Drama ("Living Out") and Best Actress in a Comedy ("Don't Dress for Dinner"); student Loretta Dela Torre won Best Actress in a Comedy ("Lost in Yonkers"); student Joshua Saucedo won Best Actor in a Comedy ("Lost in Yonkers"); student Laura Garza won Best Actress in a Comedy ("Lost in Yonkers"); Instructor Ronald Watson won Best Set Design and Best Actor in a Comedy ("Don't Dress for Dinner"); and Professor Jim Mammarella won Best Director of a Comedy ("Don't Dress for Dinner").
       
In addition to awards for San Antonio College productions, the following faculty and students also won awards for productions at other venues: Professor Jim Mammarella won Best Director of a Comedy ("Visiting Mr. Green") and Best Lead Actor in a Comedy ("Lend Me a Tenor"); Professor Emeritus Allan S. Ross won Best Scene Design ("Rabbit Hole," "Brilliant Traces," and "Enchanted April") and Best Lead Actor in a Comedy ("Visiting Mr. Green"); student Brant Sankey won Best Musical Direction ("Listen to the Music").

The SPC Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts (THCA) Department received a $12,000 scholarship and emergency fund donation from the San Antonio Hotel Lodging Association (SAHLA). The SAHLA has awarded scholarships to THCA students each year since 1992. Total donations from the SAHLA exceed $66,000. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the February 2008 SAHLA meeting, hosted by the SPC Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Department.

Construction of Palo Alto College's Veterinary Technology Building On Track for January Opening

A 15,188 square foot Veterinary Technology Building with a scheduled completion date of January 2008 is one of several new construction and renovation projects currently underway at Palo Alto College (PAC) as a result of the 2005 Bexar County bond election that approved $450 million for the physical expansion of the Alamo Community Colleges.

According to Robert Garza, coordinator of the Capital Improvement Program at PAC, the Veterinary Technology Building exemplifies what the college aspires to achieve by providing state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and instruction to meet the needs of the community, students and employers across the region. Completion of the building will allow PAC to bring its Veterinary Program to the college campus from its present location at Brooks City Base.

The $5.2 million facility will house an anatomy/physiology lab; a clinical/pathology lab; a parasitology lab; an equine lab; a surgery room; pharmacy; kennels; and classrooms. An animal pen will also be constructed adjacent to the building.

PAC received $55 million from the bond election that will increase the square footage of the campus from 385,404 to 498,993. A 46,243 square foot Convocation Building is currently under construction with a completion date of December 2008. A groundbreaking will be held for the construction of a 53,180 square foot Science and Workforce Center in February 2008, with a scheduled completion date of August 2009.

Veterinary Technology Building

Project Address: 1400 W. Villaret San Antonio, TX 78224

Construction start date: January 2007

Expected completion date: December 31, 2007

Square footage: 15,188

Special features: Surgical rooms, clinical pathology lab, parasitology lab, pharmacy, x-ray room, kennels and outside exercise area 

Cost: $5.2 million

Architect: Rehler Vaughn & Koone, Inc.

Contractor: Spawglass

Escamilla Named Alamo Community Colleges' District-Wide Employee of the Year

Congratulations to Technical Services Manager Ana Escamilla , who has been named Alamo Community Colleges District Wide Employee of the Year 2006-07. Ana was previously named May Employee of the Month for Northwest Vista College and the District.