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Elise
Johnson,
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Greetings from Elise Johnson the new Educational Transition Coordinator
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and welcome all of our Educational Transition students to fall semester at West Valley. As some of you may know Susan Folmer, the previous Director of ET retired last spring. Both our staff and students miss her. In our brief overlap working together she was wonderfully supportive and has actually agreed to continue to mentor me in her retirement. Talk about dedication! We all wish her great happiness in this next chapter of her life.
I have had the pleasure to have worked for over 22 years as a community college counselor, at De Anza, Foothill and Mission colleges, and most recently as an EOPS counselor at West Valley. In my new position along with coordinating the program I will be able to continue to counsel students. I especially look forward to making new connections with ET students.
This fall semester the ET program has seen over 850 students. We gave out $5,000 in book vouchers to our vocational students within the first two days of the semester. I want to personally thank our dedicated counseling staff, Freba Cognetta, Geneva Leighton, Helen Khalouyan, and Carl Jones. I also want to give a big thank you to the very talented Bernadette Walker our office administrator. Berni is responsible for the layout and graphics for our newsletter, our website and all our flyers and bulletins. She is extremely artistic along with possessing great technical skills. I am so grateful to have her expertise, which been invaluable in making my job transition smooth.
As the Bay Area experiences a 12% unemployment rate the ET program is seeing record numbers of adults returning to school to retrain for new jobs and to take the opportunity to complete their education. As the poet Rumi said, ”the bees will make honey of my failure”. Any other words what may be seen as a set- back, i.e. the loss of one’s job, can become an opportunity to reinvent yourself in the educational setting. The Educational Transition program acts as a safety net for older returning students. We understand the special needs of full time workers, many who have families and outside responsibilities. Our services are particularly important as we provide personalized counseling, establish priority registration, and connect students to resources.
Some of my future hopes for our program include establishing an ET support group (see article in this newsletter), developing a Veteran’s lounge housed in the ET building, and finding additional funding to provide more student book vouchers. I am extremely excited by this new opportunity to serve such a vital and important program on campus. Here is to a wonderful fall semester!
by
Elise Johnson
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Freba Cognetta ,
ET Counselor
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It's That Time Again
I hope you are having a great and successful semester. Please remember to schedule an appointment with your counselor to discuss either your current classes or your next semester class selections. Re-entry counseling services are designed to meet the needs of adult students. Re-entry counselors can help you to address barriers and access resources to stay in college and complete your goals. To schedule an appointment, please call our front desk at 408-741-2022.
Our office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 - 4:30 pm and Fridays from 8:30 - 12:00 pm.
Important Dates to Remember:
October 2 is the deadline for petitioning for graduation (if you miss the deadline, please see your counselor).
Priority Registration Date for ET Students:
November 18th is the priority registration date for all current ET students. A preliminary copy of the winter and spring schedule will be available in the ET Office. Students must have a current educational plan for the semester they are registering for to receive priority registration. If you are not sure whether you have a current educational plan on file please call the ET front office at 408-741-2022 to confirm. Automatic end dates will be applied to those students who do not have current educational plans on file.
November 20 is the last day to drop a class with a W. November 26-28 is Thanksgiving Holiday. December 12-18 Final exams are scheduled. December 21-January 5 is semester break.
by
Freba Cognetta
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Inviting all West Valley College Veterans
West Valley College has started a Veterans’ club on campus. This will be an opportunity for Veteran’s to share with one another and address their concerns. A lounge is currently being set up within the Educational Transition offices. ET counselor Freba Cognetta will serve as primary club Advisor, along with back up advisor Michelle Donahue. The club president is Steven Cullen (see following article). If you are interested in being part of this organization please email club president Freba at freba_cognetta@wvm.edu or Steven at spccullen@gmail.com.
Veterans Day - Honoring our Veterans
Remember November 11th, is Veteran’s Day, a day that we honor those brave men and women who have served this country, both in times of peace and in war. Take the opportunity to thank a Veteran for their service and sacrifice.
Sincerely, ET Staff
News from Steven Cullen,
Veterans Club President
Dear Veterans,
West Valley College has formed a veterans club! As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue student enrollments are beginning to include more and more veterans. At West Valley, where we are far from any base or military town, we have 65 veterans enrolled this semester. We formed this club in order to help support our veteran students and our brothers and sisters who are still serving. If you are interested in joining, let us know!
Meetings are not fixed yet so also let us know when you would be able to attend meetings and whether you would prefer they be weekly or monthly.
Tentatively the club plans to collect donations for care packages for our troops who are currently deployed. We would also like to participate in the campus Veteran's Day event. Any other suggestions on how the club could better support you and our fellow veterans are also welcome. We do have the support of the local Army Career Center which gives us access to a rock climbing wall and more.
We would like to stress that the club is open to all veterans, dependents of veterans, and people who want to take a more active role in supporting our troops. There are no other requirements to join. No fees or dues. The club has its own budget and can draw from the Interclub Council for events. All we ask is that you give some of your time to spend with veterans, even if it's just a social meeting of individuals with similar experiences. We're here to help make the transition from the military to student life easier and enjoyable. To contact Steven Cullen please email spccullen@gmail.com.
Sincerely, Steven Cullen
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Geneva
Leighton ,
ET Counselor
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Transfer Tips
Are you planning to transfer in the fall 2010? Are you confused about the application process? Are you wondering if you are eligible to transfer?
If you answered Yes to any of these questions, you may find some helpful transfer tips and websites below:
WHEN IS THE APPLICATION FILING PERIOD AND WHERE DO I FIND HELP?
The priority application filing period for UC is November 1 - 30 and CSU is Oct 1 through Nov. 30. APPLY EARLY
The online applications are found at:
UC: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply
You may begin work on your UC application and personal statement now. Check open and closed majors to see any restrictions.
Application and college essay Information
CSU: www.csumentor.edu. If you are transferring to a private or out of state university check the individual university website.
Transfer workshops are available in the Counseling Center and counselors are available to answer questions at Educational Transition and Counseling Services.
HOW CAN I INCREASE MY CHANCES OF BEING ACCEPTING TO A UNIVERSITY?
Apply within the filing deadline period. Apply Early within this filing period.
Apply at your local area service campus because students will have higher priority at some local campuses.
Apply to multiple universities. Select your first choice and your alternate choices.
Apply through a Transfer Admission Guarantee Agreement. For a list of participating universities and deadlines, go to: westvalley.edu and click into the Transfer Center.
Transfer as an upper division student with 60 transferable units.
Complete your major preparation courses; check the website, assist.org and general educational requirements (GE) for articulation courses. Fulfill General Educational requirements by choosing to fulfill IGETC or CSU General Education Pattern or the minimum GE requirements for UC, CSU, or the university of choice.
IF I AM APPLYING TO AN IMPACTED MAJOR HOW CAN I INCREASE MY ACCEPTANCE RATE?
Apply within the priority filing period.
Research which majors are impacted at the universities and position yourself for transfer success. An impacted major means that the number of applications from fully eligible students to a designated program or major exceeds the number of spaces available in that major.
CSU impacted major website: www.calstate.edu/impactedprograms.
UC impacted majors: Check the individual UC websites for impacted majors.
Check which majors require a separate application to the department as well as the university? For example Nursing majors require a separate application process to the department. The UC System offers information about the UC Transfer Preparation Paths which provides information about Transfer Admission Eligibility, general education requirements, selection criteria and what's generally required for a UC degree, and becoming a competitive applicant. http://uctransfer.universityofcalifornia.edu/ (Follow the links on the right hand corner to UC Transfer Preparation Paths).
If you have any questions about transferring, we are here to help you every step of the way to transfer success. Call to make an appointment at the Educational Transition office 741-2022.
by
Geneva Leighton - ET Counselor
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Welcome Sahar Binesh
I arrived in the United States of America in September 24 of 2007, and soon after my arrival I found a low-income job but unfortunately after 2 months I lost my job. However, I used this as an opportunity to improve my life by upgrading my education to obtain a better job. Therefore, I started studying at West Valley College, and ET (Educational Transition) counselors helped me tremendously. I needed to improve my English language, and I am interested in mathematic science, and medical courses as well. In the previous semesters, in addition to studying, I also tutored and helped other students in ET who had difficulty with the English language and mathematics. After one semester as a volunteer, the ET office offered me a job as a peer advisor and front office support. Last semester I became an honor student and won two scholarships. The ET office is really my second home and I love to be there. After school and work I go home to my son. I also love spending time with him. Be sure to say hello when you see me in the ET office.
Best Regards
--Sahar Binesh
Sahar Binesh
Welcome Sahar Ghalehekhlasi
I am Sahar Mirzaei and I was born in Iran. I was married when I was seventeen years old I moved to United State of America in 2001. My first son was born two weeks after arriving in the U.S. Four years later, after the birth of my second son, I decided to go to college to take some Child Development classes to earn a certificate in Early Childhood Education. But after taking a few classes in that field I found out that I don t like to be around children all day long; therefore I changed my major to architecture, something I always wanted! Meanwhile my divorce was finalized when I turned 26. I knew it would be hard for me to be a single mother, a student and work at the same time, but I had to do what was best for my children. Now at this moment I am happy with my life and I see the success one step at a time. I currently work in the re-entry program as work study student which I love.
--Sahar Ghalehekhlasi
Sahar Ghalehekhlasi
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Announcing a New Partnership at Student Health Services
for more information click here
West Valley Student Health Services announces a new partnership with the Support Network for Battered Women. This fall, Mini Luna, Victim Advocacy Project Coordinator, will be seeing individuals at Health Services on Tuesdays for drop-in and scheduled appointments. She can assist with immediate needs as well as linking the individual with the agency in Sunnyvale for extended services.
For more information, please call Health Services at (408) 741-2027
Free Professional Counseling for Personal Concerns
The ET Newsletter is proud to bring you news of a significant resource (and well kept secret) now available to WVC students. One-hour appointments at Student Health Services (SHS) are available to all enrolled students for concerns ranging from stress, anxiety, academic, and relationship struggles to more significant issues like depression, suicidal thoughts, struggles with addiction, and others. These services are provided primarily by graduate school interns from San Jose State’s School of Social Work and USF’s Counseling Psychology Program, and are available with or without an appointment at SHS. Personal Counseling Services are free and confidential, and appointments can be made by contacting SHS at 741-2027 or The Counseling Center at 741-2009.
Diabetes Support Group
Ashley Stauffacher, an MSW Intern from San Jose State is currently providing personal counseling in the Health Services Office at West Valley College. Ashley was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 16 and is interested in creating diabetes support groups on campus for both those diagnosed with the disease, and those with a family member who has been diagnosed with it. The groups would provide education about diabetes and the unique experiences of those with the disease, as well as providing support and resources for every member who attends. This will be a safe and comforting place for those who are impacted by diabetes to come together and support one another, and relate through shared experiences. If you are interested, please call Health Services at (408) 741-2027.
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Sincerely,
ET (Educational Transition / Adult Re-entry) Staff
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