Report to Board: March 2025

Career Skills Challenge

On the morning of March 13, over 1,300 high school students will descend upon the FCC campus to participate in the annual Career Skills Challenge. Sponsored by the Fresno County Office of Education, the competition provides encouragement and recognition to high school students for their accomplishments in career skills. The event also increases student participation in educational programs and encourages public support of career technical education. Events are open to high school students, grades 9-12 within the Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa County School Districts. An awards ceremony in the gymnasium caps off the activity at noon.

Respiratory Care Students Place First

Congratulations to four second-year FCC respiratory care students who earned first place in the regional competition of the Sputum Bowl. Representing the Central Valley, team captain Athziri Rojas, and fellow teammates Christina Garcia, Donovan Minton and Brandi Todd will be advancing to the State competition. With the prime objective of stimulating interest in the current knowledge and practices of respiratory care, the State competition will be held in Temecula on March 12.

Women's History Month

Celebrating International Women’s Day, the kickoff event for Women’s History month will take place on March 6 at noon, in FCC’s Veterans Square. The event will include speakers and special performances. Several more events are planned that include panel discussions, poetry readings and movie viewings. View all the March events on the Women’s History page.

Art Space Gallery Features Art Faculty

The 2025 Faculty Biennial opened on February 27 with a reception. This is a wonderful opportunity to see works in painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture and video all made by FCC Studio Art faculty. The exhibition runs until April 3 with gallery hours of 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Student Dancers Succeed at Conference

FCC dance students competed against 25 other colleges and universities and for the first time earned the honor of participating in the Kennedy Center National Competition in May. A second dance performance
was selected as an alternate. The dance program is led by adjunct faculty members that include Kara Bithell, Alexandra Tiscareno and Cristal Tiscareno.

Central Valley Guitar Summit

The FCC Music Department will welcome hundreds of area middle and high school students to the Central Valley Guitar Summit on March 14. Student guitar groups from across the Central Valley will perform in
ensemble and solo settings, receiving expert advice and guidance from music instructors, Scott Wolf of Orange Coast College and David Isaacs from CSU Dominguez Hills. The summit will conclude with a concert by a master musician, Yuri Liberzon. He is a Russian classical guitarist teaching at CSU Stanislaus specializing in the tango music of Argentina. All events are in the OAB Auditorium with the evening concert at 7:30 p.m. Ticket information is on the Performing Arts Calendar.

Men of Color Summit

The 4th annual State Center Community College District Men of Color Summit will feature Dr. Frank Harris lll, from San Diego State University, as the keynote speaker on Friday, March 21, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at
Fresno City College. All four colleges of State Center Community College District will participate in bringing local high school students to this event. This year, over 500 high school students are invited to attend and engage in workshops in a variety of topics including financial aid, community connections, college programs, and more. The goal of the Men of Color Summit is to address the decline in higher education enrollment and to show young men of color that they belong in college and can thrive in impactful careers that require a college education.

High School Journalism Conference

The High School Journalism Conference will be held Friday, March 28 in the Old Administration Building. High school students from throughout the valley have been invited to attend. Various workshops will be facilitated by local professional journalists representing broadcast news, print, radio, documentaries, mobile production, community media and digital news media. Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about The Rampage, FCC’s student newspaper, and FCC’s journalism program.

Wall of Honor

Child Development instructor, Deborah Lewis, was inducted into the Wall of Honor on February 25 at a ceremony held at Fresno City College. The Wall of Honor is a long-standing event that recognizes the extraordinary contributions of dedicated and outstanding members of the African American community
associated with State Center Community College District.

Speakers Forum to Host Gold Medalist

The FCC Speakers Forum welcomes the Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA Hall of Famer, Chamique Holdsclaw to campus on March 20 at noon in the OAB Auditorium. She will share with students her “unquiet journey” through mental health challenges including serious bouts of depression, manic episodes, a suicide attempt, and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety. As part of her visit, Ms. Holdsclaw will also meet the FCC Women’s Basketball Team.

City Jazz Festival

The 33rd City Jazz Festival is slated for March 20-21. The two-day event features 35 high school bands. Percussionist and composer, Sasha Berliner, is the featured artist on Thursday, March 20 at noon. She will be joined by the FCC Jazz Ensemble in the Theatre. Admission is free.

China Town Presentation

On February 28, a special event was organized by Asian American Studies instructor, Gena Gong, entitled, Chinatown Fresno: Developing a Campus-Community Vision. The guest speaker was Ronald Chew, the
former executive director of the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle. Led by leaders representing the Chinatown Historic District, a panel discussion was also held and focused on current improvement projects
and redevelopment efforts.

Freedom Run

On February 22, 48 cadets from the FCC Police Academy Class # 177 ran 5K in the 10th annual Support Blue Run at Woodward Park. They ran as a group proudly holding their class flag for the entire race.