Welcome to
Special Programs and Services!
We have special programs here at Chabot to help get you the support
you need to be a successful college student.
In response to its unique community needs, Chabot has thoughtfully
developed a service area known as “Special Programs and Services”.
Each of the colleges special programs units, have a unique guideline
for governing their focus and utilization of resources, yet at the
same time, they all share the fundamental goal of supporting
students in achieving their educational objectives and goals; including
obtaining job skills, vocational certificates, associate degrees, and /or
transferring to four-year colleges and universities.
It is our honor to present this Portraits of Success magazine which
includes the stories of some of our special programs students who
will share with you their struggles, as well as how they overcame
life’s obstacles to accomplish their educational journeys. Their stories
include testimonials of how the Special Program(s) or Services helped
them and will inspire you to continue to reach for your dreams.
Dr. Jeanne Wilson
Dean of Special Programs and Services
For more information, contact us:
Building 700, Room 768
Telephone (510) 723-6917
jwilson@chabotcollege.edu
http://www.chabotcollege.edu/specialprograms
Programs & Services Information
ASPIRE Program
Building 700, Room 767C 510-723-7628
The ASPIRE program offers low-income, first generation, and disabled college students
ASPIRE
academic support: individualized academic, financial, and personal counseling, career
Student Support
exploration, and cultural enrichment activities.
Services
Programsupport including clustered courses, tutoring, and
Also offers multi-tiered academic
study groups.
CalWORKs / Work Study Program
Building 700, Room 767K 510-723-6909
The CalWORKs/Work-Study Program combines welfare benefits with education,
job training and job placement, while providing childcare, transportation and school
supplies. Both programs provide counseling, career planning and personal development
workshops. Work study students can work on campus up to 20 hours per week.
CalWORKs
CARE Program
EDUCATION
THAT WORKS!
(Cooperative
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Agencies Resources for Education)
Building 700, Room 767S 510-723-6909
CARE is a educational program and a cooperative effort between the community
college system, Department of Social Services, and community organizations to assist
single parents in achieving their educational goals. CARE offers counseling grants
and meal tickets to CARE parents receiving cash aid with children under 14 years old.
DSPS (Disabled Students Programs and Services)
Building 2400 510-723-6725
DSPS serves the needs of students with physical, psychological and learning disabilities.
The program provides academic, personal and vocational counseling, and offers courses
to assist students with successful transition to and beyond college. DSPS assists with
academic accommodations; use of community resources based on individual student
needs and provides Student Educational Plans, and referrals for diagnostic evaluations.
DARAJA Project
Building 700, Room 767H 510-723-6747
araja
Daraja offers academic support services and a curriculum focused on African-American
literature, history, and issues. Daraja is for students who want a good education, are
willing to work hard, and want to study issues facing the African-American community.
Daraja students do better in school and transfer to four-year universities at a higher rate.
EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services)
Building 700, Room 767L 510-723-6909
EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) provides access and educational
opportunity for individuals whose educational and socio-economic backgrounds might
otherwise prevent them from successfully attending and succeeding in college. EOPS
provides individual counseling, book vouchers, workshops, and friendly support.
ETS Program (Educational Talent Search)
Building 700, Room 767B 510-723-7570
S TUDENT SUPPOR T SERVICES
ETS serves young people in grades 7th through 12th in the Hayward & San Lorenzo
School Districts. In addition to counseling, participants receive information about
college admissions requirements, scholarships and various student financial aid
programs. More than 392,000 students are enrolled in approximately 510, ETS –
Educational Talent Search TRIO programs.
EXCEL Program
Building 700, Room 767E 510-723-7228
EXCEL offers eligible students in-depth academic support, including personal
counseling, transfer assistance, career exploration with emphasis on ESL support
courses.
Pace
Building 700, Room 767F 510-723-7120
PACE is an Adult College Education Learning community. It is a Degree and Transfer
program specifically designed for working adults. Classes are pre-selected, offers
clear pathways toward certain academic goals, instructors teach toward adult learners;
includes General Education classes, and meets AA Degree requirements and CSU
General Education Transfer Requirements.
Puente Project
Building 700, Room 767F 510-723-7120
P U E N T E
The program is an academic, counseling, and mentoring program to help students
achieve their academic and career goalsv. Students in Puente work closely with their
counselor, English instructor and mentor to prepare for transfer to four-year colleges
and universities through the exploration of the Mexican American /Latino experience.
SYSP (Summer Youth Sports Program)
Building 700, Room 767B 209-909-9244
SYSP has provided disadvantaged youth an opportunity to participate in a summer
program involving sports and other educational activities. The SYSP program was in
danger of being cut due to Federal budget constraints, but thanks to the University of
Phoenix, TRIO program, ETS program, and grants from Career Technical Education,
we continue our tradition of providing a quality summer youth sports program.
HPN (Hayward PRomise Neighborhood)
Building 700, Room 767B 209-909-9244
The HPN Programs are designed to ensure that all children growing up in the Jackson
Triangle area of Hayward, California will have access to effective schools and strong
family and community support, providing information about education and community
service programs. HPN also offers community engagement opportunities such as:
Kindergarten readiness camps, Home visitation program, Parent Promise Academy,
Youth Enrichment Program (YEP), Project Eat, Chabot College Expanded Early
Decision, and the College and Career Readiness and College Mentoring Program.
Student Success Stories
My name is Damonte Oliver and I am an EOPS student.
Damonte Oliver
Current Student
Sociology
I
am first person in my family to enroll in a college. Before I was
introduced to Chabot College I honestly did not know it even existed,
the thought of obtaining a college degree did not exist in my life
either. I grew up with my father, who was a single parent at a very
early age and trying to raise me. My father was sent to a rehabilitation
center way out in Santa Rose CA and I was stuck out in the world
at age 14. I am now 23 years of age and was born with sickle cell
anemia. I had big dreams of leaving the Bay Area and going off to
college. I would like to say in a way Chabot chose me. I have always
dreamed of a chance to get a good education but my chances have
always been shortened from lack of resources. The EOPS program
has helped me successfully stay alive in the college life. Being able to
receive the book voucher to help me with my books has helped in so
many ways because I live off of social security.
My educational goals are to graduate Chabot with my AA degree
in liberal arts and transfer to San Jose State to study Sociology and
become a sheriff or highway patrol officer. People around me and my
closest friends say my personality is perfect for that profession. My
longerm goal is to obtain my master’s degree in criminal justice and
become the top highway patrol officer California has ever seen. Also
I have overcome many challenges in my life.
Besides living on my own, the biggest challenge to overcome is being
born with Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell is a blood disease were my
body does not make enough white blood cells to carry oxygen to
the blood and causes the red blood cells to turn into a sickle shape
and get clogged in my joints and cause extreme pain. Staying healthy
and pain free is very important to me. I have to eat healthy and
take a variety of different medications to stabilize the pain. I don’t
complain about life becoming tough because living with Sickle Cell
is the toughest day to day battle imaginable. During a pain episode,
my body completely
shuts down as the pain
increases through each
heartbeat. I have to be
admitted directly into
Children’s Hospital
Oakland, but my
counselors in EOPS, my
instructors at Chabot,
and my Striving Black
Brothers have supported
me through this journey.
Hi, my name is Surender Singh and I am a TRiO EXCEL
student. I was born in India, and raised in a middle class family. I
feel blessed and proud because I am the first person from my family
who is attending college and all this happened only because of
my mother. I grew up witnessing my mom tortured physically and
mentally by my father’s grandparents. Due to her illiteracy they saw
her as an embarrassment to their family. My mom always said that if
I want to be a successful and a respectful person, I need to get higher
education.
In India, I attended Military School for my primary education giving
me a solid base in academics and more important discipline. Like
most Indian parents they insisted I pursue the medical field; however,
my passion and vision was in engineering.
Moving to US in August 2011, we faced threat because of our
background, and I couldn’t attend college until reaching California,
where I found uncountable opportunities for students who want to
study hard. I enrolled at Chabot College after three days here. With
limited English and no friends, I felt very bad every day and missed
my back home education system. But after joining the TRiO EXCEL
program I got everything which a new college student needs to
step up toward success. TRiO EXCEL helped me with counseling,
workshops, campus visits and how to navigate the UC application
system. They treated me like a family member.
Within a year I was able to speak fluent English. I led a math study
group under the College’s MESA program which taught me to
become a great team leader. Tackling the challenge of tutoring five
students, working with different personalities, and learning styles
has allowed me to be an effective team player in both academic and
professional settings.
I am studying harder at Chabot College to prepare myself for 4 years
undergraduate school and to become a successful person in life and
give my mom the respect she deserves. Her dedication and love
motivated me to become a computer science and electrical engineer
so that one day I can invent something or improve the electrical
system to help students like me. My hard work and passion towards
my major reflects my potential. I will bring this attitude and continue
to work hard to achieve my goal.
S TUDENT SUPPOR T SERVICES
Surender Singh
Current Student
Electrical & Computer Science
My name is Erika Mayorquin and I am a CalWORKs student;
attending Chabot College was difficult for me since Day One.
I felt lost and confused most of the time. I had to overcome many
challenges and barriers that almost seemed impossible to defeat. I
was working and going to school full time. I had to arrange care
for my daughter throughout the entire day. It seemed impossible to
find the time for class assignments. On top of all that I didn’t have
a vehicle which made it so difficult for me to get around. At times I
just wanted to give up and walk away, but I didn’t.
Ericka Mayorquin
Current Student
Social Science
I received my AA last summer in Social Sciences, I got a job on
campus which permits me to work as well as do homework. My
daughter is attending preschool here at Chabot College. I was able
to complete the Puente Program which was a challenge to me. The
EOPS/CARE/ CAL WORKS program’s provided me with tutoring.
Most of my school supplies were covered through the programs. I
was given the opportunity to meet up with counselors on a regular
basis to follow up, and make sure I was keeping up with everything.
Many workshops were offered and priority in registration was given
to me. Most importantly, their support as a person is what helped me
the most.
I plan to become a self-sufficient student and continue doing
everything I was taught through the programs. The only difference
is that now I will be doing it on my own. The EOPS/ CARE and
CAL WORK’s programs presented me with what it takes to be
successful. I have been involved in a couple community service and
extracurricular activities such as, helping out at the Chabot Children’s
center by giving valuable information and help to low income parents
who are in need of child care. I also help give support to P.R.I.D.E
which is a foster care program that assists potential foster care
parents. I also contribute to my community by helping my father
package food for the less fortunate.
CalWORKs
EDUCATION THAT WORKS!
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
My name is Evelin Rojas and I am a CARE student.
A couple
of years back I lost my job when my daughter was about 6 months
old. I tried to get employed but at the time most employers were
looking for people who had higher education and degrees, I only had
a High School Diploma. Life became a daily struggle to provide for
my daughter. Diapers were overly expensive and I had no income.
My last resort was applying for food stamps and CalWORKs. I had
been working since I was 15 so I was not comfortable with not doing
anything productive, so I enrolled at Chabot College.
It was in my first semester that I learned through a relative of the
benefits of EOPS. I do not think I would have been able to make
it through this journey if it wasn’t for the support of the counselors
and the advantages that came with being part of EOPS. Through
EOPS I found out about the CalWORKs and CARE programs.
These programs were a major plus for me! Being able to register
before everyone else on campus has put me “ahead of the game,” I
get to choose the classes that I actually need to help get me to where
I want to be.
The CalWORKs staff has made it easy for me as well. I do not know
exactly how I would be able to afford any of the books or school
supplies. Thanks to CalWORKs I can buy books, pens, paper and
all the essentials I need for my classes. However the blessings did
not stop there, I was given the opportunity through the work-study
program to be a part of the student assistant staff with EOPS/
CARE/CalWORKs. Working in these programs, I am able to share
my experience with other students that struggle to make a difference
in their life in hopes that it can be motivation for them. Many
students like me are not aware of all the programs and help that
our college offers and end up dropping out due to the fact that they
cannot afford it.
I am very thankful for each member of the Counselors and Staff that
I have met while enrolled in EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs. They have
been a major support system for me even at my lowest point when I
felt like giving up. They pushed me and reassured me that everything
would be OK.
Evelin Rojas
C.A.R.E. Alumni
Social Science
My name is Talia Oliver and I am a TANF student.
Cal Works
has been a great and helpful tool for me. I am on the work-study
program currently, working as a Student Assistant here at Chabot in
Special Services. I work with Educational Talent Search (ETS), with
Roberto Mendez who is a great man to work with. I am very excited
and pleased to have been given this opportunity for work. While in
the welfare to work program I have received tremendous help. I get a
check to help pay for my books every semester.
Talia Oliver
Current Student
Sociology
Without that help, I do not know if I would be able to afford the
books. I also receive a transportation check which helps me to
commute back and forth to school and my son’s childcare. I have
been in situations where my vehicle was down or I did not have
money to make it to school, but receiving that transportation check
solved that problem for me. The welfare to work program also
pays my childcare for my son while I am continuing my education.
Without all this help, it would be far more challenging for me.
When I first started at Chabot in Fall of 2010, I did not have any
of these benefits. I did not have the slightest clue about any of
these services. I stopped receiving unemployment, so I had to
do something for extra income to support my family while I was
studying for a higher education. Getting to where I am now, here
at Chabot, was and has been a very challenging experience for
me. There have been many obstacles and as a 35 year old divorced
mother of three boys ages 7, 15, and 17 years old. I also recently
took in a 4 year old whose parents are incarcerated, so all of my boys
are a handful indeed.
Fall 2012, I enrolled in English 4 here at Chabot College. I decided
to take on a Service Learning Project. I volunteered 120 hours of
my time to the homeless community here in Hayward. It was such
a wonderful, gratifying experience when you are able to help others
that are less fortunate than you are. It also really opened up my
eyes to see how truly blessed I really am. I feel that I touched a lot
of people just being there and giving them an encouraging smile
every day. I was able to meet a lot of different people through
this experience and to never judge a book by its cover. You never
know what is going on in others lives or how they got to the point
or situation of being homeless. My motto is, always have an openmind and open-heart and so many doors will open for you. I feel
so blessed and happy to be here. This also helps me to teach my
children, it is never too late to pursue your education.
Hi, my name is Jonathan Nuñez, but everyone knows me
as Jony. I am a twenty year old first generation student to attend
college in my family. I am the product of a single-mother household
and the youngest of six siblings. I was born in Mexico, but Hayward
is where I have called home since the age of six. I graduated from
Tennyson High school three years ago from where I moved on to
Chabot College.
Since my early days of high school I was part of a program called
Puente; the same program that has shaped the person that I am
today. When I signed up at Chabot I was delighted to find out that
the same program that helped me in high school was at this campus.
Undoubtedly I joined it and thanks to such a program many doors
have opened up to me. Now that I am ready to move up in the
ladder of academia I can look back and name all the times that
Puente has exposed me to my community with the purpose of giving
back. Through the various ways that the program’s instructor and
counselor have helped me explore who I am and discover what I am
capable of I feel confident enough to consider myself a leader.
I am the leader that I want to be because of Puente’s teachings of
life, of its values, and morals. I now see a desire to better myself
in order to better my community that stands behind me. I want to
continue being the role model to the younger generations that like me
are the first in their families to take big steps into academia.
P U E N T E
Jonathan Nuñez
Puente Alumni
Hi, my name is Alijan Mohammad and I was a TRiO-ASPIRE
student. Coming from a third world country such as Afghanistan
and pursuing a college education has always been my dream. Since
both of my parents don’t have college degrees, my passion towards
a college education has increased. Also being the first in my family
to attend college has excited me even more. Looking back at my
life, the biggest and most important quality is my resilience and
determination to defy all odds in pursuing my dream of a college
education. Whether it was living in a country that just came out of
three decades of war, or living as a refugee in unfamiliar countries, I
have always worked hard throughout my life despite all obstacles life
has thrown at me.
Alijan Mohammad
Trio Aspire Alumni
Civil Engineering
My academic goal is to pursue my education and transfer to a
good university and earn a bachelor degree in Civil Engineering,
and eventually get my master’s degree in engineering as well. My
professional goal is to acquire the knowledge required to become a
professional Civil Engineer.
Being a first generation college student, the college system was totally
new to me since no one in my family attended college before. I did
not have anyone to assist me with my college education. When I
heard about the Trio Aspire program, that helps and guides students
like myself, I then immediately joined this wonderful program. Later,
I realized how much the Trio Aspire program benefited me in my
educational goals. I had my own counselor, I could talk to and be
able to ask any questions anytime if I was unsure of anything, and
was able to set up my Student Educational Plan by having one-onone counseling sessions. Also another advantage of the Trio Aspire
program is the priority registration which ensured that I could add
into a class of my need. In addition, the workshops, tutoring and
activities were very useful for a first generation student that is not
familiar with any college system. Trio Aspire helped guide me to
where I am now, and prepared me to transfer to a four year institute
within three years.
I immigrated to the USA in 2008 as an Afghan refugee with limited
English skills. I didn’t speak a word of English neither did anyone
in my family. I was in a completely unfamiliar environment. At
Chabot I found many new opportunities to advance my knowledge
in Engineering. In the summer of 2013 I earned an internship with
the BART transit agency. I learned a great deal at BART and I gained
a wonderful firsthand experience in my intended professional field.
I’m very proud to have reached the verge of transfer to a University
Engineering Program. I will continue to strive to realize my civil
engineering dreams, and think about my future and how I can have a
positive impact on society.
My name is Ruth M. Blanco and I am a former TRiO ETS
student. I am also a new graduate and majored in politcal science
at the University of California – Riverside, set to graduate June
2014. I grew up in Hayward, CA. and moved to Riverside, CA. for
college. I attended Mount Eden High School which consisted of a
large minority and diverse setting. During my time at Mount Eden
I joined an array of educational programs that would later give me
an advantage in my quest to pursue higher education. I participated
in the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), Pre-College
Academy (PCA), and Advancement VIA Individual Determination
(AVID), Educational Talent Search (ETS), TRIO, and Advanced
Placement (AP) classes.
I graduated Mount Eden High School with a 3.7 overall GPA
and was placed amongst the top 25 percentile of my graduating
class. Moving to Southern California for college and attending UC
Riverside has been an overall amazing experience. Once I discovered
my passion for politics, I joined Model United Nations which is an
authentic simulation of the United Nations. Aside from acting as a
delegate and competing in the conferences, my strong enthusiasm
and dedication influenced the club’s decision to make me the director
general for the largest annual conference hosted by UC Riverside.
For my last quarter of my undergraduate career I was accepted into
the University of California –DC (UCDC) program and I currently
intern for Congressman Eric Swalwell from California’s 15th
district, which includes the city of Hayward. My future endeavors
include graduate school to obtain a master’s in Public Affairs. The
opportunities are endless and you can go as far as you want in life
as long as you believe in yourself. The only aspect of our lives we
control is the path we decide to take; live by that rule and those
dreams will turn into reality.
ASPIRE
Student Support
Services
Program
Ruth M. Blanco
ETS Alumni
Political Science
I came into Daraja unsure of what to expect. I knew the program
was designed to help African American students’ graduate, transfer
and succeed. I also understood that all students were accepted and
welcomed into the program. However, I was still skeptical. Do I even
fit in here? Will I be accepted by the students in this program even
though I’m not fully black? What will they say about me? What will
they expect from me? These thoughts filled my mind and I came
to the conclusion that I would only be able to find out on Tuesday,
August 20th when I had my first Daraja English class.
Briyana Phillips
Current Student
Political Science
I walked into a room filled with unfamiliar faces and decided to take
it as an opportunity to make some new friends. I sat down, and
started conversations with complete strangers until my professor,
Tom DeWit, arrived. He would come to be the reason I fell in love
with the Daraja Program. I instantly felt like I was part of the family.
There wasn’t one moment when I felt uncomfortable to speak or to
be spoken to about anything. I loved going to school for the simple
fact that I was a part of a community that spent so much time on
helping their students succeed.
Currently in my second semester of Daraja, and I’m still enjoying
every last minute. I am in three Daraja classes now: English 102,
History 20 and Math 53 and passing them all! I have established a
new circle of friends that I look at as family and who have the same
positive mind-set as me. Daraja was designed to create community
and we all carry ourselves with pride and dignity to be a part of such
an amazing program. Daraja has given me the opportunity to expand
my knowledge and reshape my habits to graduate, transfer and fulfill
my dreams of becoming a Registered Nurse.
araja
Top: Showing off Puente pride at the NorCal Puente Transfer Conference
Middle: Striving Black Brothers Awards Banquet
Bottom Left: Puente mentor Francisco Zermeño with student Lili Ana Vega
Bottom Right: Dr. David Stovall Talks to Chabot College students
and faculty member William Hanson
Meet the Staff
David Alan
H.P.N. Outreach Specialist
(510) 723-7521
Kathleen Allen
DSPS Counselor
Instructor Coordinator
(510) 723-6803
Rachel Aziminia
EOPS Counselor
(510) 723-7624
Art Barboza
EOPS Student Service
SBBC Coordinator
(510) 723-7122
Michael Booker
EOPS Counselor,
Assistant
(510) 723-7124
Diane Chang
EXCEL Counselor
(510) 723-77228
Shawna Crawford
DSPS Counselor,
Assistant
(510) 723-6990
Marie DeLeon
HPN Grant Project
Coordinator
(510) 723-2930
Farin Ealy
HPN Outreach Specialist
(510) 723-2664
Felicia Fierro
EOPS / DSPS Counselor
(510) 723-7624
Sandra Genera
Puente Counselor,
Instructor, Coordinator
(510) 723-7120
Debbie Green
CalWORKs Counselor
(510) 723-6745
Meet the Staff
Michelle Iriarte
CalWORKs Counselor,
Assistant
(510) 723-6895
Richard Keeney
DSPS Counselor,
Assistant
(510) 723-6725
Allison Kubo
ASPIRE Counselor
(510) 723-7593
Roberto Mendez
TRiO Program
Director
(510) 723-7502
Patricia Molina
EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs
Counselor/Coordinator
(510) 723-7628
Liz Morales
ETS Outreach Specialist
(510) 723-7570
Linda Phan
DSPS Counselor,
Instructor
(510) 723-6696
Silvia Ramirez
CARE Student Service
Assistant
(510) 723-7123
Nathaniel Rice
DSPS Alternative Media
Specialist
(510) 723-7472
Richard Williams
DSPS Mobility Driver
(510) 723-7124
Shirley Pejman
DSPS Counselor,
Instructor
(510) 723-6635
Leticia Reyes
ASPIRE/EXCEL
Counselor, Assistant
(510) 723-6949
Top: Patricia Molina and ?????
Middle: Gladiator Day 2014
Bottom: Meeting of the minds: Director of TRiO Program Roberto Mendez,
Interim Dean of Special Programs & Services Jeanne Wilson,
and Interim Vice President of Student Services Matthew Kritscher
is to be measured not so much by the position
“ Success
that one has reached in life as by the obstacles
which one has overcome while trying to succeed.
Booker T. Washington
”
Yvette Nahinu and Interim Dean of Special Programs & Services Jeanne Wilson