Taft College Foundation
TheRainMaker
generates income for a business or organization by brokering deals or attracting clients or funds.
Vol. 1 Issue 1
March 2015
2014 Events
Taft College Alumni & Friends Rib-Eye Cookout
Bringing Taft community, alumni, staff, faculty and students together, the
Taft College Foundation’s 5th Annual Rib-Eye Cookout was a huge success.
At the event, the Foundation introduced and awarded their first Community Spirit Award to John and Betty Miller, long time friends and colleagues
of Taft College and the community. The Millers received the special recognition award after a video was shared reflecting their life together in the
community. Due to the event’s success, the Foundation has elected to enter the event into the CCPRO Awards and was just informed of an award.
Art Gallery
Men’s Soccer
Goalkeeper JD Cisneros & Steve Ramirez
congratulate each other after the team defeated Fresno City College, winning their
5th State Conference Championship trophy
with head coach, Angelo Cutrona. Athletic
Director, Kanoe Brandy, surprised the team
with their championship trophy and plaques
in January of 2015 since the trophy wasn’t
available at the Fall Sport Awards Ceremony.
Featuring Taft College alumni
Last fall, the Art Gallery hosted its 2nd
People’s Choice Award week where the
public voted on college student’s art. Kai
Schoneweis’s, Kai’s Academy of Arts,
was announced as the winner. The Art
Gallery is open year round for public
viewing.
Sheri Black has worked at Taft College for 17 years and is currently the
Outreach Coordinator/Academic Advisor. She provides enrollment services, such as application workshops, assessments, orientations, campus
tours, and general information to high schools and community groups.
Since Sheri loves people and socializing, this position is a perfect fit.
Outside of work, Sheri loves camping, being with her grandchildren, listening to
music, making crafty things as long as it’s not too complicated, and helping to ease
the burdens of others. Thank You, Sheri for being our first TC Alumni for the month.
Taft College Foundation
TheRainMaker
generates income for a business or organization by brokering deals or attracting clients or funds.
Page 2
Foundation Board Holiday Party
In December, Taft College Foundation hosted it’s annual
Christmas Party for the Foundation Board Members at the
Stockdale Country Club. The evening was filled with music from the Carpenter’s Christmas Portrait soundtrack
as a slide show looped from the year’s accomplishments.
Within the last 5 years, the Taft College Foundation has
brought in over $3 million for Taft College programs. Surprising Superintendent Dena Maloney, at the meeting,
Foundation board member, Adam Alvidrez of Chevron
presented a check to begin funding the Welding Program.
Current News
2nd West Kern Petroleum Summit
Oct. 16, 2016
Sixth & Main St. under the big tent
Two years in the making, planning for the Second West Kern Petroleum Summit is underway! We are preparing an incredible program, featuring energy experts, policy makers, academic, regional and national leaders including
U.S. Congressman and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, innovative author of
The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, Alex Epstein, and a famed keynote speaker.
For more information, contact the Taft College Foundation at 661-763-7936.
STEM
TIL Grants
Recently, the CONN Expo,
hosted by Dave Reynolds and
Greg Golling invited fourth
graders from Roosevelt Elementary School to play, learn
and explore STEM. Pi Week,
March 9 - March 12, marked
the second annual celebration of math at Roosevelt.
During the week, students competed in hands-on
STEM activities including toothpick tower building, a towering cup
challenge and a project with Little Bits in
order to earn tickets towards a raffle drawing, which
was held on Thursday, March 12. One
lucky student went home with an Apple iPad
Mini courtesy of the Taft College Foundation.
As a part of their Social Responsibility Program, Chevron provides a second year of
funding in support of
career education for
Taft College students.
The two-year grant
is for $300,000 and supports six Taft College students
to work part-time (20 hrs a week) together at an area
non-profit. Our students, three traditional and three
TIL, work at the Taft Goodwill and are in the Goodwill Retail Sales and Management certificate program.
The program timeline is from August 2015 to May 2016.
Applicants will be interviewed soon for a fall start date.
Foundation Receives May & Stanley Grant
The TIL program received the May and Stanley Smith
Grant for students. A $150,000 grant will be split over two
years, $75,000 a year, to further work vocational training.