Something I know now that I didn't as a student is: It's not just about making art to be successful, you have to know how to market yourself and your work, too. You're creating a small business when you sell your work. Professor Truman Fisher, a former Chabot sculpture and design instructor of mine, made a sign that hung in his classroom, and it said: “Art Competitions: Win Money and Fame.” That sign was profound. I hadn’t considered that you could make money and art. I started entering every art competition I could. I won some and my work became known. When Truman retired, he gave me that sign, and it hangs in my studio.

Plus, the staff here is amazing, they really care. Thinking back on my time as a student, I would have taken a few more risks, not worried about failure. Dr. Pat Pohl (now retired) was the assistant track coach at the time I was at Chabot. He got me to begin believing in myself and my ability. I know now how important it is to value and cherish our families, friends, health, and well-being because all the money in the world won’t buy us another day. I know now how important it is to value and cherish our families, friends, health, and well-being because all the money in the world won’t buy us another day. One of my favorites sayings is “Every day in every way we get a little bit better.”

My experiences at Chabot College have been very rewarding, both as a student and employee. I believe the Business and Workforce Development (now called Business and Applied Technology) Division had the most positive influence in my success as an administrative assistant. Being here on campus on a daily basis, I see how there are many challenges at the social-economic level for students. I also see how judgment and the fear of not succeeding can impede a student’s desire to learn. It is important that the students who pass through my office do not leave without my full attention to their issues and, hopefully, with a positive outcome. My job, in part, is to make sure students never give up on themselves. In fact, a saying I live by is “Never give up.” I tell students, “Chabot College is a great beginning to a higher education!”

He was the first photo instructor I had that didn’t sugar coat critiques. If it looked like I didn’t give 100% on a project, he would say as much. Now, as a successful commercial photographer, I think I have a slightly different way of seeing things. Hopefully I can use that ability for envisioning to help convey not only my ideas, but those of others. My photography covers a wide range of subjects and formats that depict the many facets of people’s lives. My recommendation to incoming Chabot students is this: Find out what direction you want to go and discover the people on campus that can help you achieve it. Ask your instructors for help and guidance, they won’t know you want help if you don’t ask.

I derive great pleasure in sharing the knowledge and tools that I have in order to empower and motivate students. Assisting students in accomplishing their ultimate goals and reaching their highest potential is quite rewarding. It is my honor to go “above and beyond” to accommodate students who need one-on-one assistance. My work here goes back to the time my mother was a student at Chabot. I admired the progress she made while enrolled in the Daraja program. I decided that working with the program that helped my mother reach her goals was the best way to give back. My special saying is an anonymous quote my mother always says to me “The race is not for the swift, it is for those who endure to the end.”

The Daraja program had a big impact on my career and future, especially Professor Tom DeWit. My writing was not great, but I worked with him to find my voice, and to express my point of view. After service in the U.S. Army, I earned an A.A. in Administration of Justice. Right now, I attend Cal State East Bay and am working on my B.A. Chabot is a college that will challenge you every day. It will prepare you for life if you accept the challenge and apply yourself. Chabot is the base of many people’s educational future, and it cannot be taken for granted just because it is accessible and affordable.

Long before being a Chabot faculty member, I was a Chabot Puente student, who transferred to San Francisco State University (SFSU). After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, I started teaching ethnic studies, history, and sociology. Today, I have the honor and privilege to serve as a Hayward City Council Member, where I work to prepare students to take on leadership roles in their communities. Sometimes I will share my experiences with students, so they can avoid some of the obstacles I faced. Other times, I just tell them stories about my work as a public official. When they ask about something that might strike them as idiosyncratic, I just tell them, “That’s how I roll.”

My colleagues and students are extremely supportive, engaged, and ready to make relationships that help them learn and grow. I like being around the culturally rich community that I come from. Unfortunately, there are many Chabot students, who often come from areas that are constantly battling with oppressive systems in our society. Police brutality, the cost of living, mass incarceration, poorly funded public schools are some of the challenges faced daily by our students. Chabot is meant for these students. It is a place where they can discover new opportunities, learn ways to provide for themselves, and figure out–––if they want to–––a way to make a positive impact on the world. Chabot students have a lot of grit, a lot of heart, and a lot of hustle, and those are qualities that can really help a person be successful in the world.