Snapshots of Success
Dir. of Higher Education, Public Advocates
Class of 2005
“The support she received at Chabot opened the door for public service.”
Photo Credit: Michael Craig
Councilwoman Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton moved to California from Mexico and, as an independent student since age seventeen, graduated from Castro Valley High School. She felt immediately welcomed and represented by the Chabot College campus community. While working as a bank teller, she played center for the basketball team and studied theater. Her teammates and tight-knit theater arts community were her support system.
The support she received at Chabot opened the door for public service. The Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) and staff member Merryl Owen guided her transfer to UC Berkeley, while English faculty Dennis Chowenhill held her to high standards and later wrote her recommendation for her Master's in Public Administration at SF State. Former Dean Deborah Budd, who attended every local game, later became a professional colleague, working on higher education initiatives during Sbeydeh’s time on the Peralta Community College District Board.
A student-led event she organized at UC Berkeley led to an internship with Mayor Tom Bates. She eventually rose to Deputy Chief of Staff, where she helped launch the Berkeley Promise Program.
When she graduated from UC Berkeley, Sbeydeh continued at the Berkeley Mayor’s office in several roles, including Deputy Chief of Staff where she helped launch the Berkeley Promise Program to increase the pipeline of education from Pre-K to higher education. She has served as President of the Peralta Community College Foundation and Co-Chair of KQED's Community Advisory Board. Today, she is a San Leandro City Councilmember and the Director of Higher Education for Public Advocates
Sbeydeh’s advice to current students:
- Make a plan
- Meet with counselors regularly
- Apply for financial aid
- Find your community and people
- Build a support system
- Make a budget!
Interview Credit: Tomoko Roudebush