We would like to congratulate our AANAPISI Program Activities Manager and Grants Director Leland Simpliciano as a recipient of the National Pacific Islander Educator Network (NPIEN) Educator Awards!
Connie Renda, MA, RHIA, CHDA, Program Director and Assistant Professor for Health Information Technology and Management, was recognized by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) with the prestigious Leadership Award.
We are excited to share the members of Generation Hope's California Presidents Circle, the first in a new national initiative designed to equip higher education executives with tools, data, and peer support to truly champion parenting students and their families.
Women’s volleyball at Mesa College is on a spike. In the spring, the Olympians won the state beach volleyball title after winning the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title for a fourth straight year.
August 10, 2023
Dr. Nellie Tran is a published San Diego State University professor, and a Vietnamese-American research scientist who is passionate about empowering underserved student populations to pursue higher education. Dr. Tran received her B.A. in psychology from UCLA after attending Mesa College and Miramar College. Dr. Tran, like many students, chose community college as a stepping stone to further her education, which allowed her to build her identity while remaining in a small community.
The transition from high school to college is challenging for many students, which is why it is vital for teachers to provide support to their students.
“I learned that professors have a lot of power, you know, power to create change, power to allow students to chase a dream,” Dr. Tran said recalling a conversation between her professors during her time in community college.
According to a statewide survey, mental health was one of the most essential conditions in terms of coming back to college post pandemic. Dr. Tran believes that greater assistance should be provided for underserved students who have struggled with the “increase in hate and violence against AAPI communities.” This hate stems from the perception that most AAPI individuals are not seen as Americans, but foreigners. In turn they spend their most crucial years trying to fit in, rather than embracing their individuality.
When asked how educators can show support for their AAPI students, Dr. Tran shares that access to information needs to be a priority. When teachers speak to their students are they speaking in a way that people whose 1st language is not English can understand? In AAPI communities, elders and educators are held to a high regard, so they hold great power in the classrooms to change the course of a student’s future.
San Diego Mesa College has already begun the process of moving towards the right direction for AAPI communities by securing a $1.5 million grant that will provide opportunities to improve academic attainment of AAPI, Native American, and low-income students. San Diego Mesa College takes pride in its official designation as an AANAPISI by the United States Department of Education. To learn more about Mesa College support of our AAPI students, visit https://www.sdmesa.edu/about-mesa/aanapisi/index.shtml
When asked for advice for AAPI community college students, Dr. Tran encourages students to discover their goals and allow professors to act as a resource and mentor in achieving their goals. And understand that you are capable of anything you put your mind to, especially with the support of those who want to see you succeed.
The content of this article has been sourced with permission from the California Community Colleges Podcast. To explore more on this topic, you can listen to the podcast episode at https://soundcloud.com/user-630229393/aapi-heritage-month-and-the-importance-of-mental-health-awareness-at-california-community-colleges.
Tags: San Diego Community College District, AAPI, AANAPISI
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
[email protected]
(619) 388-2759
We would like to congratulate our AANAPISI Program Activities Manager and Grants Director Leland Simpliciano as a recipient of the National Pacific Islander Educator Network (NPIEN) Educator Awards!
Five students at San Diego City, San Diego Mesa and San Diego Miramar colleges have been named as semifinalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship that provides a tuition-free pathway to a four-year degree at a college or university of their choice.
Dr. Nellie Tran, a published professor at San Diego State University and a Vietnamese-American research scientist, is dedicated to empowering underserved student populations in their pursuit of higher education.
