Hello Owls, it's my first day at Foothill College

March 31, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I’m delighted to take my first steps on this breathtaking campus as president.  Before today, I enjoyed meeting student journalists, attending the tenure award celebration, and a few governance meetings. These interactions heightened my excitement. Each one confirms the testimony from alumni, friends, faculty, professionals, and students: Foothill College is a special place. 

The one celebration I was sad to miss was the tribute to Bernadine Fong.  Foothill College - 25 Years, which I recently read, captures snippets of Bernadine’s trailblazing impact. Her infectious love for the college has supercharged my onboarding as an Owl. She has given her time, talent, and perspective to my growing knowledge of the college, its people, and its history. Her remarkable record of achievement during her first presidency and now a “second term”  inspires. Thank you, Bernadine!

To start my first day as president on Cesar Chavez Day is especially poignant. Cesar Chavez’s adjacent history as a South Bay community organizer brings added focus to his impact. It is important to note that Chavez repeatedly lifted the promise of education as a mechanism for social mobility. The United Farm Workers biography notes, "Cesar thought the only way to get out of the circle of poverty was to work his way up and send the kids to college.”  I also want to mention that this is the last day of Women’s History Month. I’ve been blessed to meet Dolores Huerta during my own community involvement in San Francisco. Her contributions to the labor movement, alongside Cesar Chavez, deserve our acknowledgment. 

Without the students on campus, my first full week will be quiet. If the opportunity presents itself, give me a shout as I travel the campus, learning about the buildings, services, people, and footpaths. I'm so happy to be here and cannot wait to hear your stories and aspirations.

Yours in service,

Kristina