SRJC Petaluma Spring 2025 Updates

Spring 25 Campus Updates by SRJC Petaluma

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Spring 25 Campus Updates

SPRING 2025 UPDATES
Matthew Long, Ed.D.
Executive Dean

As the flowers bloom and finals loom, our Petaluma campus is bursting with energy, accomplishments, and some very good BBQ. From new programs and major events like the Building Futures fundraiser, to joyful student gatherings (nachos and popcorn included), this spring has been all about building community, celebrating resilience, and dreaming big. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of the hard work, heart, and humor that make SRJC Petaluma such a special place to learn, lead, and grow. Here’s to the season of fresh starts and future possibilities!

EMLS Students Explore Themes of Resilience in Book Club

Welcome to Spring 2025 at SRJC Petaluma!

Campus Updates

The EMLS Book Club for Spring 2025 launched with strong participation from students in EMLS 781 through EMLS 10. The first orientation meeting was held via Zoom on January 21, with a second session offered on January 28 to welcome additional students.
This semester, the club selected Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan, a story exploring themes of personal growth, resilience, and the importance of community. Copies of the book were made available at the Mahoney Library on the Petaluma Campus, with additional options for purchase at local bookstores and online. The club continued to meet weekly on Tuesdays from 4:30–6:00 PM, offering students a supportive space to build reading confidence and strengthen academic skills.

Building Futures and Celebrating New Beginnings at CTC

The Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma Campus hosted Building Futures on April 26, 2025, celebrating the opening of its expanded Construction Training Center. This state-of-the-art facility aims to provide hands-on training in various trades to help rebuild Sonoma County after recent wildfires. The event featured local food, fine wines, live demonstrations, and success stories, allowing attendees to explore the center and see how it prepares students for careers in skilled trades. This year, we received the most sponsorship dollars ever, a testament to the incredible support of the Construction Training Center (CTC) and its mission.

https://cityofpetaluma.org/age-friendly-petaluma/

Age Friendly Petaluma hosted its first public event!

Participants gathered on Saturday, April 26, for an enlightening discussion on how to become their own geriatrician. Given the significant shortage of healthcare professionals trained to care for older adults, it was essential to empower attendees to advocate for quality medical care. The event provided a platform for them to learn how to navigate this challenge. The FREE event kicked off at 10 a.m. at the Petaluma campus of Santa Rosa Junior College.

https://cityofpetaluma.org/age-friendly-petaluma/

Building Futures at the CTC

EMLS Family Movie Night – A Special Evening!

Through rain and cold wind, the EMLS students came together for their very first Petaluma EMLS Family Movie Night. As the students arrived, they were welcomed by two grills serving hot dogs (with a veggie option, of course), a nacho bar complete with jalapeños, individualized movie popcorn bags, and, most importantly, the company of their EMLS peers. They watched the family movie Migration by Illumination Studios in English with subtitles, and the students were incredibly engaged throughout the night. Their enthusiasm and gratitude for the event made the evening even more meaningful, and it was wonderful to see how much they appreciated the effort that went into making this gathering possible. A heartfelt thank you goes to Aaron Solorio and the Intercultural Center, the EOPS team, and everyone who helped make this such a welcoming and memorable event.

SRJC To Host 2027 CATESOL

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! After years of advocating for California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL) to bring its annual conference to the North Bay, it’s now official—Santa Rosa Junior College will host the CATESOL Annual Conference in the fall of 2027. I’m also excited to announce that Luz Navarrette will join me as conference co-chair. While we’ve previously hosted a CATESOL regional conference in Petaluma, this will be the first time we have the honor of hosting the statewide annual conference.
Bringing the 2027 CATESOL Annual Conference to SRJC is an incredible opportunity for professional growth, collaboration, and innovation in language education. The event will bring top experts in the field to our campus, allowing faculty to engage in dynamic discussions on pedagogical strategies, instructional adaptation, and the latest research. Attendees will explore best practices for supporting multilingual learners, exchange ideas on emerging trends, and gain insights into current events shaping our profession. Additionally, this conference provides our own amazing faculty with the opportunity to participate as presenters and volunteers, further showcasing your expertise and strengthening our local professional community. So, for those interested in getting involved, there will be many opportunities to participate in various capacities. We’ll share more details later this year about how you can contribute to making this conference a success!
Bentley & Luz, Conference Co-Chairs: SRJC CATESOL

Shout Out to the Petaluma Team

The AAUW Women’s Film Festival on March 29 was met with enthusiasm by an audience of community members. There was an energetic buzz leaving the auditorium at the Petaluma campus of Santa Rosa Junior College with praise for women pushing through barriers. The documentary Unbound about Life On Art, the Petaluma group working for healing and social justice through collective art, was perhaps the most impactful. Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s AAUW Women’s Film Festival.

Women Push Through Barriers

Dear colleagues,
I just want to start the week by thanking all of you on the Petaluma team (Deans/Admin and Staff) for your amazing work of many years and persistent support to our students and community over the years and extending "many thanks/muchas gracias" from my students to you.

Thank you for the wonderful and informative tour you gave my students last Wednesday. The beautiful Welcome and Connect Center, great resources, and most importantly the kind and selfless support from you are what make me a very proud and happy instructor. We make a great team supporting our students to succeed from the minute they enter our campus till they leave hand in hand.

Thanks to Elias and Loretta, for an amazing tour. My students said it was very helpful. Thanks, Aaron, for providing pizza for my students. My students said they appreciated the generosity. Thanks, Denise, for scheduling the tour. My students said they greatly benefited from the tour.

Much appreciated!
Aylin Baris Atilgan Relyea, Ph.D.

Audience arrives at SRJC for the AAUW Women’s Film Festival.
Amy G interviews Life On Art founder Tracy Ferron and film-makers Vince and Alia Beeton of Humans Being Media.

Sunshine, BBQ, and Study Tips at Midterm Prep

The Petaluma campus basked in sunshine, enjoyed lively music, and savored BBQ during the Midterm Prep event hosted by the Petaluma Student Success Team. Students who participated were treated to delicious BBQ while connecting with Peer Success Coaches for valuable midterm tips and study strategies, along with representatives from various campus departments. The participating departments included Academic Counseling, Petaluma Intercultural Center, Disability Resources Department, Career Hub, Library, Basic Needs, Transfer Center, and EOPS. Over the course of two days, more than 100 students were served. They look forward to seeing everyone at the Finals Prep event in early May.

Take-out Tuesday Makes it Big

Take-out Tuesday, hosted by Enrollment Services, was a big hit. A big thank you to everyone who helped make it a success. Over 125 plates were distributed.

Fashion Studies and Vet Tech Team Up

Fashion loves a furry friend! Two of the SRJC Career Education programs have teamed up to create this fun and fashionable display featuring garments made by Fashion Studies students and a stuffed dog provided by the Veterinary Technician program. Stop by the Call Building stairwell to see the display and be sure to check out these two dynamic and exciting certificate programs located here on the Petaluma campus.

https://fashion.santarosa.edu
https://ag.santarosa.edu/veterinary-technician-curriculum

Fashion Show’s Debut at Clocktower

Mentors Light the Way for Puente Students

Petaluma Puente students connect with community leaders during the Mentor Panel, gaining inspiration, advice, and a few new fans cheering them on. A powerful afternoon of stories, support, and building bright futures!

Congratulations to our Unsung Heroes!

We are delighted to announce the
Classified Senate Awards for two of our greats!

Jason Kostic – Maintenance Generalist
Outstanding Classified Staff Member

Anna Brown – Mathematics Instructor
Outstanding Faculty Member

A Warm Welcome for New Faculty Orientation

Having Fun with Financial Aid- a Fair!
This is just a quick thank you for a wonderful visit to the Petaluma Campus!
Please thank all the faculty and staff who helped make it such a good time.

Here are some photos from Alexa's journey back to Santa Rosa on the train. Highly recommended!

Many thanks,
Alexa & Ann

Congratulations, Christin Neiderberger!

It’s Always a Good Day for Christin Neiderberger, an SRJC Petaluma DRD Specialist, and her family have joyfully welcomed a lovely baby girl this month (April). A warm welcome to the SRJC family, baby Gwen!

Pancake day!
Roberto Alvarado at SRJC Petaluma, celebrating community collaboration with EOPS and Puente. Special thanks to Matthew Martin and the EOPS team for their support.

Greg Drukala Shares His Homework

Greg Drukala, Senior Research Analyst, is currently enrolled in the ART 82 course offered at the Petaluma Campus this semester. Instructor, Nick Simko, is a passionate and inspiring educator who shares his love for photography with his students. Most classes involve going onto the Campus to take photographs as part of various assignments. As a result, many students have compiled a meaningful collection of images that capture the beauty of the campus, often from unique and unexpected perspectives.

Last Friday Barbecue
SRJC Petaluma Annual
Grill all you can eat!
May 16th @ 12:00–1:30 pm
Warehouse Facility Operations Area