Highlighting the amazing Administration, Faculty, Classified Professionals, and Students that make up our pirate family.
This month's highlights include:
Angela Duran (Student), Carmela Gonzales (Office Assistant for the Science Division), Mario Rivera, (EAC Counselor) and Bernard Gibson, (Dean of Student Learning).
Years at Ventura College: 2.5 years
Family Life: I’ve got two parents, two sisters, and two cats!
Hobbies: gym enthusiast, league of legends, cooking, and traveling
Favorite Food: Sushi or anything salmon
Favorite Movie: Fight Club
Favorite Song: Shelter by Porter Robinson/Madeon and Levels by Avicii
Something fun, interesting, and/or unique about you: I was super into Taekwondo in my mid-adolescence. After some hard work and sweat, I managed to get my black belt from a Taekwondo school in Carpinteria. While I probably can’t cleanly execute all the crazy kicks anymore, I retained the flexibility and can do the splits.
Years at Ventura College: 1 month
Family Life: My parents, 3 brothers, and significant other who is my high school sweetheart and was a VC alum!
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, journaling, playing tennis, and playing Nintendo Switch games (I am a huge BoTW fan!)
Favorite Food: Tom Yum Goong (Thai hot and sour shrimp soup)
Favorite Movie: Spirited Away
Favorite Song: I Can’t Stop Me- TWICE
Something fun, interesting, and/or unique about you: I can understand and somewhat speak Tagalog because I was born in the Philippines (also French and Japanese because I studied those in high school and college). I have also lived in Hawaii, New Jersey, and now Oxnard. I wish the beaches here had warm water like the tropics.
Years of Service: 6 years with VC and prior to VC, 29 years with the CA Department of Rehabilitation
Family Life: I met my wife Diane 35 years ago while in college at CSULB. They have been the happiest years of my life, enhanced by the arrival of our daughter Hanna 25 years ago.
Hobbies: I enjoy hiking, cooking, woodworking, family time, and traveling. Favorite Foods: Arroz con gandules, most puerto rican foods, and nothing wrong with a loaf of crusty bread and cheese. Carbs and I get along quite well.
Favorite Movie: The original Star Wars. I still remember the excitement of lining up to get in the theater with a group of friends to see the movie. It was a fun day!
Favorite Song: En mi viejo San Juan (gets me a bit nostalgic about my homeland); Mi Gente (Hector Lavoe & Fania All Stars); Europa and Samba Pa Ti (Santana’s versions - played in my wedding of course); Salsa from the ’70’s; Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Neil Young take me back to my college days; and anything Ella Fitzgerald sings.
Favorite Foods: Arroz con gandules, most puerto rican foods, and nothing wrong with a loaf of crusty bread and cheese. Carbs and I get along quite well
Something fun, interesting, and/or unique about you: I was into all kinds of sports, rock climbing, rappelling, Aikido, Judo, and Iaido. Now I am quite content with hiking, and my daily walks to work. I am grateful for my family, coworkers, colleagues, and our students who enrich my life daily
Years at Ventura College: Counted in months- 3
Family Life: Yes, in California and Mississippi (VC of course)
Hobbies: Sports, Jazz and collecting various types of memorabilia
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Movie: (Tie) Casablanca and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Favorite Song: Take Another Five
Something fun, interesting, and/or unique about you: Enjoy(ed) jumping out of airplanes