The Columbia College Foundation is thrilled to announce that it has received an endowment gift of more than $2 million from the Wise Family Charitable Trust. The trust was established through the family estate of three long-time Columbia College benefactors and community leaders: Don Brady, Millie Brady Wise and John Wise.

This gift culminates decades of support from the Brady and Wise families, and is by far the largest contribution ever received by the college Foundation. In an agreement with the family, the endowment will remain invested, and proceeds will provide ongoing annual support for two Foundation programs:

• The Promise Scholarship Program, which will provide one year tuition free for local high school graduates who attend Columbia College full-time immediately after high school. This new scholarship program will launch in Fall 2018 as a three-year pilot. The endowment will ensure long-term viability for the program by covering more than a third of the expected annual scholarships.
• The Mini Grant Program, which was launched with the support of the Wise Family Trust in 2011, has been providing campus grants for faculty, student groups and campus improvements every semester since its inception.  The endowment will provide full funding for this program on an annual basis.

Reflecting on the impact of this remarkable gift, Columbia College President Dr. Angela Fairchilds states “It is the dream of every college president to be on the receiving end of such generosity and support for the institution.  Some 50 years ago, the Brady and Wise families were instrumental in creating the vision for Columbia College as a vibrant center of learning in the Sierra foothills and their ongoing support has helped make that vision a reality”.

Colette Such, President of the Columbia College Foundation, is thrilled with this groundbreaking gift.  “The Brady and Wise families bring a long history of generous and far reaching support of Columbia College,” she said, “and this latest gift, which has set in motion the promise of education to our graduating high school seniors, is beyond measure. This gift brings the potential of altering the lives of our students and our community for generations to come. The Foundation is truly honored to be entrusted with this legacy.”

Ms. Such announced that the Brady/Wise Family will be honored in special ceremonies as the College dedicates the Library Plaza in recognition of their endowment gift to support the Mini Grant Program and the Promise Scholarship Fund. Plans for that event are in the works for next fall, as part of Columbia College’s 50^th Anniversary.

The Wise Family Charitable Trust was established in 2005, with the intent to make regular distributions to several local groups including the Columbia College Foundation. Don and Millie’s daughter, Margaret Brady Hunter was the administrator of the trust.  Since 2006, the Foundation has received more than $240,000 from the Trust to support campus scholarships, the mini grant program, memorial scholarships, library programs and the Columbia College Oral History Project.  The Trust was closed in July with a final distribution of stock.

Expressing the wishes of her parents, Margaret Brady Hunter remarked how important it was to know the gift would help make it possible for all local youth to have a quality education.   Lynne Jerome, John Wise’s daughter and a Tuolumne resident said, “It’s incredibly fitting that the remainder of the trust goes to the college and these projects. I am very pleased.”

Directors of the Columbia College Foundation formally accepted the gift at their last board meeting, and noted that the endowment provides such a strong foundation for two significant projects.

To join the effort or learn more, contact Amy Nilson, Director of Development at Columbia College at (209) 588-5055 or nilsona@yosemite.edu or visit www.gocolumbia.edu/foundation.

Columbia College Foundation, founded in 1972, is a nonprofit organization that promotes quality higher education that enriches the academic, economic, and cultural life of our community. The mission is to promote student success by providing community resources that support and expand educational opportunities for Columbia College students.

Columbia College Foundation 2017-18 Board of Directors (from left) Front row: Rosetta Bannwarth, Margie Bulkin. Middle row: Louise Goicoechea, Colette Such, Lee Ann Fox, Jan Verhage, Judy Myers, Janice Nelson. Back row: Jim Roeber, Bill Dunlavy (deceased), Stephanie Suess, Kenan McDonald, John Freer, Jeff Phillips, Charles Segerstrom, Del Hodges.

Additional Information about the Brady/Wise Family

Donald S. Brady, Mildred Brady Wise, and John R. Wise all have a long history with Columbia College dating back to its founding years:

• Donald S. Brady, a Sonora pharmacist and co-owner of drug stores in Sonora and Twain Harte, was an active civic leader and education advocate. He served as a trustee for the Yosemite Community College District from 1964 until his death in 1975 at the age of 49. He was a leader in the early efforts to establish Columbia College, and worked tirelessly with district officials to secure the site for the new campus, garner community support and oversee both construction and the early years of operation.  Don and his wife, Millie, raised two sons and a daughter in Sonora. Don was among the first three community members named to the Columbia College Hall of Fame when it was started in 1990.

• Mildred Brady Wise, co-owner of the family businesses, was a civic leader in education, the arts and at her church. She joined Don in efforts to secure the site for the new college. After Don’s death, Millie married John R. Wise of Tuolumne, and the two continued their community leadership, until Millie’s death at the age of 80 in 2005.  Millie remained a supporter of the college throughout her life, donating to the library, establishing scholarships and contributing generously to other campus projects.

• John R. Wise — John was the owner and developer of the Tuolumne Telephone Company, and a very involved civic leader who supported many local projects and causes throughout his life. He and his first wife, Florence, had four children and worked to build the telephone company into a successful small utility. He was a dedicated member of the Summerville High School Board and helped to pass its bond measure. After Florence’s death in 1975, John married Millie, and the two continued their work as community advocates, church leaders and philanthropists, supporting many community causes and groups in the arts, health care and education. He passed away in 2005, at the age of 90, just two weeks after Millie.

Columbia College’s Foster Youth Program Receives $20,000 Contribution
Contribution from AT&T supports school’s college success program

On September 20^th, Columbia College will announce that AT&T is making a $20,000 contribution to the college’s innovative Foster Youth Success Initiative during a ceremony held at the college at 10 AM in the Manzanita Building (upper level).

The funds will be used to support this Foster Youth college success program which provides transportation assistance, peer group and counseling support along with access to other social services that can assist foster youth persist through college graduation.

The contribution is part of AT&T Aspire, the company’s signature philanthropic initiative and financial commitment of $400 million since 2008 to drive innovation in education and promote student success in school and beyond.

“We are very grateful to AT&T for this significant contribution to our Foster Youth program,” said Angela Fairchilds, President of Columbia College. “AT&T understands the importance of education and support services to help youth stay in school and succeed academically.”

Columbia College recognizes that students who are in the foster care system often face significant challenges. In order to support foster youth to overcome these challenges and reach their educational goals, the College offers a variety of support services for current and former foster youth.

The Foster Youth Success Initiative also partners with a number of local and regional public, private and tribal agencies that serve those who have been in the foster care system.  Through this collaborative network, students are referred to appropriate sources of support to meet their individual needs.

“Foster youth face many unique challenges when trying to obtain a quality education,” said Julie Tone, Director of External Affairs, AT&T California. “AT&T is proud to support this college success program to improve the lives of foster youth in Tuolumne County.”

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. The company’s signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, drives innovation in education to promote student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $400 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.

About Columbia College 

Centered in the Sierra foothills, Columbia College offers students of diverse backgrounds many opportunities for discovery and success. Through a supportive and engaging learning environment, students master foundational skills, explore their passions, attain degrees and certificates, and pursue career and transfer pathways. We collaborate with surrounding communities to cultivate intellectual, cultural and economic vitality. Columbia College inspires students to become inquisitive, creative, and thoughtful life-long learners.

“Come and eat our homework”

Columbia College is excited to announce the re-opening of the Cellar Bistro and the newly renovated hospitality facilities in the lower level of the Manzanita building.

Thanks to the enormous support of local voters passing Measure E in 2004, we were able to remodel and update facilities across campus to promote student safety and success. The hospitality facilities have been renovated with state-of-the-art equipment that will promote learning through hands-on experience in food production and customer service. Each semester, faculty, staff and students as well as the public can enjoy food prepared by students under the direction of faculty in the Cellar Bistro. Front-of-house courses in Dining Room Service Management allow students to serve guests in a realistic setting.

Beginning Wednesday September 13, 2017, the Cellar Bistro will re-open to the public, continuing the past tradition of its Wednesday night dinners to offer themed meals.

The newly renovated culinary space is not only designed to provide a delightful dining experience for its community, but a modern teaching facility for hospitality management students. Students will master best practices in the food production and service industry, allowing them to go into the workforce with high-quality skills and experience.

The public and campus community is invited to the official ribbon cutting ceremony prior to the YCCD Board meeting at Columbia College on October 11, 2017 at 2:30 p.m.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Klaus Tenbergen
Dean of Career Technical Education & Economic Development
tenbergenk@yosemite.edu
Office: 209.588.5142
Cell: 559.994.6434
http://gocolumbia.edu/career_technical

Columbia College Foundation plans Promise Scholarship opportunity

The Columbia College Foundation is pleased to announce an exciting new scholarship opportunity for local high school seniors enrolling at Columbia College beginning in fall 2018.  This new program, the Columbia College Promise Scholarship, will make it possible for every qualified local public high school graduate to attend Columbia College fulltime, tuition free, for two consecutive semesters if they enroll immediately after graduation.  The program will be a three year pilot, funded by gifts from individuals and community partners who care deeply about education for our local youth.

The Promise Scholarship program will remove the tuition barrier that often stops promising young high school graduates from pursuing their education while connecting them to support services to help ensure success.  Once implemented, the program will increase the number of local high school graduates who attend Columbia College, thereby boosting the population of workforce-ready young adults who complete a degree, certificate or training program, or successfully transfer to a 4-year college.

Reflecting on the possible impact of this program, Columbia College President Dr. Angela Fairchilds remarked that “when Columbia College opened its doors 50 years ago, our founders had a dream of making education available and accessible to all our local youth.  The Promise Scholarship does just that by welcoming all local high school graduates to continue their education, tuition free, at Columbia College. “

Schools included in the program are:  Sonora Union High School District, Summerville Union High School District (including Connections Academy and Gold Rush Charter School), Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District, Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Alternative Education and Bret Harte High School in Calaveras County.

To qualify for the first year of the Promise Scholarship, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a 2018 graduate from a public Tuolumne County high school or Bret Harte High School in Calaveras County. Graduates in 2019 and 2020 will be eligible in the fall semester immediately after they graduate.
• Reside within the boundaries of the Yosemite Community College District.
• Apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) prior to completing the Promise Scholarship application.
• Enroll at Columbia College for Fall 2018 as a full time student carrying at least 12 units.

Additional information will be posted on the Columbia College website and Facebook pages, and will be available to families in fall 2017, through their school counselors.

Contributions for the Promise Scholarship program and other Foundation projects are always welcome.

To join the effort or learn more, contact Amy Nilson, Director of Development at Columbia College at (209) 588-5055 or nilsona@yosemite.edu or visit www.gocolumbia.edu/foundation.

Columbia College Foundation, founded in 1972, is a nonprofit organization that promotes quality higher education that enriches the academic, economic, and cultural life of our community. The mission is to promote student success by providing community resources that support and expand educational opportunities for Columbia College students.

Columbia College Foundation Board of Directors (from left) Front row: Rosetta Bannwarth, Margie Bulkin. Middle row: Louise Goicoechea, Colette Such, Lee Ann Fox, Jan Verhage, Judy Myers, Janice Nelson. Back row: Jim Roeber, Bill Dunlavy, Stephanie Suess, Kenan McDonald, John Freer, Jeff Phillips, Charles Segerstrom, Del Hodges.

Columbia College has named 184 students to the spring 2017 semester President’s List. We are pleased to officially recognize their exceptional scholastic achievement.

This acknowledgment is reserved for students completing twelve or more units of semester coursework at Columbia College and earning a cumulative grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0, with no grade lower than “C.”

Columbia College spring 2017 President’s List students are listed below by city.

Columbia College is pleased to introduce you to the college’s new mobile phone application! 

This free mobile app provides you with a new way to access connectColumbia, Canvas, request a refund, and find your way around campus with maps.

You will be able to view your schedule or your grades, search for classes, look up information on parking, bus and shuttle transportation, important campus phone numbers and much more.

Supported devices:

• Apple devices running iOS 9.0 or later
• Apple watch OS 3 or later
• Android devices running system version 4.3.0 or later.
• Kindle Fire devices, except 2011 model.

Steps to follow to use the new mobile app:

1. On your cell phone go to the app store (Google Play, Apple App Store or Amazon (Kindle Fire) ) and download/launch Ellucian Go.
2. Search for and select Columbia College from the list of schools. (Once you load Columbia College, it will automatically go there in the future.)
3. Open the menu in the top left corner to see a list of applications available.

You will notice that several applications (class schedule, grades and restrictions) have a “locked” icon on the right.  Grades prior to 2004 are not available for viewing on the app. Your connectColumbia login and password will unlock these applications.

Under the heading “How to Videos” you will find an Ellucian Mobile Demo that can assist you in navigating the new mobile app.

Information is also available on the CC website at: http://www.gocolumbia.edu/get_started/

Watch for future components of the Columbia College Mobile App including:

• Registration
• Student Financial Information
• Faculty and Staff Directory
• And more.

We hope you enjoy using the Columbia College Mobile App.

Learning Gone Wild

The High Sierra Institute offers over a dozen courses. The High Sierra Institute is a partnership between the Yosemite Community College District and the US Forest Service operated under Special Use Permit on the Stanislaus National Forest.

Baker Station is situated along Highway 108 in the high Sierra at an elevation of 6,200 feet in the Summit Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest.

Classes are held with field studies from May – August 2017.

From Sonora:  Take Highway 108 roughly 57 miles east (just under four miles BEYOND the Dardanelle store.). Baker Station sits on the north side of the road, just past a big yellow Caltrans sign. Look for a line of rustic cabins with a dirt parking lot at the end of the row of buildings. There is also a sign that reads, “High Sierra Institute at Baker Station.” If you reach the Kennedy Meadows turnoff on the right, you have gone a quarter mile too far.

High Sierra Institute
40000 Highway 108
Dardanelle, CA 95314

For more information contact: Dr. Tom Hofstra with questions @ hofstrat@yosemite.edu

For registration questions, call Columbia College Admissions & Records @ 209-588-5231

Columbia College Foundation Honors Students

More than $100,000 in Scholarships AWARDED

The Columbia College Foundation and its community partners will present more than $100,000 in scholarships to qualified and deserving students at the annual Columbia College Scholarship and Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 13.  The event features student and community speakers, musical performances and presentation of the Student of the Year awards.

In the 2016-2017 academic year, the Foundation and community partners awarded more than 150 scholarships to more 90 students, totaling more $100,000 in support for their educational expenses. Many of these scholarships are contributed by community organizations and individuals, many are offered annually through the Foundation’s endowed funds, and more than 20 each year are funded through the Foundation’s Osher Scholarship Endowment, established in partnership with the Bernard Osher Foundation, the Foundation for California Community Colleges and community donors.

Columbia College students are encouraged to apply for scholarships each fall. Criteria for awards vary depending on donors’ preferences, which include area of study, academic excellence, volunteer involvement or financial need.

“I am very appreciative that so many giving individuals rally to support our students through scholarships” noted Dr. Angela Fairchilds, College President. “For many students, this provides life-changing opportunities.  The personal stories are very compelling”

It is a point of pride for the college to have many campus donors – three student clubs sponsor annual scholarships, as well as employee groups and dozens of individual faculty members and staff.

Colette Such, Columbia College Foundation President added, “Though it’s a great amount of work for all who read scholarship applications and choose scholarship recipients, it is truly a labor of love. Their stories often bring us to tears, their work inspires us, and their futures give us hope”

The Columbia College Foundation is a community nonprofit established in 1972 to promote quality higher education that enriches the academic, economic, and cultural life of our community. The Foundation’s mission is to promote student success by providing community resources that support and expand educational opportunities for Columbia College students. Donations to the Columbia College Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Questions about the Foundation should be directed to Amy Nilson, Director of Development, at (209) 588-5055 or nilsona@yosemite.edu.

 41^st Annual Columbia Wine Tasting BenefitS
Columbia College Hospitality Management program

The Columbia College Foundation will host the 41^st Annual Columbia Wine Tasting from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 9, a benefit to support the Columbia College Hospitality Management Program. More than 70 wineries and food vendors will set up shop in the State Park’s historic buildings, making it one of the most unique tastings in the West.

“The Columbia event provides wine enthusiasts a chance to sample local wineries and foods alongside a number of the state’s favorite producers while visiting unique sites in the State Historic Park,” according to Tom Bender, a wine instructor at Columbia College and longtime organizer of the tasting. “Many are small production wineries pouring new and limited release wines.” (See list of this year’s participating wineries below).

Guests will also enjoy a tempting array of hors d’oeuvres prepared by Columbia College Hospitality students. The event also features a silent auction with a selection of collectible wines, gift baskets, getaway packages and more.

Reservations can be purchased online for $55 per person in advance or $60 per person at the event as available. Attendees receive a complimentary souvenir wine glass and samples from participating wineries and food vendors. For more information or to make a reservation, check out www.columbiawinetasting.com or call (209) 588-5089.