Columbia College’s Fire Academy will hold its graduation ceremony and presentation of Certificates of Completion to the successful students of the Fire Technology Program. The event, which is open to the general public, will be held Thursday, December 12, 2019, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Oak Pavilion.  The certificates will be awarded based on the student’s successful completion of the academic and manipulative training as mandated for a California Firefighter 1 Certification. The students must still complete six months of full-time or one year of part-time field experience before applying to the state for Firefighter I Certification. “Some of…

The Columbia College Foundation is pleased to announce an exciting expansion of its Columbia College Promise for local high school seniors enrolling at Columbia College. Starting in Fall 2020, the Promise program will make it possible for every qualified local public high school graduate to attend Columbia College fulltime, tuition free, for two full years of consecutive semesters if they enroll immediately after graduation.  The program service area will also expand to include high school graduates throughout the college service area which includes Oakdale and Waterford, and to Mariposa and Calaveras, both adjacent rural high school districts. “Thanks to additional…

Columbia College will hold its 50th Commencement on Friday, May 3, at 6:00 p.m. in the Oak Pavilion. A brief reception for the graduates and guests will be held immediately after the ceremony in Carkeet Park next to the pavilion. Among the graduating class, 68 Associate of Arts Degrees will be conferred, 53 Associate of Arts Transfer Degrees, 112 Associate of Science Degrees, 26 Associate of Science Transfer Degrees, 1 Associate of Science (Occupational Education) Degrees, and 124 Certificates of Achievement. 40 students will graduate with distinction (cumulative grade point averages of 3.75 or better) and 46 with honors (between 3.5…

The Symphony of the Sierra’s 2019 Spring Concert will be held at Columbia College, Dogwood Forum, at 3:00 PM on Saturday, May 4. The set offers a balance between popular music and favorites of classical repertoire. The orchestra is happy to present Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, and Star Wars Epic featuring music from the original Star Wars trilogy, among others. This season, the Symphony is excited to feature guest artist Alan “Weaver” Copeland and Friends. Alan Copeland is a Grammy Award winning musician who has worked with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra and was a member…

The Columbia College Foundation and its community partners will present more than $120,000 in scholarships to qualified and deserving students at the annual Columbia College Scholarship and Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 18.  The event, 4:30-5:30 pm at the Dogwood Forum on campus, features student and community speakers, musical performances, and presentation of the Student of the Year awards. Speakers at Thursday’s event include Student of the Year Danea Palmer who is a science student planning to transfer to UC Santa Barbara, re-entry student Max Golay who is working toward a nursing degree, and community donor, Jon Whited, who works…

Columbia College will hold a Community Job Fair that is cosponsored with Mother Lode Job Training. The event will host 66 employers and will take place on Friday, April 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the Columbia College campus in the Oak Pavilion. Job seekers are encouraged to bring their résumé, dress for success, and be ready to discuss their experience and skills with prospective employers at the event. The event is organized through a partnership with Mother Lode Job Training. Mary Watts, Columbia College Career & Transfer Center Program Technician, shared that area employers are looking for…

Columbia College will host several hundred high school students for the 19th annual Occupational Olympics to be held on Friday, April 5, 2019. The contests will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with the award ceremony immediately following in the Dogwood Building. Students from Tuolumne County will compete in seven separate events that challenge them to think critically in a contextual environment.  The events include automotive, cosmetology, digital photography, fire technology, hospitality management, forestry & natural resources, and welding. Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, President of Columbia College says, “Exposing high school students to a college campus and challenging them to…