Ventura College Pays Dividends in Degrees

Their smiles said it all. Pride. Relief. Accomplishment. Two years of difficult classes and late-night study sessions. Two years of juggling family, work and school. And two years of working as hard as they could to earn their diplomas.

For Monica Curiel, 20, and Gabriela Torres, 19, that hard work paid off. They graduated from Ventura College on Thursday and are transferring to four-year universities in the fall.

Curiel earned a 3.8 grade-point average and is going to UC Berkeley, where she plans to major in English and pursue a career in journalism.

Torres graduated with a 3.6 GPA and will study sociology at either UCLA or UC Berkeley, both of which sent acceptance letters. She hopes to be an attorney.

Nearly 900 students earned their associate degrees at Ventura College this year. About half of those graduates are transferring to four-year colleges, according to counselors. The students are headed to campuses throughout California, including UCLA, UCSB, UC Santa Cruz, Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Lutheran. A few students are going out of state to school, and one will attend Harvard.

“When they come here, we try to motivate them to get excited about learning,” counselor Ralph James said. “We strongly encourage them to go on to a four-year college, and we encourage them that they can do it. When they are talking about an associate degree, I am already talking about a bachelor degree.”

A report by the California Postsecondary Education Commission showed that Ventura College transfer rates have not increased significantly in the last 10 years. But counselors say they think that will change in the future with the creation of the new Cal State Channel Islands campus in Camarillo.

Moorpark and Oxnard colleges, which hold their graduation ceremonies today, have seen a growth in the number of students transferring to four-year colleges during the last 10 years.

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Acceptance to a state university is easier from a community college than from a high school, said Yvonne Bodle, interim public affairs director for Ventura County Community Colleges. The community college district has articulation agreements with several state and private schools, making it almost a sure thing for students who have completed their general education units.

“That is the beauty of a community college,” Bodle said. “If they set their sights and meet their goals, they can transfer almost automatically. We’re a much safer bet.”

And it’s a much cheaper bet too. A community college unit can cost as little as $12, compared to more than $100 at a UC school.

Money was a major consideration for Torres. During her two years at Ventura College, she worked 30 hours a week to pay her tuition.

“You have to be disciplined and determined, and know what you want,” she said. “But I knew I wanted to go on and be a role model for my younger sisters.”

Other students attend community colleges because they didn’t earn high enough grades in high school to be admitted to a four-year college. Curiel said she barely graduated from high school in Canada and never expected to go to UC Berkeley. She said she “blew it” in high school, but Ventura College gave her a second chance.

“I started treating school more seriously again,” she said. “Now I am proud that I accomplished something.”

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Noel Alaniz, 22, plans to attend UCSB in the fall to pursue a career in teaching. Before going to Ventura College, he worked at a gas station. “I knew I wasn’t gonna stay there,” he said. “That fueled me to go on and get more education.”

During Thursday’s ceremony, more than 1,000 parents cheered on the graduates as they paraded into the gymnasium.

Ventura College alumnus Timothy Osslund, now a scientist at Amgen in Newbury Park, gave the keynote speech. After graduating from Ventura College, he earned a degree in biochemistry at UC Davis and a doctorate from UCLA. He urged the graduates to pursue even higher education and higher goals.

“My time here at Ventura College provided a basis for the rest of my academic career,” he said. “So don’t stop here. Prepare for your next step.”

That’s exactly what Curiel will do this summer, when she takes a few more units in summer school to prepare for UC Berkeley.

After the ceremony, Curiel hugged her aunt and uncle. And she smiled. “I feel relieved, and proud,” she said.