CSN Impact

We are joined by David Garcia from JPMorgan Chase, Dr. Federico Zaragoza, CSN President and Dr. Ricardo Villalobos, Executive Director of CSN Division of Workforce and Economic Development. We are talking about the $225,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase to support workforce development in Las Vegas.

Clarissa Cota, VP/Provost CSN North Las Vegas leads a discussion with Dr. Federico Zaragoza, CSN President and Professor Alok Pandey, CSN Chair of the Math Department. They discuss the new Math Map program made possible through a $2.6M grant from the US Department of Education in support of Hispanic and Minority serving institutions (HSI/MSI). · CSN is incorporating nationally recognized strategies for Latino students in STEM courses including:

o Placement: Developing a holistic tool to accurately place a student in a math course;

o Support: Coordinating academic counseling and non-academic referrals such as immigration services, access to basic needs and food pantries from day one to graduation day;

o Instruction: Implementing teaching techniques based on ongoing professional development; and

o Pre-Graduation: Program students present at La Cumbre Matemático a Math Summit, sharing their research and collaborative workforce skills with industry and community leaders.

In this episode, Ruben Kihuen, Director, External Affairs at Immigrant Home Foundation leads a discussion with Dr. Federico Zaragoza, CSN President, Astrid Silva, Executive Director, Dream Big Nevada and Belkiss Rodriquez, Interim Director at CSN DWED talk about the availability and importance of access to high school equivalency and English as a Second Language classes at CSN. Open to everyone and at no cost to the student. 

Today we talk with Shellie about her experience as a CSN student and how she is driven to support student success at CSN through the Center for Academic Success (CAS). Shellie and team have been providing tutoring services for many years. The pandemic required a new way to offer their services. When CSN classes went online within 72 hours, Shellie and the CAS moved their tutors and students' accessibility online too - including embedding students in online classes and providing supplemental instruction. Listen to Shellie's inspiring, personal CSN story.

Listen in as recipients of the CSN Foundation Spirit of CSN award recipients talk about their winning projects. The Foundation awarded more than $45,000 to five projects led by CSN faculty and staff.  The selection committee determined these were the best for meeting CSN metrics for student success and putting student first at CSN. 

• The Textbook Assistance Project - Provides textbooks on loan to students.
• The Meaningful Writing Project - Will change the student's perspective on the relevancy of first-year courses to their overall personal, academic, and professional goals, and this will increase engagement and motivation to succeed.
• The Collective Project - Collaborate with invested and supportive CSN constituents to address the challenge(s) and reason(s) African American students are graduating at a 3% rate.
• Learning by Hands-On Research - While participating in this research immersion, students will be provided the hands-on-experience in environmental investigation in a living laboratory.

Need some inspiration right about now? Listen to the stories of three CSN Alumni and their pathways to success.

LJ Cunningham - Shares his calling for storytelling using his video skills for celebrities and nonprofits with equal zeal.

Chelsy Chavez - Is excited to be close to graduation and shares her health care education pathway

Jacob Lara - Talks about how his music talents were nurtured at CSN and where he is today.

Be inspired by CSN alumni sharing their stories of impact. Golam Hussein Marvin, Terrance Walton, Naree Asherian and Sequoia Buffer share how they came to CSN, their experience and where they are today.

Student and faculty leaders from CSN's Phi Theta Kappa chapter share their experience and importance of the honor society on campus. They talk about their honors research project, membership, awards recently won and what it means to be a PTK. CSN alum, Yelina Goetting shares her CSN experience at the Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences and scholarship she received.

Chris Collins VP for Digital Energy and CSN President Federico Zaragoza talk about Schneider's philanthropic gift to CSN Foundation, being a good corporate citizen, hiring CSN job ready graduates and more. And Monique Moreno, CSN student and scholarship recipient shares her CSN experience.

Our guests this episode are Scott Redden of David Wilson Toyota of Las Vegas and Steve Basch from KEMP Broadcasting. They have provided more than $30,000 in scholarships since 2016. We talk about the importance of philanthropy and the CSN workforce pipeline to their business. Dr. Zaragoza, President of CSN talks about dual enrollment, graduation and what college proven is all about. Then Alejandro Ruiz and Stacy Ramos CSN students share their CSN experience in our CSN Impact moments of inspiration.