Official SLCC Blog

More than 90 entrepreneurs representing three cohorts of participants graduated this week at Salt Lake Community College from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and brought the total number of graduates to 215 since the program began in January of 2013 FatPipe Networks business owner Sanchaita Datta addresses graduates. Over the past year, 93 business owners who took part in the program represented industries that include construction, manufacturing, retail and transportation. Together, these businesses employ 1,611 people and represent over $145 million in revenues.  Participants received practical business and management education, business support services, and access to capital to help their businesses grow. A new report recently released by Babson College shows that 10,000 Small Businesses program graduates report revenue growth and job creation at a higher rate than small businesses nationally. Almost 100 percent of the scholars graduate, with 84 p...

On a hot Wednesday in June Salt Lake Community College student Faith Joy Anderson emptied the shiny contents of a blue plastic bag on to SLCC academic advisor Glory Johnson-Stanton’s desk. Anderson beamed as she talked about the medals she won recently during the Special Olympics Utah Summer Games at Lone Peak High School and the more than 40 gold, silver and bronze medals she has won over the years as an Olympian. SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin (l-r), Faith Joy Anderson and Kauai Community College Chancellor Helen Cox Her status as a multiple medal winner in Special Olympics games and a student at a community college is a far cry from the very difficult upbringing Anderson talks about. She recounts being born with fetal alcohol syndrome, being taken away with her siblings from her biological parents, suffering abuse growing up, leaving her adoptive family at 17, enduring occasional seizures and, at one point, considering suicide. She’s been telling her story over the ...

Markosian Library staff member Andrew Lyon was highlighted on KSL News in April. The feature was intended to bring autism awareness to the forefront. Lyon's inspirational and motivational story exemplifies the success of individuals with autism. He's a valued member of SLCC's library team and continues to contribute on the circulation desk and to work toward achieving his goals.  "There is evidence that more employers are becoming aware of the unique skills adults with autism bring to the workforce," writes KSL's Sandra Olney. "In fact, some adults with autism are using work and higher education to achieve independence."  Lyon graduated from SLCC in May with an associate's degree in music. His job at the library has helped him to balance work, school and life.  "I'm so glad that he went ahead and made this choice," said Lyon's mother, Kara Lyon. "He's really grown a ton, and it's been impressive."  ...

On a small lot where an old house once stood near Salt Lake Community’s South City Campus, 20 boxes filled with dirt will soon yield fresh vegetables for low-income students using the campus’s Bruin Food Pantry. Volunteers work on community garden at South City Campus SLCC bought the old house along 1700 South, demolished it and paved the way for the College’s third plot for a community garden – the other two are near the Taylorsville and Jordan campuses. At the South City site, Grainger Industrial Supply donated money toward the project, and staffers at nearby Whittier Elementary School and South City Campus Daycare pitched in some sweat equity. The water lines and boxes before installation The idea for a community garden at South City came from SLCC Community Partnerships coordinator Sean Crossland and the College’s Disability Resource Center assistant director, Steven Lewis, who helped start the other two gardens. The boxes at South City...

Salt Lake Community College student Maria Sinoy was recently awarded a complimentary membership into the professional society Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) for her performance in the national Student Mathematics League (SML) competition. Maria Sinoy For the past six years the SLCC math department has been competing in the competition, which like the field of math itself comprises a disproportionate number of female to male participants. The SML was founded in 1970 and in 1981 the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges assumed sponsorship of SML. The annual competition draws more than 165 colleges from more than 35 states and involves in excess of 8,000 community college math students. Sinoy, whose specialty is biology, noted the significance of her award and skills in math as a female. “I feel pretty proud,” Sinoy said. “I am representing the women of the biology department.” She said women who are “afraid” of math might miss different kinds ...

"Now they know who I am." By “they,” filmmaker Tony Vainuku means Robert Redford, whom he met during an event for directors at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Park City. And he means actor/producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who called Vainuku during the festival to say he wanted to throw his support behind “In Football We Trust,” a documentary which Vainuku co-directed with former Utah resident Erika Cohn. And by “they” he means the likes of HBO, movie distributors, directors, producers, actors, and the scores of people in the film industry he met while on the whirlwind tour that comes with getting a film accepted into the annual 10-day Sundance Film Festival. Filmmaker Tony Vainuku at South City Campus, home to the Grand Theatre Not bad for a guy who grew up poor in Salt Lake City, moving around because his parents couldn’t pay the rent, moving out at age 17 to fend for himself, and moving from job to job until the words “higher education” entered the care...