Official SLCC Blog

Mt. Olympus at Dusk by Artist Rob Adamson A blob of paint drips down the side of the snowy mountain. Scrape, scrape, scrape through the paint with a pallet knife and the other side of the peak becomes starker and steeper. Maybe a layer of glaze in between and the dusky sunlight casts a sheen on dirt, rocks and trees. From his studio in Millcreek, which looks out to the mountains, artist and Salt Lake Community College professor Rob Adamson is into the process of creating not just the look but the feel of Mount Olympus. Rob’s piece in this year’s SLCC President’s Art Show , Mount Olympus at Dusk, showcases his semi-impressionist style. Viewers who take a close and careful look can see the “tracks” purposefully left by the artist. “I like to show the process,” says Rob. Step back from the canvas and the image comes into view. Rob calls this “two-fold-ness” symmetry between imagery and abstractness. “It’s the best of both worlds,” he says. Artist Rob Adamson receives Community Award fr...

A team of students working on a propeller while the judge watches them Event information Salt Lake Community College hosted its third annual Intermountain West Airframe and Power Plant Competition. The event accommodated 120 aviation maintenance students from Utah and other Intermountain states for the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, skills and expertise amongst their peers and judges. The jam-pack competition day consisted of 14 events and the 26 teams consisting of three participants each, were tested on their aviation maintenance skills. The evaluated areas comprise but are not limited to aircraft fuel tank sealing, component replacement and composite testing. Participants waiting to compete on their events Competition time Students were allotted 15 minutes to complete the task at hand during each event, whether filling out logbooks and forms or finding structural damage to an aircraft. The judges welcomed every group, and they were given directions and words of encouragem...

Twilight Collage created by Lacee Black, SLCC Alumna Twilight is a delicate moment where light and darkness coexist in perfect harmony. Lacee Black, Salt Lake Community College alumna, captured the ethereal moment in which the sun graces the red rocks of Southern Utah in her work of art which was part of SLCC’s 2022 President’s Art Show. No stranger to having her art displayed in galleries, Lacee has received awards for her artwork.    Lacee’s art piece entitled Twilight is a three-dimensional collage that captures that sun-setting moment using delicate hues of dusty pink and oranges with different textures. The magical and peaceful way Lacee captures the scattering of the sun’s rays throughout the rocks and vegetation of Southern Utah while adding texture to the image makes the piece nothing short of blissful.   “Southern Utah is one of my favorite places. It brings many beautiful memories. It’s one of my safe places,” shares Lacee, which echoes dreamily in her art....

Genesis Ruiz  "As soon as I started letting go of expectations of what my life should look like, blessings flourished into my life."  Genesis Ruiz Name: Genesis Ruiz Pronouns: She/Her Age: 27 Residence: Salt Lake City Major: Associate of Business  Academic goals: I strive for A’s or A- while not being hard on myself because I’m also here for the experience.  Dream job: CEO of my consulting firm that helps small businesses and minorities. Also, I’d love to be involved in politics.  Plan B: Become a politician  Why higher education? Education alone has opened so many doors for me. Knowledge is power. The more I learn, the more I share, and the more doors open for me!  Why SLCC: SLCC has been a blessing I never thought I’d experience. When I say that I’m blessed to be getting a higher education, I mean it. College was never an option for me. I’m the oldest in my family. My mom is a single mom and my priorities did not include college because it wa...

  Aye Chan, ASA Club President  Name: Aye Chan Pronouns: He/Him/His Residence: I have lived in Utah for 6 years.  Major: Business  Academic goals: Get an MBA and start my own business.  Dream job: Own a car company  Plan B: Work at a dealership  Why higher education? The promise of a better career. Why SLCC? When government funds are insufficient, SLCC can assist qualifying students in paying for their education by covering the cost of tuition and fees. What motivates you or inspires you at school or in life? My own drive to succeed. Abel Morales said: “When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump, otherwise you end up staying in the same place your whole life, and that I can't do.”  “Fail, fail until you get tired of it.”  Meaningful life or career lessons you have learned so far? Involving the community is an excellent way to spend your college career.  Family: I live with my father and three of my siblings.  Hob...

Students actively pay attention to the lecture their professor prepared for the day Fall of 2022, the School of Humanities and Social Science and Salt Lake Community College launched its new Family and Human Development (FHD) Associate of Science track . The FHD track is ideal for students looking for a fulfilling career that will allow them the flexibility to complete the course in person or entirely online. Career options for those with a degree in Family & Human Development include family life education, social services, case management, policy analysis, lobbying, advocacy, community outreach, etc.   What sets the Family and Human Development track apart from the Early Childhood track is that FHD students are not required to complete lab experiences. However, should students be interested in gaining experience from the lab, they are welcome to do so as part of an elective. If students choose to take a full-time course load, they could complete the degree within two years. It...

  Students from BIO 2425 talking to a judge about their physiology research project. Which Coca-Cola product is better for your cardiovascular system, regular, diet or Mexican Coke? That was one of the questions posed by students in the Human Physiology Lab (BIO 2425) whose posters were showcased for the first Physiology Symposium at the Taylorsville Redwood and Jordan campuses earlier this month.  The course is a hands-on lab where students investigate physiological processes through data and analysis of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, immune and muscular systems. Students created a plan and used the scientific method to carry out experiments. They collected and analyzed the data and created figures to explain how the data supports their hypotheses. This symposium prepared many of them to have experience in undergraduate research, even if some of the outcomes didn’t go as planned. “Implementing a course-based undergraduate research experience increases ...

Student Center Soul painting by Roberto Zavala Roberto Zavala’s painting, “The Student Center Soul” (SC Soul) is a surrealistic painting that not only embodies the architectural structure of the Student Center at Taylorsville Campus but captures the soul of the space. The painting depicts the soul and essence of the second floor, a space for students to socialize and study.    Roberto, who works as an Interior Designer at SLCC, was first inspired to do the painting in one of his many visits to the Student Center along with his colleague, Caleb Prusso. “Caleb and I were walking upstairs one day, and once we got to the top of the stairs, I remember enjoying what I saw, and that is when the idea of painting the student center sparked in me,” recalls Roberto.   SC Soul was the very first painting to be sold at the 2022 President’s Art Show, and it will be housed in the building which inspired the image. “I did not have any plans for this painting other than submitting it to t...

  Former Salt Lake Community College student-athlete and current NBA player Gary Payton II was honored during half time at the SLCC vs. Northwest basketball game on Friday night, December 2. Coaches, fans, players and SLCC leadership attended to celebrate and honor the retiring of Gary’s jersey, # 1. The jersey will memorialize Gary’s time here and be displayed from the rafters of the Bruin Arena.     The now-Portland Trail Blazer played for SLCC from 2012-14 before moving on to play at Oregon State University. One of the biggest highlights of his career was winning an NBA championship in 2022 with the Golden State Warriors, including scoring 15 points in a Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics.     "We are thrilled to honor Gary by retiring his jersey,” says Kevin Dustin, Salt Lake's Director of Athletics and Recreation. "Gary leads a long list of former Bruins who have gone on to successful careers at the Division-I level and beyond. His accomplishments...

                                                                                          Bremen Mackay Salt Lake Community College TRiO office hosted an open mic event to celebrate first-generation college students. A person is considered a first-generation college student when neither parent obtained a four-year college degree. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to share their experience as first generations of college students through poems, stories and showcasing different forms of art. The common theme shared by the participants was resiliency.    Khalid Moussa Khalid Moussa, an SLCC Marketing student, says, “being a first-generation student makes me a changer. My parents never had th...

El martes primero de noviembre de 2022, Salt Lake Community College West Valley Center y el Centro de Soñadores (Dream Center) le dieron la bienvenida a estudiantes y miembros de la comunidad. Una celebración arraigada en las tradiciones aztecas donde las personas pueden celebrar a sus seres queridos que han fallecido. El centro celebró la noche repleta de actuaciones notables y actividades para que todos participaran en las festividades del Día de Muertos. La velada comenzó con una actuación del Mariachi Academia Mis Raíces de la Escuela Primaria Esperanza. Una de las canciones interpretadas por el mariachi fue La Malagueña, una antigua canción folclórica española, la cual llenó a los asistentes de emoción y dejó a varios de la audiencia llorando. Posteriormente, Isabel Lucero, pequeña bailarina folclórica mexicana cuya actuación deleitó a los asistentes con su baile, algunos coreografiados por la propia Isabel.   A lo largo del evento, los asistentes se deleitaron con el pan de M...

Jevahjire France Name: Jevahjire France, [ goes by Jevah, pronounced "Gee Vah."] Pronouns: He/Him Residence: Millcreek Major: Mechanical Engineering Academic goals: Obtain an Associate of Pre-Engineering (APE) at SLCC then transfer to a 4-year institution. Dream job: Being the owner or co-owner of a firm or foundation that is socially conscious in my home country [Haiti] . Plan B: No plan B. Why higher education? It was never a question that I really had to ask myself. It always felt like the right thing to do. I was always told from a very young age that school is the way to success and getting the career of my dream, so here I am. Why SLCC? It is close and affordable. I see it as a smart start when it comes to college. What motivates you or inspires you at school or in life? Family. I want to be able to assist my loved ones, make my parents proud, and be able to provide for my own family when I have one. I want to be in a good position to help out m...

We are deeply saddened by the news that at least five people were murdered and over 25 were injured in a mass shooting this past weekend at Club Q—an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs. Our hearts go out to the victims and survivors of this shooting, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in the Colorado Springs area who are navigating the trauma that comes with an assault on one’s life and communities.  Our thoughts are also with those in our own community who identify as LGBTQ+ or have loved ones who have been emotionally harmed by this incident. On Monday, we had a moment of silence during the meet and greet hosted by Institutional Equity, Inclusion and Transformation to remember the victims of this attack as well as victims of the recent shooting at the University of Virginia and the four students who were murdered at the University of Idaho.  The incident in Colorado Springs is reminiscent of the violence and harm that some use to instill fear and to share their hatred. We know tha...

Professor Darin Jensen meeting with student Makenzie Zundel. The bookshelves in Professor Darin Jensen’s office are packed full of graphic novels, some that he uses to teach with, and posters hang on his wall of pop culture references to connect with his students and help them feel comfortable when they visit. His first teaching job was at a community college in Omaha, Nebraska in 2009. He fell in love with the students and with the mission of community colleges. Now at Salt Lake Community College since January of this year, he teaches classes such as American Lit and Pop Culture. This semester he expanded that class to include Queer Lit, since he has a large group of students who identify as LGBTQ+. “[Community college are] the best place,” says Darin. “Doing this kind of work with working class students, students who are raising a family on their own, in helping them navigate post-secondary education is enormously satisfying and challenging.” Darin, a first-generation college stud...

    The Strada Education Network awarded a $400,000 grant to Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) Surgical Technology Program as part of Strada’s Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge. The grant aims to support innovative collaborations across the country between community colleges and employers in their region. Together, SLCC and Strada will participate in learning from other select community college   employer partnerships nationwide. As part of the grant, SLCC will partner with Intermountain Healthcare, the region's largest healthcare provider, to meet urgent healthcare workforce needs. This initiative specifically focuses on providing training programs and creating career exploration pathways for surgical technicians. The college will offer an accelerated program track, expand and upgrade training facilities, support students in the training pathway and partner with local secondary schools to recruit students. Intermountain Healthcare will provide tuiti...