Official SLCC Blog

Alexie Zollinger interviews a guest during a RadioACTive takeover.   How to take over a radio show in a few easy steps: gather college students in three separate rooms on one campus, strike up a Zoom call with the producer of the show RadioACTive in a booth at the KRCL station in Salt Lake City and then hit record.   If only it were that easy. But two months into the weekly takeover, KRCL RadioACTive host Lara Jones makes the process seem smooth when students in Marcie Young Cancio’s COMM 2900 Special Projects class get together to record a one-hour show. It was Jones’ idea, and Young Cancio drew up an entire semester-long curriculum around it. The rest is radio history in the making.   “I feel my role beyond the microphone is to help people express themselves,” Jones said. “Our history at RadioACTive is that we’re community led. I felt this project was important in terms of mentoring the next generation of journalism students so that they have hands-on experience, to le...

Jayel Kirby Pronouns: She/her/hers Degree(s) earned: Associate's degree in general studies with an emphasis in communication Years at SLCC: 5 Current title/position: Assistive Technology and Furniture Specialist Department: Disability Resource Center (DRC) Previous jobs/titles at SLCC: Testing Services Proctor and Academic Advising Front Desk What is a typical day or week like for you? For me, it’s all about balance. Working part-time for the DRC provides me the opportunity to balance both work and home life. As a part of the Assistive Technology team, most of my time is spent zone editing textbooks; working with screen reading software and telling it which order to read sections on each page. I also distribute smartpens and teach students how to use them. Another responsibility is to attend classes with students who are blind or have low vision as a reader and scribe. As a furniture specialist, I run reports to determine which students have specific ...

“Everyone can write.” SLCC Community Writing Center (CWC) staff use this philosophy to inspire, motivate and educate people working on any type of writing. The sentiment is especially appropriate on April 10, Encourage a Young Writer Day, as a time for educators to help writers use their imagination. Tara Hogan echoes this philosophy while working as a writing consultant and youth programs coordinator for the CWC. She says that people who visit the center need a wide range of writing assistance, and the CWC offers multiple services for developing writing. One way CWC staff assist writers is through writing coaching , a one-on-one 30-minute consultation to address visitors’ writing concerns, regardless of what stage the writing is in. Coaching sessions are completely free, and with virtual and in-person modalities, any Salt Lake County resident can take advantage of a coaching session. During a consultation, a writing coach may take different approaches based on genre, tone or...

Former Fulbright Scholar, Oxford Consortium Fellowship recipient, Rotary Peace Fellow, TEDx speaker, and former Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) student Elizabeth Gamarra has received the college’s inaugural Rising Star Award. The Rising Star Award recognizes SLCC alumni who have made a profound and positive impact in their communities and beyond, and who have graduated from the college within the last seven years.     “The purpose of this award is to uplift recent SLCC graduates and highlight their commitment to community and to their professional and personal growth,” said Kate Rubalcava, CEO of Utah Nonprofits Association and a member of SLCC’s Alumni Leadership Council.      “Elizabeth’s nomination stood out as someone who was not only exceptional in her professional accomplishments, but who at her core, is an inspiring leader, dedicated to catalyzing positive change both locally and globally,” Rubalcava said.   Gamarra, who skipped three grades, and ...

USA Today’s Women of the Year program recently announced that Luz Gamarra was selected as one of its honorees. One woman from each state was chosen for her significant positive impact on her community, and Gamarra was selected for Utah. “These honorees are strong and resilient women who have been champions of change across the country, leading and inspiring as they promote and fight for equity, and give others a place to seek help and find hope,” USA Today stated. Gamarra serves as Lead Academic Advisor for Humanities and ESL students at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and has spearheaded a number of peer mentoring programs to support students in achieving their educational goals. Through the SLCC’s Amigos Mentores and ESL Legacy Mentors programs, immigrants and ESL students work together to help each other find resources to stay in school, stay motivated and realize their dreams. “It’s not just about connecting them to resources, but it is also about m...