AConversationwithGCC ' s CareerServices ProgramDirector

By Brittany Klintworth

GCC students and community visited the annual spring job fair in Plaza Vaquero on GCC’s Verdugo campus on March 23, to meet potential future employers El Vaquero interviewed the event's program director to learn about various opportunities “This job fair is free–at no cost,” shared Sharis Davoodi, Programs and Services Specialist for GCC Career Services, during a Zoom interview. “We are open to everyone.”

“We often have parents or siblings that join this job fair Anyone that needs employment at this point in their life are welcome to attend,” said Davoodi “We also have worked very closely with GUSD for this upcoming job fair Several local high schools will be bussed in as a field trip to attend and partake in this job fair Most of them would be juniors and seniors in their local high schools who are enrolled in our current dual enrollment programs,” she explained “Specifically, those seniors who are looking for opportunities to work during summer and then transition into college, and this allows them to explore and experience what other college students are doing ”

While this event welcomes all, GCC Career Services, the hosts of the event, arranged everything with the needs of its students at the forefront

“We have a lot of students that are dedicated, and they’re fulltime, and we understand that education is a priority for them,” Davoodi assured. “School comes first, and with that mindset, we still offer opportunities for them to work in our local businesses Local industry partners offer opportunities to our students, our alumni, and our community members to work during summers ”

Career Services is diligent with its employer selection process “We hand-pick employers that are flexible with the schedules that they provide to our students,” Davoodi explained “Just because they get hired now, middle of semester with a certain schedule, it doesn’t mean it’s gonna be the same once comes fall, so employers that come to us they are fully aware that students will need to have flexible schedules ”

Davoodi explained that her office seeks to bring organizations with varying hours, not just a traditional 8 to 5 job They try to include employers that are open on weekends, evenings, early mornings, and even include remote and hybrid opportunities to accommodate student and parent needs, according to Davoodi.

In addition to providing potential employers with broad schedules, a variety of companies come to GCC to find talent “We try our best to make sure there is at least one or two companies from every single industry,” said Davoodi. “ We have over 80 companies that are registered at the moment ”

We try to host a seasonal job fair, Glendale tech week job fair, and this, our annual job fair that we’ve been hosting during the spring semesters for the past 22 years. Even during COVID, we still continued to host, and we kept it virtual that year ” Davoodi continued, “We have mini information sessions throughout the year, but the big job fair where we have over 80 companies attending normally takes place during spring semester ”

Dylan Andrade, a political science major, who is planning on graduating in June 2023, attended an FBI information session event earlier this year and found it to be a success for him “I was able to get in contact with one of the special agents, and actually, I emailed her,” shared Andrade. “She told me to keep her updated I reached out, so it’s great! So, just from that one event, it’s done leaps and bounds for me, so in terms of the job fair, I’m pretty sure it could do the same for others ”

GCC has a job placement center website, College Central. Davoodi stressed the importance of students utilizing this resource. “That's how we continue to send out information for all these workshops–all the future events that take place here ” It takes less than 10 minutes, and once the free account is activated, a list of companies and their websites will be available, and over 100 podcasts will be available, according to Davoodi.

A bonus of the College Central job board is “you can narrow it down to your own radius,” explained Davoodi “And you can post your resume for companies to search for you, so that’s the highlight of the online job board where let’s say if you can only work 5 miles around your house If you have children, if you have elderly to take care of, or any other barriers

Whether it’s transportation, or disability, or anything else

Some people have specific–they’d rather work remote, or inperson, or only within certain zip codes. Then they can narrow down their searches ” Davoodi reassured, “they are monitored by us [the career center] so that there aren’t fraudulent employers looking for your personal information So most definitely we monitor who posts and if those jobs are truly in alignment with our educational pathways.”

Additional information on this event can be found at Glendale edu/jobfair or by contacting GCC Career Services at careerservices@glendale.edu or 818-240-1000 Ext. 5403.

Stay up to date with all the offerings from GCC Career Services on their Instagram page: www instagram com/gcccareer/

GCC Quarterback Nick Garcia Set Records in 2021-22

By Alex Leon

The view from the press box at Sartoris Field was something that Nick Garcia had never seen before Hundreds of yards away from the field that had been his athletic home for the past two years of fall football games wearing No. 3 as the quarterback for the Glendale College Vaqueros, he suddenly had a new perspective looking down at the expanse of green turf, endzones with the word GLENDALE spelled out and bleachers where fans cheered his and his teammates' exploits at every home game

Sitting in the empty area where the games were announced, the clock operated and his team's statistics were kept and calculated, it was a reflective moment for the 20-year-old from John Burroughs High in Burbank who had recently broken the over 23-year-old school record for career touchdown passes, topped 4,000 yards in career passing yardage for the Vaqs and was on the verge of leading the team to a league title

While the season did not end with him or his team celebrating the title, instead finishing the season with two straight losses and a 5-5 record, the exploits of Garcia and how the unheralded 5-foot-9-inch quarterback from John Burroughs High became one of the most prolific passers in school history was clearly a topic of conversation

"With just two games left in the regular season, I never expected to accomplish all that I have but being underestimated because of my size or anything else has kind of motivated me to overachieve and I guess that's what my legacy will be," said Garcia "I appreciate everything Glendale College has done for me, everything my teammates and I have been through together and what the coaches have taught and prepared us for I have loved every minute of wearing No. 3 and being a Vaquero."

Fast forwarding ahead a few weeks past the season ending losses to Citrus and Santa Ana colleges, Garcia can be proud of etching his name in the GCC record book topped by his record 54 career touchdown passes besting the previous mark of 44 by Mike Frost in 1998-99 and his 4,524 career yards, second only to Frost's 5,192

Another interesting stat from Garcia's career is his 60 2 percent completion percentage, 353 passes completed out of 587 passes attempted and in 2022 alone, he completed passes to 21 different receivers and he himself caught one pass as well

"The quarterback always gets a lot of credit or blame, depending on how the wins and losses go but I was blessed to not only have a great offensive line but receivers that I can't say enough about," said Garcia "To have my locker right next to No 1 Artis Cole, No 2 Nick Johnson and No 4 Caleb Snowden, not only great players but great people, gave us the opportunity to bond and connect that I will never forget "