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Lee College

200 Lee Drive

www.lee.edu

Baytown, TX 77521

The Weekly Newsletter for Lee College Employees

March 5, 2018

Lee College Debaters Stay On Top Contributed by Joe Ganakos The Mendoza Debate Society has emerged as the top community college in IPDA competition twice in three weeks at competitions in Louisiana. Fresh off the heels of a Community College Championship at the LSU “Mardi Gras Classic” in Baton Rouge, Lee College returned to Baytown with the Community College Championship from the Bossier Parish Community College “Eddy Shell Invitational on February 16-18, 2018 in tow. Lee College squared off against a field of twenty colleges and universities that included Southern Methodist University (TX), University of Tennessee (TN), Arkansas Tech (AR), Louisiana State University (LA), Jefferson State Community College (AL), and Mississippi State University (MS). The Mendoza Debate Society’s Rigo Ruiz was named Team Debate Speaking Champion while his teammate Alyssa Hooks finished in 2nd Place for Team Debate Speaking.

Ruiz and Hooks also finished as the 2nd Place pair in Team Debate, losing on a hotly contested 2-1 decision to a team from LSU. The team of Ruiz and Hooks are the #1 ranked TIPDA team in the IPDA’s 2017/2018 national rankings with less than a month to go in the regular season. If Hooks and Ruiz are able to bring home the season-long title, it will mark the fourth consecutive year that a pair from

The Mendoza Debate Society at Lee College returned to Baytown with the Community College Championship from the Bossier Parish Community College “Eddy Shell Invitational on February 16-18, 2018.

From left to right: Ty Young (IMPACT High School/Lee College – General Studies); Julio Martinez (Lee College – Pre-Engineering); Vanessa Rangel (Lee College – Environmental Science); Jaden Houseman (Lee College – General Studies); Alyssa Hooks (Lee College – Speech Communication); Dax Ramgoolam (Lee College – Business); Aria Giacona (Lee College – Theater);Rigo Ruiz (Lee College – Business); Lacey Gulley (Lee College – Environmental Science); Leah Sparkman (Lee College – Social Science).

be the second for Ruiz (2015/2016 with Lee alum Kyle Diamond).

INSIDE

Lee College HSI tours University of Houston Clear Lake (page 2). Lee College Staff give back, engage and have some fun with second graders at Alamo Elementary (page 3). Engergy Venture Annual Reunion, Thanks Chevron Phillips (page 4).

Lee College

200 Lee Drive

Baytown, TX 77521

www.lee.edu

page 2 Lee College’s Ty Young, an Impact High School junior, finished as a Junior Varsity Debate Quarterfinalist while Julio Martinez was named a Novice Debate Octofinalist. Aria Giacona won a Double-Octofinalist Award in Novice Debate while Lacey Gulley finished in 7th Place in Program Oral Interpretation in Individual Events competition. They were joined in competition by Jaden Houseman, Dax Ramgoolam, Vanessa Rangel, and Leah Sparkman.

The Lee College Debate Team will wrap up its regular season the first week in March at the University of Central Arkansas “End of Hi-Bear-Nation” tournament in Conway, AR, leading up to the IPDA National Championship Tournament in Spokane, WA on March 24-27, 2018. The Mendoza Debate Society is coached

by Director of Forensics Joe Ganakos and Assistant Debate Coach Christine Courteau. For more information about the Lee College Debate Team, please contact Director of Forensics Joe Ganakos at jganakos@lee.edu or at (281)425-6502.

Transfers to UHCL Drives Recent HSI Visit Contributed by Michael Pounds The Hispanic Serving Initiatives (HSI) Department at Lee College was established in 2017. The department houses all HSI grants awarded to the College from the Department of Education. One of the goals of the HSI Initiatives department is to improve transfer rates for Lee College students. University field trips are a great way to do that while helping our students stay focused on their long term goals. The field trips also provide the opporunity to connect with other students already attending a four year intistution.

Until recently PUENTE, TRiO, Honors, and Weekend College students were the only students that had the opportunity to have the university experience. Thanks to Title V funding all students will now have the opportunity to visit, interact, and experience university life.

had the opportunity to “Soar with the Hawks” during University of Houston Clear Lake’s Open House.

During the event, students were able to complete admissions applications ($45 fee was waived), get on-the-spot admissions decisions, meet with program advisors, attend workshops, tour the campus, and interact with current and former UHCL students. The students, most of them first time college students, having never stepped foot on a university campus, walked away with some great information but, also a connection and memories that will last a life time.

Lee College HSI students visit University of Houston Clear Lake campus on personalized tour from UHLC student ambassadors and the UHLC Mascot. Front Row left to right: Ana Martinez, Iresema Rios. Middle Row left to right: Wilson Thomas; Mary Trevino; Edyth Lopez; Elzzie Anguiano, UHCL Mascot; Shelby Plummer; Jose Gomez; Kikiano Frank.

Back Row left to right: Chad Sebastian,TriO Program Assistant; Michael Pounds, College Recently, Lee College students Completion Transfer Coach.

We look forward to our upcoming Lamar University “Cardinal Day”, April 14, 2018 7-2pm. For more information please contact Michael Pounds, College Completion and Transfer Coach, 832-556-5110, mpounds@lee.edu, Moler Hall, STEM Hub, 115B.

Lee College

200 Lee Drive

Baytown, TX 77521

www.lee.edu

page 3

Story Time at Alamo Elementary

From left to right: Dr. Michael Fleming, Ivonne Vega (Lee College Federal Work Study Program student employee),

Daisy Aramburo, Delma Garcia, Gabriela Villanueva, Brittany Stuessy, Dr. David Jaroszewski, Carolina Guanajuato and Dr. Carolyn Lightfoot.

Lee College Staff traveled to Alamo Elementary Friday, March 2, to visit Mrs. Schimming’s second grad class as part of a joint effort between Lee College and Alamo Elementary to promote literacy and a love of reading.

You just can’t put a price on this kind of connection,” says Dr. Carolyn Lightfoot, “getting in front of these children, reading to them interacting with them, seeing how excited they are to see us -- it’s just wonderful. Those children give as much to us, if not more, than we give to them.

Have some news you’d like to share with your Lee College Community? Please contact Susan Smedley, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at x6336 or email her at ssmedley@lee.edu.

Lee College

200 Lee Drive

Baytown, TX 77521

www.lee.edu

page 4

EnergyVenture Camp Celebrates Annual Reunion Thanks To Sponsor Chevron Phillips

Contributed by Jessie Ard

EnergyVenture Camp Celebrates Annual Reunion For more information about EnergyVenture camp, Thanks To Sponsor Chevron Phillips visit the Kids at College website at www.lee.edu/ kids or call 281.425.6311.

BAYTOWN, TX – The Center for Workforce and Community Development’s Kids at College program at Lee College offers more than 100 associate degree Lee College was excited to host their annual Ener- and certificate programs, as well as non-credit workgyVenture Reunion this past weekend. Sponsored force and community education courses, that preby Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, the Reunion pare its diverse student body for advanced higher offered an excellent opportunity exclusively for past education; successful entry into the workforce; and students to network, re-engage with others, partic- a variety of in-demand careers. With the main camipate in hands-on activities, hear from guest speak- pus and McNair Center located in Baytown, Texas, ers, partake in friendly competitions, and win prizes. and a satellite education center in nearby South LibGiveaways for this year included Pirates Bay passes, erty County, the college serves a geographic area of a game console, gifts cards, and more. more than 220,000 residents that includes 15 school systems. To learn more, visit www.lee.edu.

EnergyVenture is an intensive 36-hour weeklong day Kids at College summer camp designed to help students ages 12-14 years old develop their focus on the energy industry and the career opportunities it holds. The program was developed for young students to learn through fun, hands-on STEM experiments and activities in science and computer labs, in hopes to increase awareness of the good paying, high skill jobs available in the industry.

“Lee College truly values our partnership with Chevron Phillips,” said Angela Oriano, Ph.D., Vice President Workforce & Corporate Partnerships. “Commitment from companies in the petrochemical industry helps make the annual EnergyVenture Reunion possible, and help to foster students along a career path to the Gulf Coast’s energy industry.”

The Kids at College Summer Program was designed to keep children active and engaged throughout the summer through a wide variety of hands-on, educational, creative and athletic camps. Camps offered will include creative/art courses, career exploration, brain training, teen courses, sports and more. Some popular camps from last year scheduled to return for 2018 include EnergyVenture, Culinary Cooking, Creative Arts and Crafts, Volleyball, Basketball and Let’s Rock Hip Hop Recording.