Weaver sheds most weight, wins VC’s “Biggest Loser” contest

Angela Weaver, database administrator of Technology Services, is the winner of VC’s “Biggest Loser” Contest, which ran from Jan 17 to May 11. “I feel great,” she said. “I’m very happy to have that extra weight off.” By the end of the contest, Angela lost 21 pounds, or 14 percent of her body weight. As the winner, Angela won the entry fee pot of $180 and a VC “Biggest Loser” t-shirt. Angela says she became serious about losing weight after having two knee surgeries. “I heard that for every pound you lose, it takes four pounds off your knee,” she said. She started going to the gym several

times a week, attended VC’s BodyPump classes, and maintained healthy eating habits. “I had yogurt for breakfast and a protein shake for lunch,” she said. “I stuck to it during the week and rewarded myself on the weekends.”

If Angela could offer any advice to those wanting to lose weight, it would be to discipline yourself.

“Just get to the gym no matter how you feel,” she said. “It’s not fun to do any of those kinds of things, but the reward and the pay-off are worth it.” The next closest “Biggest Loser” contestant was professor Trent Thigpen.

Angela Weaver, who lost 21 pounds, shows her weight loss with a pair of jeans she wore before the contest.

May/June 2012

“I’m happy to have that extra weight off. I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.”

Employee News & Events Kids College For those who have children, remember you can enroll them in Kids College, where all kinds of fun classes will take place from Monday, June 11, through Monday, Aug. 6. Some of the camps include:

•CSI for Kids•Creative Dance•All Sports Camp and • It’s Not Just Rocket Science

Ages for participation range from Pre-K to high school, depending on the camp. For a complete listing and pricing of all the Kids College camps and classes, please visit VictoriaCollege.edu/KidsCollege. Parents may also call the VC Workforce and Continuing Education Office at (361) 582-2528 for more information.

Pirate now has a name The Pirate’s official name is Captain Vic. After 100 suggestions were received, a committee narrowed them down to the

top three names that they felt would best represent VC. The campus

community then voted on their favorite. Captain Vic, suggested by several people, was selected

as the best choice. Captain Vic has brought spirit and enthusiasm to campus and community events such as Victoria’s Lighted Christmas Parade, Bootfest and the Victoria Symphony’s Halloween Spooktacular.

How many departments on campus are Student Services departments? Ten! Personnel from each of these departments, along with staff from both the Calhoun County and Gonzales Centers and the Office of Instruction, met on Thursday, May 31 for the annual

Student Services Retreat. The focus of the retreat was to help employees develop good communicationskills and build lasting relationships. One of the morning’s highlights included a group activity where four “survivors” were given a plane crash scenario and asked to list the items they felt were most important to their survival. In doing so, behavior and group dynamics were demonstrated, but even as they learned about themselves and each other, the room was constantly full of laughter. “We got a lot of great information about our own personalities and how to deal with others,” said Sherre Clegg, Campus Manager at the VC Calhoun County Center, “but it was fun. We had a good time.”

KEY Center staff listen during the retreat on how to develop good communication skills.

Josh Moore has been at Victoria College since he was a teenager. Twelve years ago he started at VC as a student, and after taking classes with Bill Byers and Mary Mayes, he knew he wanted to be involved with sports. He met his wife Nicole when they were both students involved in intramural volleyball, and together they petitioned to start a club women’s volleyball team in 2005. Moore and his wife wrote the bylaws and raised funds for uniforms and equipment. “I love the sports program here,” said Moore. “Working in sports at VC has been my dream job ever since I started here as a student.” It wasn’t long before he was head coach of the VC Pirates women’s volleyball team that plays in the South Texas Club Sports League along with other two-year colleges in the region. Two years ago Moore also began teaching. Recently, however, his job description has changed slightly. He is now officially the Part-Time Intramural/Extramural Specialist assisting the head coaches of each club sports team with budgeting, administrative procedures, uniforms, fundraising, workout schedules, game

schedules and high school All-Star games. “I really do enjoy organizing, and I think it will make things easier for our coaches and physical education staff, along with our students and coaches at our competitor colleges, to have just one point person at VC to contact about club sports,” said Moore. In addition to organizing all of VC’s club sports teams, Moore is also in charge of scheduling and promoting intramural sports. He will teach a tennis class in the summer and volleyball during the regular semester, along with continuing to serve as the head coach of the VC Pirates women’s volleyball team.

Employee spotlight: Josh Moore

Josh Moore is the Part-Time Intramural/Extramural Specialist for all VC sports teams.

Student Services learn communication skills at retreat

Employee News If you have not already completed the SANS “Securing the Human” security awareness training video, please note that it is still available for you to access online. The training consists of 27 modules, each averaging three to four minutes in length. The topics include items such as:• UsingEmailSecurity• UsingYourBrowserSafely• Passwords• SmartphoneSecurity• Wireless

Activity• Social

Networking

Darin Kazmir and Sherri Pall were

co-presenters at the 2012 Annual Conference of the Texas Administrators of Continuing Education in Austin on April 25. Their presentation, titled “Tired of Being the Redheaded Stepchild atYourInstitution?HowtoGetYourCE Programs Noticed,” highlighted VC’s integrated marketing approach to increase awareness of Workforce & Continuing Education programs. Participants learned about ways to keep their programs in the community spotlight and received several samples that demonstrate VC’s approach to integrated marketing. The presentation was well received, and they were invited to give the presentation again the next day. A number of other community colleges have requested additional information, including Central Texas College, Midland Community College and Tarrant County Community College. Darin Kazmir is the Director of Marketing & Communications and Sherri Pall is the Director of Workforce & Continuing Education.

Pall, Kazmir give presentation

Employee News Training Reminder

If you have not already completed the SANS “Securing the Human” security awareness training video, please note that it is still available for you to access online. The training consists of 27 modules, each averaging three to four minutes in length. The topics include items such as:

• UsingEmailSecurity• UsingYourBrowserSafely• Passwords• SmartphoneSecurity• WirelessActivity• SocialNetworking

Employees make a difference

“VC’s Respiratory Care Program would like to give special thanks to the custodial staff that helped with the Respiratory Care Seminar on April 13. Martina Sartuche, Dannie Ladet and Franky Gonzales helped with setup and helped keep everything running smoothly, along with post-event cleanup and set up for the next event.”

- from the VC Respiratory Care Program

“Congratulations to Jonathan Anderson on the Carlos Cortez signing. He really does a great job with the basketball players and the musicians in the Jazz Ensemble, allowing them the opportunity to develop themselves in an area where they have skills and a passion for something beyond the classroom. I know the extra time Jona pours into their lives will bring them many rewards in their futures. All of this is over and above his full-time teaching job. He really sets the bar high for the rest of us, and is truly an asset to Victoria College and to the Victoria community.”

- Larry Dunn M.S., MT (ASCP)

Compliments from one VC employee to another

“My many thanks to all of VC’s wonderful Technology staff who are always knowledgeable, professional and timely with their assistance. My special thanks goes to Dave Sulak, who responded to my email to the Help Desk on the first Friday of the summer schedule. I was desperately trying to print a panel for the museum’s weekend events, and couldn’t get our printer to respond. Even though it was his day off and he should have been at home taking it easy, Dave visited the museum and resolved the issue. Thank you!”

- from Sue Prudhomme

Most people have no trouble pinpointing behavior they consider rude. To some, it may be something someone says. To others, perhaps it is something someone did. Occasionally it’s what was not said or done. These things happen all the time and we frequently hear, “Wasn’t that rude!?” Here are some tips to avoid rudeness: •Return phone calls - The absolute king of all rude behavior. When someone asks for a return phone call and it’s ignored, that is rude. •Do not chew gum while on the phone - Don’t have anything in your mouth except your tongue.

•Return email when asked for information – Failing to answer an e-mail from a customer or business colleague can send a strong impression that the sender is not worth your notice.

•Do not talk on your cell phone or allow it to ring in a business setting – Answering your phone during a meeting makes your business everyone’s business. Also, never allow your cell phone to ring in a meeting or other business setting. • Do not ignore customers or visitors in favor of coworkers– It’s rude, especially when someone has made a special trip to come into your office. When a customer comes in, you should interrupt conversations with coworkers and make that person your immediate priority.

Customer Service Corner: RUDE??? by Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor

New Employees

Joy Sixtos KEYCenterStudent Support Specialist

Mary Ellen Nieto Custodian

Lisa ElsikAcademic Advisor

Christina Vargas Part-Time Admissions &

Records Analyst I

Lauren Joines Part-Time Lifelong Learning Program

Specialist

Mary Pullin Workforce & CE Secretary

Christina Michalec Custodian,

VC Gonzales Center

Photo Not Available

Terri Kurtz, EditorKaty Long, Copy EditorJulian Cavazos, Graphic Designer

VC Campus Connection is a publication of Victoria College.

©Victoria College

Birthdays

June1- Mary Mayes

1- Odelia Mendoza

5- Marylynn Fletcher

5- Mary Rodriguez

6- Missy Klimitchek

7- Kelly Phelps

9- Nadine Van Beveren

13- Cindy Buchholz

13- Adela Salinas

14- Michelle Paulsen

15- Susan Akin

17- Ann Brogger

18- Alison Hewig

18- QinYang

20- Kenny Brown

26- Jonathan Anderson

26- Carl Voskamp

27- Jennifer Foster

30- Laura Perez

July2- Robbyn Michalka

4- Liz Cubriel

4- Karen Mann

5- Michelle Washington

7- Lisa DeVries

7- Rachel Nessel

8-Joann Ferguson

8- Rudy Maldonado

8- GaryUnderwood

9- Cara Frederick

10- Joseph Sekul

11- Kim Smith

12- Angelica Alvarado

12- Larry Garrett

13- Lisa Elsik

14- Juan Cortez

14- Janet Ley

15- Radonna Brown

15-Wanda Taylor

20- Darlene Irrobali

22- Tracey Bergstrom

22- Blaine Willis

23- Francisco Gonzales

23- Ashley Hermes

23- Tami Hurley

23- Darin Kazmir

24- Deborah Janysek

24- Tiffany Johnson

24- Letrice Montgomery

25- Beverly Garcia

26- Betty Ramirez

29- Sandy Drozd

29- Linda Soto