In March 2022, students from Diablo Valley College participated in the 46th Chinese Mandarin Speech Contest which was held virtually. The contest is hosted by The Chinese Language Teachers Association of California (CLTAC). CLTAC is the largest nonprofit association of its kind in the country with a mission to promote the study, teaching, and research of the Chinese language and culture on all educational levels.
Darren Dangler is a recent high school graduate interested in becoming a building engineer. He enrolled in classes at three East Bay community colleges searching for the one that would be the best fit for him.
An international student’s journey from abroad to belonging—discover how DVC helped him find purpose, community and a place to call home.
Jordan Davis explored multiple community colleges before choosing Diablo Valley College. It was a meeting with Football Coach, Mike Darr, that convinced Jordan that DVC was the right place to achieve his goals. “When he told me to come meet him at the school it felt like home from the moment I stepped on campus.”
After nearly two decades in the IT industry, Kelly Anderson decided to transition into the fitness industry, a field she had long been passionate about.
Gordon later enrolled at DVC to earn an associate in arts degree in animation. He had learned about DVC’s foster youth program while in high school, so he met with the coordinator of the Student Transition and Academic Retention Team (START) program.
Aikisha Reeves started her college journey at DVC as a high school graduate in 1999 but an unexpected event cut that journey short. “My first attempt at DVC ended abruptly because I unexpectedly went into premature labor.” Aikisha’s priorities naturally needed to shift when she became a young mother caring for a premature baby. It was almost fifteen years later that Aikisha decided to give DVC another try. “I was seeking a career change but found that advancement opportunities were very narrow without a proper degree so, my desire to further my education evolved.”
In March 2021, students from Diablo Valley College participated in the 45th Chinese Mandarin Speech Contest which was held virtually. The contest is hosted by The Chinese Language Teachers Association of California (CLTAC). CLTAC is the largest nonprofit association of its kind in the country with a mission to promote the study, teaching, and research of the Chinese language and culture on all educational levels. Its annual Mandarin Speech Contest boasts of a long history since 1960s. It has become an annual pageant of Chinese education in the region. The event was sponsored by Monterey Bay Chinese Association, Cheng & Tsui, and Foreign Language Association of Northern California (FLANC).