Highlighting the amazing Administration, Faculty, Classified Professionals, and Students that make up our pirate family.
This month's highlights include:
Nenagh Brown (Admin), Jorge Membreno (Classified), Hadassa Cazares (Student Worker), and Monica Furmanski (Assistant Professor of Photography)
Name: Nenagh Brown
Role at VC: Interim Dean, student learning
Major: English, Math, Communication and Learning Resources
Years at VC: 0 at VC - but just over 20 at Moorpark College
Family life: suffering and patient husband along with two daughters, who have now both left home for new adventures
Hobbies: Mountains, trees, snow, seasons – all found up in the Sierras, along with beaches, sun, and sand – all found right next to campus! How lucky are we?
Favorite Food: Indian, due to my English heritage (England’s most popular meal is not fish and chips but chicken tikka masala)
Something Fun, interesting, and/ or unique about you: Before moving to Ventura College as the interim dean of English, Math, Communication, and Learning Resources, I was a tenured history faculty member at Moorpark College where I also served as Academic Senate President, a Guided Pathways lead, and the faculty Professional Development lead. In prior lives before falling in love with the work of community colleges, I taught and managed departments at several four-year universities, including running a drug prevention program for the US Navy. I also worked for a non-profit organization in England administering a huge stately home in England - think Downton Abbey. I am honored and excited to be in this new position where I can continue working to increase the success of all our amazing students.
Name: Jorge Membreno
Primary role at the College: Admin Assistant for HSI-STEM
Years of Service: 6 months, used to be a former student and student worker
Family Life: Oldest of three siblings and the first in my family to graduate from college! Extremely grateful to my mother and my extended family for supporting me the whole way.
Hobbies: Discovering new music, playing video games, and reading!
Favorite Food: Enchiladas Suizas or Baja California Tacos
Favorite Book: Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
Favorite Movie: Dunkirk
Favorite Song: Do It by Tuxedo
Something fun, interesting, and/or unique about you: I have played saxophone for 12 years!
Name: Hadassa Cazares
Primary role at the college: Student Worker in FYE
Major: Political Science
Years at VC: First Year
Family life: One of three siblings, the only girl! My parents and three doggies too…
Hobbies: Swimming and Drawing
Favorite Food: Any kind of pasta
Favorite Movie: Never Been Kissed
Favorite Song: Normal Girl by Sza
Something Fun, interesting, and/ or unique about you: I have a snow globe collection.
Name: Claudia Solorzano
Primary role at the College: Assistant Professor of Photography
Years at VC: 10 years
Family: My husband and I have lived in Ventura for 20 years, and we are proud parents of three grown children. In addition to both being arts educators, we operate a not-for-profit art gallery, 643 Project Space on Ventura Avenue and are both professional artists.
Hobbies: Photography, of course! Hiking, reading, travel, yoga, camping.
Favorite food: Chips and Salsa
Favorite Movie/Book: Cinema Paradiso
Favorite Song: Depends on the day
Something unique or interesting about you: Such a difficult question to answer for oneself! My husband and I did take our children traveling around the world for a year.