What does your work entail?
Academic Affairs is an extremely busy department. My job is to corral the million details happening every day and keep things smoothly moving forward.
How long have you worked for the District?
I started at Ventura College in September 2016. On my first day at work, we had an Accreditation Pep Rally, and the whole executive team dressed up as Pirates! It was quite the jump-in-with-both-feet welcome that I still fondly remember!
Were you a student at one of the District’s colleges and if so which one?
I transferred as a political science major and English minor from Moorpark College to UCLA. I also took economics and German classes at Ventura College.
Are you from the area and if not where are you from?
I was born in Poland but grew up in Camarillo and graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School.
Share something personal about yourself:
I am a reader and news junkie – for sure! My all-time favorite book will always be “The Little Prince,” which I have read in French, English, German, Polish, Italian, Spanish, and Catalan. I was gifted the Korean translation once, but that’s beyond my linguistic skills.
I generally prefer non-fiction, however. I just finished reading a somewhat older book, “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari, and I’ve now picked up “The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science” by Sam Kean. We humans are fascinating to study!
For similar reasons, I am also an avid traveler – I love to meet new people, see new sights, taste new foods, and just experience all that this world in its color and vibrancy has to offer!
What do you find rewarding about your job or career?
Seeing students succeed! Graduation is always a highlight!
Two words to describe yourself:
Loud & proud come to mind.
Anything else you'd like to mention?
I have been Classified Senate President at Ventura College since 2018.