EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs SPRING 2011

Message from the Associate Dean

“The future depends on what
we do in the present”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Spring is a time for renewal and
growth. For students, the spring
semester can be a time to rein-
Inside this issue: vigorate your reasons for being
in college. Whether it is a path
to a new job, a certificate, de-
CalWORKs Updates 2 gree or transfer, utilizing the
support services available from
CARE Information 2 the EOPS and CalWORKs De-
partment will guarantee your
CDC WORKs 2
success.
Counselor’s Corner 3
Remember to meet with your
counselor three or more times
EOPS Club Chat 4 scholarships on February
per semester to develop your
educational plan on degree
works, review your progress
report, register for the following
semester during pre-priority
registration or discuss personal,
academic or career issues. In
order to progress with your
educational goals in a timely
manner, complete 12 units
each semester, maintain at
least a 2.0 grade point aver-
age and always aim for A’s
or B’s.
Consider attending some of
the workshops in the spring
2011 Student Success Work-
shop series. Instructor
Karen Warren will be pre-
senting an informative
workshop on how to write
a personal statement for
8th at 1:30 p.m.
Check in with the EOPS and
CalWORKs staff to stay
abreast of important updates
such as university visits and
deadlines. Most of the staff
have been here for many
years committed to the mis-
sion of providing “over and
above” services to help you
accomplish your goals.
We have had some person-
nel changes spring semes-
ter. Johana Garcia, Cal-
WORKs Office Assistant
and Vince Hamilton, Cal-
WORKs counselor, are no
longer working in the de-
partment. Please join us in
congratulating Vince, who
has been hired as the new
Basic Skills Counselor for
Gavilan College.
Have a great semester,
Anne Ratto, Associate
Dean, EOPS/CalWORKs

EOPS Reaches Out to Foster Youth

Foster Youth may need extra
assistance in order to access
college. In order to address this
need, Blanca Arteaga and
Anne Ratto have become the
Foster Youth Liaisons for Ga-
vilan College. “We want foster
youth to know that they can
achieve success at Gavilan and
that there is plenty of support
and assistance,” states Anne
Ratto. During fall 2010 semes-
ter the Foster Youth Commit-
tee, comprised of student ser-
vice providers in the coun- The Foster Youth Liaisons
seling department, EOPS/ have been busy connecting
CalWORKs, DRC, TRIO, with state and local foster
Career Transfer, Admis- youth agencies and are
sions and the Public Infor- planning a Foster Youth
mation Office met to coor- Welcome Event on January
dinate services for current 26, 2011, from 10:00-12:00
or former foster youth. A in the North/South Lounge.
foster youth website has EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs
been developed at http:// For more information, staff & students visit with
www.gavilan.edu/ please contact, Anne Ratto Assemblywoman
guardianscholars/index.html at (408) 848-4772. Anna Caballero.
to provide helpful resources
and information to students.
Page 2 EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs

Congratulations to our very
own Olga Rodriguez for being
honored with the CalWORKs
Client Achievement Award.
CalWORKs Updates...
Greetings! I hope this news let-
ter find you all in good health.
It has been a difficult year for
the CalWORKs program. First
we were threatened with elimi-
nation, then childcare cuts and
finally, deep cuts to many col-
lege programs. We are limping
along but we are still here! To
those of you who wrote letters
of support, sent emails and ad-
vocated for CalWORKs – many
thanks.
The future looks just as tough as
far as budgets and the economy.
Please continue to advocate for
yourselves and our college pro-
grams. You might have all heard
that we have lost some valuable
staff members due to the deep
cuts to our program. You are no
strangers to barriers and making
due with so little. Those that are
still here remain committed to
walking with you as you com-
plete your education, and con-
tinue on the road to self-
sufficiency. I not only recognize
what amazing staff we have, I
see daily how persistent and
resilient all of you are. So my
promise to all of you for spring
semester is this; together we can
and will make it through these
challenging times.
Peace and goodwill,
Susan L. Sweeney
Director of CalWORKs

2011 brings changes to CalWORKs

Happy New Year! The New Year has
brought change: Employment through
CalWORKs is scarce, however if you
are interested in working I encourage
you to meet with me so we can discuss
your options. Although I may not be
able to subsidize employment at the
current time there may be unsubsidized
employment available. As you read in
Susan’s message we have lost some
staff and as a result our office will not
be as available as in previous semesters.
There will no longer be services in Mor-
gan Hill. Gilroy evening hours will
take place on Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s
until 7pm. Hollister will have services
on Thursday’s from 9am-6pm.
I realize with change comes resistance
because many of us like and are familiar
with how things “used to be”. Please
know our office is working harder than
ever to ensure each and every one of you
has what you need, when you need it.
We appreciate your understanding and
flexibility as we all move through chal-
lenging times. One of the many things I
have learned as a previous CalWORKs
student and having worked for Cal-
WORKs over the last 5 years is change
comes often. Change can be good; it
allows us to be more creative and think
outside the box, which often times
leads to more efficient results.
Last but not least, if you have questions
or concerns that are affecting your per-
sonal and or academic success please see
one of the CalWORKs staff. We are
here to help navigate through your jour-
ney towards self sufficiency!
Warm Regards,
Annette Gutierrez
Program Specialist

Welcome new and continuing CARE students. Hope you had a great semester. For those of you that will be returning in
Spring 2011, do not forget to meet with me at the beginning of the semester to pick up a supply voucher.

CARE updates: Gas cards and bus passes are available the first day of instruction, unless you are on probation. If so, you
will need to attend a probation workshop before receiving any services. You must attend two workshops during the semes-
ter and complete 9 units to be in good standing.

The EOPS/CARE Region IV Consortium will be sponsoring their 5th Annual CARE Conference, which will be held at San
Jose State University. Date to be announced.
~Gloria Mancera

CDC WORKs
CDC WORKs is a unique program designed for CalWORKs students who want to become Early Childhood
Educators. Students in CDC WORKs are supported in their academic progress at Gavilan and are assisted as
they pursue teaching permits in the Child Development field. CDC WORKs services include: Coverage of
costs for fingerprinting, transportation, & books, Individualized education planning for Child Development.
Assistance with the Permit application process, Collaboration with Child Development mentors, Connection
with other CalWORKs students who are pursuing Child Development.
San Jose State
University visit. If you have questions about the program or eligibility, contact Blanca at 408-848-4747 or
barteaga@gavilan.edu or Susan Alonzo at 408-848-4814.
Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3

Counselor’s Corner… “Welcome to Spring 2011!”

Welcome to the Spring 2011 semester! We are excited to begin a new year and will be available to assist you in your academic
endeavors. We also want to welcome those of you who are new this semester and look forward to meeting you. Below are im-
portant deadlines and information that are critical to meeting your educational goals.
• Renew Your Financial Aid Application
 Complete the FAFSA beginning January 1st. If you are a student transferring in the fall, please be sure to add all the
schools you applied to.
 The priority deadline for most grants is March 2nd.
 Complete your FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you need assistance in completing your FAFSA, please call
408-848-4740 to schedule an appointment.
 Degree Works Educational Plan
 Make sure you have a complete educational plan. As you know, this is your roadmap to reach your graduation goal.
 If you do not already have an educational plan developed on “my Degree Works,” please be sure to see your counselor to
complete one this semester. Ed plans will be developed or updated after the second week of the Spring 2011 semester.
 Graduation Petitions
 If you will be completing the requirements for your certificate or degree in the Spring 2011 semester, please make an ap-
pointment with your counselor at the beginning of the semester to complete the required paperwork. The deadline for
filing your petition is April 11th.
 Progress Reports
 Reviewing your progress report with your counselor will ensure your success in courses. Remember that turning it in early
may grant you a pre-priority registration appointment for summer and fall courses. Dates for submission are March 14th –
April 22nd.
 Transfer Updates
 Activate your University Student Portal (Ex: mySJSU, myCSUMB)
 All of the universities to which you applied will communicate with you entirely by messages and “to-do” lists posted to
your student portal.
 You are responsible for monitoring your progress for each university and must take action by posted deadlines. Failure to
do so may result in your application or admission to the university being withdrawn!
 Have you taken the Writing Skills Test (WST)?
 If you are planning to transfer to San Jose State University, you must take the WST to be eligible for certain upper divi-
sion courses. Visit this website for information on the test: https://testing.sjsu.edu/twst.html.
 Student Orientation & Intent to Enroll
 As early as February, you may be informed about your admission status from each of the universities to which you ap-
plied. This means that you will have to make a decision soon about which school you will attend in the fall semester. Be
sure to submit your intent to enroll and pay the required fee (fee not covered by financial aid).
 The majority of universities have mandatory orientation for all transfer students. At orientation, advising and registra-
tion will take place.
 Please make sure you sign up EARLY to ensure the best selection of courses. Be aware that you will have to pay a fee to
reserve your spot. Financial aid will not cover this fee, so start saving now! Fees may vary. Failure to pay or attend orien-
tation will affect your admission status.
 General Education Certification
 If you are planning to transfer to a four year university for the fall 2011 semester you must request a General Education
Certification to submit to your intended university. You must request this at the admissions office by May 2nd.
 Final Transcripts
 Be sure to submit a final copy of your transcript to your intended university. Your final transcript must include your
grades for the spring 2011 semester. The deadline is typically July 15th. If you have summer courses pending prior to trans-
ferring, you must submit another transcript with you final grades for summer.

Don’t forget that we have drop-in hours every Wednesday!

Regards,
Your EOPS/CalWORKs Counselors: Blanca E. Arteaga, & Mari Garcia

EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs
5055 Santa Teresa, CA 95020
Gilroy, CA 95020
Phone: 408-848-4740
Fax: 408-846-4934
Drop-In
Counseling Hours:
Every Wednesday,
check with the front desk for
hours.
Staff & Counselors
Anne Ratto, EOPS/CalWORKs Associate Dean
Susan Sweeney, CalWORKs Director
Blanca Arteaga, EOPS/CalWORKs Counselor
Mari Garcia, EOPS Counselor
Gloria Mancera, EOPS/CARE Program Specialist
Lucy Olivares, EOPS Senior Program Specialist
Annette Gutierrez, CalWORKs Program Specialist
Adriana Servin, EOPS Office Assistant
EOPS Club Chat
The EOPS Club mission is to provide
students with support through peer
mentoring and foster academic success
by networking among EOPS and Ga-
vilan College students. Join us, get
involved and participate in commu-
nity service. Enhance your leadership
skills while meeting new friends. Once
again, the EOPS Club sponsored an-
other successful holiday toy drive for
our students’ children. Thank you to
all who helped, especially Sara,
Maura, Luisa, Lauren, Angel, Janette,
Olga, and Jessica. PLEASE join us in
the spring to help coordinate activities
and fundraising efforts for our EOPS
scholarships. Look for our first meet-
ing date during the month of Febru-
ary—make a difference. Have a great
spring 2011 semester!
Club Advisors -
Mari Garcia & Lucy Olivares
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 195
Gilroy, CA 95020
Return Service Requested
Calendar of Events
 Current Scholarships,
www.gavilan.edu/finaid
 Spring semester begins:
Wed,. Feb. 2nd.
 President’s Day Holiday:
Fri., Feb. 18-Mon., Feb. 21
 Financial Aid Deadline: March 2nd
 “NRS” Deadline: Thurs., March 3rd
 Progress Report Due:
March 14-April 22.
 Spring Graduation Petitions Due:
Mon., April 11
 “W” Deadline: Wed., April 27
 EOPS/CalWORKs Awards:
Thurs., May 19.
 Gavilan College Graduation:
Friday, May 27 @ 6:30 p.m.