Patrons Provide Support for Students, Faculty and Community
Written by: President’s Office
Since its founding in 1984, the Patrons organization has been dedicated to providing support for the students and faculty at Sierra College. From volunteering their time at the Ridley Gallery, to distributing programs during the Rocklin commencement ceremony (pictured above), to fundraising efforts that translate into grants and scholarships, the Patrons’ goal is to affect and improve all aspects of campus life.
The Sierra College Patrons, a branch of the Sierra College Foundation, was originally formed for the purpose of supporting the Arts and Humanities, and providing cultural awareness. The organization now provides more than $5,000 annually in grants, in a broad range of areas, designed to enhance the student experience. For example, Patrons grant funding provided lab equipment for the Anthropology department, updated library materials for the English as a Second Language (ESL) department, ceramics equipment for the Art department, and updated equipment for the Music department. The Patrons also regularly contribute to the student-run food pantry on campus, donate gift cards to the Guardian Scholar program, and fund an annual $500 scholarship for a Music, Art or Theatre student. To date, the Patrons have generously donated more than $350,000.
The Patrons hold two major fundraising events every year. The Vintage Marketplace, held at the Rocklin campus each May, is a shopper’s paradise featuring art, garden accessories and other vintage treasures including furniture and vintage-inspired jewelry. The Patrons also co-host a Crab and Shrimp Feed each spring with the Aquatics Program. The hugely popular event features great food, a fantastic silent auction and an exciting raffle with proceeds split between Patrons and Sierra College Aquatics. Mark your calendars now for next year’s event on February 14, 2020.
Additionally, the Patrons strive to share information about the college’s programs and services, and engage the community, by inviting informative speakers to their monthly meetings held on the first Monday of each month (except July and August). At the April meeting, Sierra College counselor Natalie Sherrell provided information about mental health support services available to students. She discussed the increase in the number of students reporting mental health concerns, including depression, and the impact symptoms have on academic performance. Sherrell presented an overview of campus resources available to students including personal and crisis counseling and free therapy sessions, and highlighted outreach events such as mental health resource fairs, suicide awareness panel discussions and classroom presentations aimed to increase the campus community understanding about these resources.
Looking forward to another outstanding year of service, the officers for the 2019-2020 academic year will be installed at the June 3 meeting. The following members have been nominated for next year’s leadership: President – Barbara Haig; Vice Presidents – Roberta McKinney and Barbara Battenberg; Treasurer – Sharon Donaldson; Recording Secretary – Barbara Vineyard; Corresponding Secretary – Betty Wall. For membership details or to request more information, please contact the Patrons at sierracollegepatrons@gmail.com.