Professor Keiko Tsurumi was so inspired by the growth and resilience of the students who participated in the Mt. SAC Osaka Program that she wanted to share their experiences with all of us. As you'll hear, the program is the result of years of planning and coordination, a testament to Tsurumi-Sensei's dedication to supporting student learning.

As you listen to Professor Tsurumi, and students Gio and Diego, you'll hear the impact of combining high expectations with resolute compassion for students. This study abroad program set a high bar, and yet, the students continued with intention, to put themselves in positions to learn and grow, like asking strangers for directions in a new language, even when Google Maps is a click away.

They had difficult moments that tested them, but you'll hear the way they worked through it and found ways to engage in immersive learning with growing confidence.

We're excited to share this conversation on experiential learning beyond borders- it offers an opportunity to reflect on the power of immersive education and consider ways we can apply similar approaches to learning locally. Enjoy!

Resources:

Mt. San Antonio College Japanese Program and Osaka Program

Osaka Study Abroad Program January 2025

World Languages Department. "Osaka Japan Study Abroad!" Mt. SAC.

World Languages Department. Mt. SAC "Cultural Immersion with Students from Japan." Mt. SAC.

Olson, Cassidy and Robbie Doctor. "Folded artistry – Mt. SAC hosts origami workshop:

How to fold like a pro from a pro." 26 March, 2024, SAC Media.

Young, Adam, "Abroad and ambitious: Meet Yui Nakamura." 13 April 2023, SAC Media.

The Japanese program hosts five students from our partner university, J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, for two weeks.
Mt. San Antonio College Study Abroad

Background on episode topics

"Lolita fashion." Wikipedia.

Omura, Yuto. "Homemade Takoyaki Recipe (Japanese Fried Octopus Balls)" @SudachiRecipes, YouTube, 8 Jul, 2025.

Run Time: 22:54

To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

What does skating and environmental advocacy have in common? As it turns out, a lot. This episode of the Mt. San Antonio College Podcast introduces award-winning skateboarder and environmentalist Peggy Oki, who visited campus to talk about her legacy skating, but also how it opened her eyes to the natural world.

Hosts Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez meet students creating their own skateboard art and art letters, shedding light on the intersections between skate culture, creativity, and environmental activism, and proving the value of creative approaches to advocacy.

Resources:

THE ART OF SKATE: Activism, Art and Design show continues through November 13, 2025 at the Diana Berger Art Gallery Instagram @mtsac_dianabergergallery

To learn more about skater, artist, and activist Peggy Oki, check out https://www.peggyoki.com/ including her activism for Whales and Dolphins through the Origami Whale Project

Peggy encouraged action to protect wildlife.

- To learn more about marine mammals currently protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act check out Cetacean.org, including actions you can take to protect these animals.

- ECOS (Environmental Conservation Online System) US endangered animals list provides information about each animal protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Mt. SAC Fine Art and Commercial Art Programs that participated in the Art of Skate Festival included: Mt. SAC Graphic Design & Illustration: Shaping the next generation of creative professionals and Mt. SAC Printmaking.

Welcome back to the Mt. San Antonio College Podcast! Hosts Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez introduce us to the work of Dr. Lisbet Sanchez, who reflects on the power of language and describes encouraging her students to write poetry in Spanish or in any way that feels natural. When she did, she witnessed a transformation: as students were given freedom and agency, their use of Spanish blossomed—from a mix to writing full poems.

Tune in on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources:

Link: https://www.mtsac.edu/languages/

Link: https://www.mtsac.edu/languages/_blog/08-21-2025-lizbet-sanchez-spanish-heritage-students.html

Link: https://poets.org/poem/neighborhood-los-angeles

Anzaldúa, Gloria. Borderlands = La Frontera. Second edition. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, 1999. Print. Available at Mt. SAC Library General Collection 811.54 An98b 1999

Garcia, Gina Ann. Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions : Opportunities for Colleges and Universities. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019. Print. Available at Mt. SAC Library General Collection 378.1 G1659b

Welcome back to the Mt. San Antonio College Podcast! In this special season 10 premiere, hosts Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez dive into the heart of what makes Mt. SAC — and community colleges in general — so unique: a deep commitment to creative, innovative teaching and ongoing learning.

This season, we're excited to introduce our new producer, Kate Mishkin, who brings her passion for storytelling and curiosity about education into the mix. Season 10 is all about reconnecting to purpose. Tune in on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Run time: 8:24 min

To find the full transcript for this episode, click HERE

This season of the podcast has come to a close! We will be going on break until we come back in the Fall. In this episode, Season Nine hosts, Ivan and Chisa, reflect on their first time hosting and creating the podcast. They share what they learned and what they loved about the podcast creation process. Plus, they each highlight a few of the important initiatives that they crafted episodes around this year.

We also wanted to thank YOU for listening. Here are Ivan's and Chisa's takeaways. Enjoy!

While parenting is tremendously rewarding, it is challenging on many levels. For our students who are also parents or guardians, they have to balance the demands of caring for children and the demands of college.

Today we delve into this topic and how to best support these students. We talk with Dr. Julie Marquez, who directs a number of student support programs, including EOPS and Care. Dr. Marquez shares her knowledge of services available on campus and off, as well as actions we can all take to contribute to a family-friendly college culture which supports these students. We also hear directly from students at the 4th annual Parenting Institute, which was held in February of 2025. Enjoy!

RESOURCES for Students who are parents:

Student Parents l points students to resources for Food & Basic Needs, Child & Pregnancy Care (including locations of lactation stations) , Priority Registration, Health & Wellness, Finances & Taxes, and more.

Lactation Room Locations: https://www.mtsac.edu/hr/lactation.html

Mt. San Antonio College Parent Institute:

The Parent Institute is an interactive and inclusive learning experience for Mt. SAC's parenting students, which includes workshops, community-building activities, a resource fair, and motivational speakers. The Parent Institute is designed to empower students to embrace their identities as parents, their ability to succeed and to reach their educational goals.

CalWORKs is the acronym for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids. All Community Colleges in California have a CalWORKs Program on campus. Community College CalWORKs Programs serves students in all 58 counties. By providing educational support to Mt. SAC student-parents who are receiving cash aid, we hope to change two generations at a time.

CARE: The CARE Program is designed to support EOPS students who are single parents, head of household, and who are receiving Cash Aid for themselves and/or their children.

Mt. SAC Child Development Center provides on-campus quality early care and education services for the children of college students, staff, and the community at-large are provided on campus throughout the year.

Do you have questions about the transfer process? Or how to support students on their transfer journey? Host Ivan Sanchez sits down with Josh Louden, the director of the transfer and completion center, as well as one of our many wonderful counselors, Alana Bachor.

Listen in as we explore ways faculty can play bigger roles in assisting students with their transfer goals, and nurturing a positive transfer culture on campus. We'll dig in on transfer opportunities like the TAG and highlight ways we can all be a bigger part of our students' transfer stories. Enjoy!

Resources:

Transfer Center Website: https://www.mtsac.edu/transfer/

Sign Up for the Transfer Center Faculty Email List: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=8ktNzJ4KQEKu3qfR1oj5Nbh43y7OAZ1NhZC0KeI1MPxUNTVTNzE0MzJEWEtESUg3NDYxREhITEFRVy4u&route=shorturl

Transfer Events Calendar: https://mtsac.lwcal.com/transfer-center/month

Transfer Presentation Request: https://www.mtsac.edu/transfer/presentationrequest.html

Transfer Center Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtsactransfer/?hl=en

Transfer Center Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mtsactransfer