The Mt. San Antonio College Podcast

In this special reflection episode, we revisit the highlights and transformative moments from our first season that launched on March 3rd, 2018 all the way to its tenth season. Hosts, Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez reflect, along with the podcast’s long-time producer of eight and half years since the podcast’s inception, Christina Barsi, on how the show evolved to bring listeners into real experienc...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of systemic and individual violence, including sexual assault and rape. Please listen with care. On March 18, 2026, Dolores Huerta, distinguished farmworker rights activist and feminist, published a statement sharing her personal story of surviving sexual abuse and rape perpetrated by Cesar Chavez. In her statement she shared that she, “carried thi...

Today, we are highlighting student research from Mt. SAC's Sociology Research Showcase! The Sociology Research Showcase is a campus wide event that gives students an opportunity to share original empirical research in STEM, Social Sciences as well as developing research projects and literature reviews. The event includes projects from multiple areas of study and serves as a way to celebrate the wo...

Since the 1980s, Father Greg Boyle has embraced his parish community with the radical approach of love, compassion, and humanity. He founded Homeboy Industries' gang rehabilitation and re-entry programs to engage former gang members and others in need, in their own healing through building kinship and connection. At Mt. SAC, the Rising Scholar's program fosters the potential and promise of formerl...

Ensuring equity of access is core to the mission of Librarians- whether that is access to information, physical access to materials, digital access, or access to technology. So it is a natural fit for Librarians to provide leadership in creative methods to support student access to textbooks. In today's episode we'll talk about the many ways that faculty can impact student access to textbooks and...

In this episode we'll hear from Michelle Newhart, Instructional Designer, that features a Spring Flex Day Session that she originally presented with Hugo Aguilera, Applications Training Specialist called Accessibility By Design-Preparing Accessible Courses to Meet ADA Title II Deadline. The session focuses on why accessibility matters, what the April 2026 deadline means for Mt. SAC, and how access...

If you're like many faculty, you've probably noticed the sharp increase in courses being offered online. This shift into the online learning space, especially after the pandemic, has made it possible for students to learn in more ways than just sitting in a classroom. It opens the door for students balancing work, family, and other responsibilities, but it has also brought new challenges for facul...

In our ever-evolving work to increase access to college education, Mt. SAC is one of seven California Community Colleges to pilot a new learning modality, Direct Assessment Competency-Based Education, or CBE. Through Mt. SAC's Chancellor's office approved and ACCJC accredited CBE program students will be able to earn an AA in Kinesiology at their own pace. CBE is outcomes-based so students learn a...

As Educators, we know that cultivating a sense of belonging and a supportive environment contribute significantly to student success. As you'll hear, Women of Color have high graduation rates in STEM fields, but lower retention in employment - mentorship is one way to ensure support for women of color STEM students as they enter into STEM careers. In today's episode, three women of color in STEM s...

Today's episode comes from a campus film screening and panel focused on Nurses Unseen, a documentary about the courageous efforts of Filipino American nurses who played a key role during the Covid 19 pandemic as they faced a resurgence of Asian hate and cultural invisibility. Following the screening, Mt SAC's Equity Center hosted a panel discussion with the film's director, Michele Josue, alongsid...

Today we are taking on a topic that sits at the intersection of high school and college education: Dual Enrollment. With the increase of dual enrollment courses at Mt SAC and across the state, we wanted to explore the lived realities of the instructors who are teaching these courses and leading the way for high school student success at the college level. I had the privilege of sitting down with t...

How do political ideologies like fascism take shape, spread, and gain power over the way we think and act? Justin Freebourn, Ph. D. tackles this big question in this episode. He holds his ph. D. in Political Science from UC Riverside and has published work in the journals of Party Politics, Political Research Quarterly, and Legislative Studies Quarterly. As Freebourn shares in his talk from Fall F...

We appreciate your support and hope you've enjoyed and learned from this season's episodes so far! We will be taking a short break from releasing episodes over the coming holiday season. You can expect new episode releases when we return in the New Year, in January 2026. The best way to not miss our return is to make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on your favorite listening app - if you're...

Grounded in the work and priorities of the Academic Senate, Dr. Tania Anders, an Oceanography professor and part of the Earth Sciences program and current President of the Academic Senate shares her insight on the value of a great team with diverse experiences and strengths in the senate to support thoughtful work in the Senate, as well as in the classroom and lab. Listen in for Tania's concise ex...

While many of us celebrate Thanksgiving, we must also acknowledge that it is a holiday often observed in a way that erases the lived experiences of Indigenous people and ignores the ongoing impact of colonial oppression. In this episode taken from Fall Flex Day 2025, we hand the microphone over to Dr. Primavera Reza-Nakonechny. In this workshop, she breaks down the collaborative effort and complex...

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 a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. Marqu...

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 tr...

"This book makes me feel understood…I see parts of myself within this book and reflected in ways that I didn't think I would ever hear anybody reflect them." Listen in to hear Mt. SAC students, like Jimmy Smith, thoughtfully reflect on the book Flamer, written by Mike Curarto, who you'll also hear from in this candid and informative discussion about banned books and the ways in which we can combat...

Today we bring you the highlights from Spring Flex Day 2025, featuring segments from our keynote speaker Dr. Cristobal Rodriguez who starts us off on the theme of "Healing-Centered Engagement". You'll also hear key moments from the sessions "Common Course Numbering," presented by Kelly Rivera, "Healing and Empowering Rising Scholars", presented by Graciela Padilla & Joe Louis Hernandez, Ph. D and...

The Mt. SAC Podcast last checked in on our Basic Needs Resources in Fall of 2022, in what has become our most downloaded episode in the nine seasons of the podcast. Because there is a clear interest in this topic we wanted to provide an update about the resources currently available, the students served, and how we can best support students facing housing, food, and other basic needs insecurities....