Dr Vanessa Tolosa
The next entry in our popular Women in STEM Series profiles Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Principal Investigator Dr. Vanessa Tolosa. Ms. Tolosa was recently the keynote speaker at the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair where middle and high school students from across the Tri-Valley shared projects and applications of the scientific method.
Ms. Tolosa earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UCLA.
James Morehead: What does the scientific method mean to you?
Dr. Vanessa Tolosa: “The core message of the scientific method is to first come up with an idea, a hypothesis, for why something might be happening, and then test that hypothesis by performing experiments. The experiments aren’t random; rather you look at a specific variable that you believe is causing the problem or effect, perform tests and measure or monitor the response. If you are right, you’re done; if you’re wrong you adjust the test and iterate. That alone is really the heart of science and engineering, it’s what I did while completing my PhD, what I do when conducting research, and what I do on a daily basis without thinking about it.
“Taking a step back, what I just described is what people do every day to avoid being fooled by charlatans. You stop and ask questions – how does this cure work and why? What evidence is there to demonstrate the hypothesis? Just stopping to ask questions is a key element of the scientific method. When it becomes natural to ask questions, formulate and test hypotheses, it makes you less susceptible to being fooled. This way of thinking more independently helps me every day in and outside the lab.”
Morehead: When sparked your interest in engineering?
Meet Jennifer Freitas – Dublin Elementary School Run Club Volunteer and Difference Maker
Difference Maker Jennifer Frietas
As we have learned throughout this series, adult volunteers can come in many shapes and sizes. Further, some folks are capable of assisting solely after school or in the evenings. And, others can become completely embedded within a school site.
OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to visit with Jennifer Freitas. Jennifer attained a B.S. in Exercise Physiology from California State University Fresno and a Master of Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University in Oakland. With a rapidly growing family, she decided to devote her energies in supporting her children and to their school. Ms. Fretias grew up in Dublin and attended Murray Elementary School, Wells Middle School and Dublin High School. She has also captured the rare trifecta of enrolling all three of her children concurrently at Dublin Elementary. Bradley is a fifth grader, Ashley is in third and young Andrew is in first grade.
She invited us during a Friday lunch period so that we could witness the Run Club. This activity occurs bi-monthly and involves a large portion of the enrollment. We gathered her thoughts on this program and on other fundraising efforts.
OneDublin.org: The Run Club is a fully formed program at Dublin Elementary. Please explain how this came to be. As an organizer, how did you assemble your army of volunteers?
Jennifer Freitas: “I am a runner and I love running. I had been looking for a track/ running program to enroll my kids in and couldn’t find anything that fit what I was looking for. I had been talking with a fellow mom and runner about a run club that she did at her son’s school in Pleasanton and it sparked a fire. Strangely enough, it was about the same time that Lauren approached me and asked if I had any interest in helping with a lunchtime run club. We had a meeting to brainstorm how we would run it and thus Run Club, as we know it at Dublin Elementary, was born. The first year was 2013. We had a few run clubs at the end of the year. It was such a hit that the following year, we decided to hold run club twice a month throughout the year. We are now in our second full year of run club! Every other month I check in with Lauren and her secretary Nancy, to put the dates for the next few months on the calendar. Lauren orders the special charms that we hand out to the kids. I write occasional announcements for our weekly newsletter and an email blast to inform parents of the dates for each month and the details. Some include the benefits of running, wearing proper shoes, bringing and drinking water, etc. These newsletters are also the place where I ask for any volunteers. I currently have +nine volunteers that help me on various weeks and it is helpful to have at least two or three other helpers each week. I have a sign-up genius link that I send to them as the dates are set-up. Most of the original volunteers are my friends and we have children in the same grades.”
OneDublin.org: Historically, Dublin Elementary has been very effective at fundraising. Share your thoughts on the Jaws-a-Thon and how do the funds raised impact the classrooms?
Two Story Portable Classroom
Dublin was recently listed as the second fastest growing city in California. In an interview last year Dublin’s School District superintendent noted that “growth does come with challenges”. During the City of Dublin Mayoral race last year managing growth was a major theme. With a seemingly endless demand for new homes, Dublin’s school district is looking for innovative solutions to the resulting classroom crunch.
Building more schools will address some of the capacity crunch: Dublin’s latest school addition, Amador Elementary School, with a capacity for 950 students, opens this fall, and the City of Dublin and the Dublin School District recently announced a partnership to build two additional schools.
While many school districts have struggled with declining enrollment, program cuts and school closures, Dublin has faced the opposite challenge. To completely address the capacity issue the District is looking both above and below ground for solutions. Some of the options being explored according to a leaked report:
Difference Maker Albert Lee
In our continuing series highlighting Dublin Unified School District adult volunteers, OneDublin.org reached out to Green Elementary School Principal Joe Romagna. He quickly offered up Mr. Albert Lee as a worthy individual to profile. Albert is a true transplant to California. He was born in Texas, lived in Pittsburgh and for a period of time in CT before coming to the Bay Area in 2008. Along the way, he attained an undergraduate degree from Caltech and an M.S. from University of California Berkeley. While Albert, his wife Jina and three children reside in Dublin, Mr. Lee operates a tutoring service in the Lamorinda area.
His clients are generally middle and high school students so he meets with them Sunday through Thursday between 3:00 – 10:30 PM. He provides this large window as some of the older students participate in sports and other activities. In addition to ACT and SAT preparation, Albert has subject matter expertise in the areas of physics, mathematics and chemistry. He notes that it is difficult to succeed in this industry without a solid foundation in math skills.
Dublin High School Tri-Valley ROP students Marcus Dotson, Aaron Johal, Adrian Tamayo, and Nick Wagner teamed up to capture two terrific events showcasing student achievement at Dublin High, the annual student Talent Show and annual Honors Night.
ROP photojournalist Adrian Tamayo, “Many smart and great students were awarded for all their hard work that night, for all the dedication they had put into school to succeed. Hearing the speeches from the awarded students was quite a motivator and very encouraging. It’s a good feeling to hear from a fellow high school scholar and not only see them rewarded for their achievements, but also they leave their wise words of advice to other junior classmates so you can hear their experiences and their struggles. Though I was not given an award at the ceremony, I still had a great time at Honors Night.”
ROP photojournalist Marcus Dotson, “Of the many impressive acts that night, a couple of my favorites were Kevin Sun, Noah McMoyler and Joonie Jong, Darrion Carion, Kat Cordero and Jocelyn Deleon. Kevin Sun’s B-boy dancing was very entertaining to watch, he kept me interested and amped up. Noah McMoyler gave me goose bumps when his voice hit certain notes, something that only happens to me when I listen to new music and new sounds that I appreciate. Joonie Jong, Darrion Carion, Kat Cordero and Jocelyn Deleon had a great sound together. The way all of their instruments and voices went together was very pleasing. Over all the talent show was very good and I’m happy I went.”
Photo collages from both events:
Tri-Valley ROP teacher Chris Meyer reached out to OneDublin.org recently looking for a platform for his students to share their visual communications skills. OneDublin.org was happy to partner. Here is the first set of photos from several Tri-Valley ROP Digital Media students. ROP Digital Media includes practical training in Visual Communications, Animation, and Game Design. The Tri-Valley ROP program “provides engaging learning opportunities for high school students eager to acquire career training and technical skills essential for business and industry employment.”
Marissa Medeiros, Granada High School Senior:
“While at the festival taking photos, we walked around some of the booths to check out all the different jewelry and clothes. If only I had the money, I would’ve bought a ton of sundresses there! There were many rides that I wish that I would’ve gone on while I was there, but unfortunately I had to go to work in the late afternoon. There was so much food and the parade was really nice. This was my first time at the City of Dublin Saint Patrick’s Day Festival, and it was a great experience. If I have the time when I’m in college, I’ll definitely come back out next year to experience it again!”
Bailey Morita with Origami Crane
With just a few days remaining in March, and National Kidney Month, we introduce you to Fallon Middle School 8th grader Bailey Morita. Bailey has been fighting a rare kidney disorder, end stage renal disease, that requires her to endure 3-hour dialysis treatments at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco three days a week. Bailey’s journey began a year ago, late on a Friday afternoon, when her parents rushed her to a local clinic with labored breathing and fatigue. There was no warning that their lives would be forever transformed.
Emblematic of Bailey’s quiet determination is the tiny but precisely crafted origami crane that Bailey made for me while I spoke with her, and her parents, this past weekend. These tiny cranes have become her trademarked calling card, gifted to doctors, nurses and others who have helped her over the past year. Having just met Bailey, her mother Jennifer, father Keith and brother Trevor, I was humbled to receive this gift. Remarkably, and likely because of her focused determination, Bailey has maintained her standing on Fallon’s Honor Roll this past year despite spending more time away from school than in class.
After a year of battling kidney disease largely in private, Bailey decided it was time to share her story with the community, to help shine a light on a disease currently impacting millions of adults, and more rarely children like Bailey, across the country and the world.
James Morehead: How did you learn about the severity of Bailey’s condition?
OneDublin.org Difference Maker Chan Fonseka
The adult volunteers that tirelessly offer their energy and time at all 10 Dublin public school sites are as diverse as our community. There are many that fulfill key roles in Parent Faculty Clubs (PFC) or School Site Councils (SSC). Even more parents/guardians help out in individual or multiple classrooms. Others simply read to students or re-stack books in the library. And some are leading new initiatives that never existed until this year.
On April 28th, the Dublin Unified School District will host their District Recognition Awards at the District Boardroom. For those that may be unfamiliar, this is an annual event that honors Certificated, Classified and District staff members. Additionally, adult volunteers are recognized. The honorees are there by virtue of nomination letters that may be submitted by anyone. That said, there are countless others that deserve equal praise. OneDublin.org has initiated the process of approaching each site Principal to solicit the names of volunteers that are truly making a positive impact at their respective school sites. This ongoing series will run up through the actual District Recognition Awards. We are taking this opportunity to salute some of the many unsung heroes that are making their schools an even better place, and our proud to introduce our first OneDublin.org Difference Maker, parent Chan Fonseka, and how he championed bringing the Math Olympiads program to Fallon Middle School.
Life at San Diego State University and Majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management
by Jenny Lutz (Dublin High School Class of 2012 and San Diego State University junior)
Jenny Lutz at Sunset Cliffs, San Diego
Deciding to go to San Diego State University was one of the best decisions of my life. Rewind back to 2012, my senior year at Dublin High School. I knew I wanted to go to SDSU, but my next choice was Chico State. In March when the admission letters were sent out, I was unfortunately denied admission to SDSU. As crushed as I was not getting into my dream school, I decided to go to Chico and was still excited for college. One of my teachers at DHS (Ms. Briggs) suggested I write a letter of appeal to get into SDSU; I was doubtful of this idea because I did not fit any of the qualifications to send a letter of appeal, but I did so anyways. Once again, I was denied admission. I knew I was definitely going to Chico, no doubt about it. On May 2 (day after decision day) I received an email from SDSU informing me that I was being offered admittance for the fall semester, and that I had 48 hours to decide if I was going to accept the offer. Not even blinking twice, I knew I was going to attend SDSU if it was the last thing I did.
Although I did not think leaving home and moving to the southern tip of California was that huge of a deal, it ended up rocking my world. I had a difficult time adjusting to my new surroundings and finding where I belong at SDSU. Rest assured this happens to all college freshman in their first semester. Let me tell you it does get much better. I found friends who wanted to explore San Diego just like I did, who enjoyed their daily Starbucks stops along campus, and who binge-watch The Bachelor.
A little bit about SDSU: we are a NCAA Division 1 school and are part of the Mountain West Conference. The basketball team is out of this world and going to the games is one of the highlights of my college experience. We have a student section called “The Show” and there is an endless amount of chants and hype. In addition, the coldest it has ever been since I’ve been on campus is 65 degrees, but it’s usually 70-75 degrees. If that doesn’t sound like enough of a persuasion, then I’ll also tell you we are a 15-minute drive from the beach, have two concert venues on campus, a brand new beautiful student union, and an endless supply of authentic Mexican food. Go Aztecs!
2,200 student athletes from 66 high schools from across the Bay Area and beyond met at Dublin High School’s Gaels Stadium for 12 hours yesterday for back-t0-back-to-back distance races. Event Director Chris Williams and an army of student and parent volunteers executed the event flawlessly, slightly ahead of scheduled despite over 100 heats of boys and girls distant events including the 800, 1600, 3200 and Distance Medley Relay.
Remarkably, this event has become the largest of its kind in California history. The event combined fierce competition with a party atmosphere courtesy of a DJ spinning pop hits. The winner of each event is rewarded with a hand-decorated sombrero and the top four receive piñata t-shirts, and a few boys and girls also earn 3200 meter Arcadia automatic qualifiers.
More details with results available at the event website. If you missed the event this year, we’ve included a photo essay to give you a taste of the action. Mark your calendar for next year’s fiesta – March 19, 2016.
OneDublin.org 