A Nurses Life for Me
The maze of doors, desks and filing cabinets filled to the brim with paperwork that make up the Student Health Center, creates a cramped environment for the average person to wade through.
However, Director of the Student Health Center Beth Benne, who stands above the clutter, finds the space easy to navigate to her office. Once at her desk, she...
Teaching students on what they can do as welders
Photo by: Diego Barajas
As he stands tall wearing Celtic wristbands laid under his skin, grey facial hair, and brown leather work boots, he has returned to the campus with familiarity. Teaching on the Pierce College campus for nine years, Gary Wheeler, certified in L.A. city structural steel, L.A. city reinforcing steel, and California State certification, is a welding instructor teaching his class how...
More than just an anthropology professor
Anthropology professor Brian Pierson stands with his posse of skeletons in the Anthropology building at Pierce College. Photo by: David Paz
His office is a small cubicle, simple, organized and grey space. Three things stand out, two frames that display a Neanderthal and the Menino Lepedo child, and him.
He wears an eggplant purple shirt with beaded necklaces to celebrate the...
Candy Van Can
Buried behind a mountain of papers and bookstore receipts, a petite woman types furiously on her smartphone and tries to get some work done despite the constant interruptions of students and staff members who come to visit her. What she lacks in size she makes up for with a big personality and an even bigger smile.
Working for the Student...
Getting to Know Shilo Nelson
The pungent aroma of fish and green beans hung in the air, a scent familiar to many, health conscious Californians. A beautiful tanned woman sits down to a light, healthy meal, clad in athletic gear and sporting a high pony. Everything about Shilo Nelson gives a distinct feel of a women on the go, fueled by an abundance of...
Seeing Pierce through Varozian-colored glasses
It’s been said that some of the hardest workers one will ever find in a production are the ones working behind the scenes. The saying couldn’t be truer of Shant Varozian, who works as an administrative aide in Pierce College’s office of Academic Affairs.
Varozian first came to Pierce in 2004 as a student. He was taking general education courses...
Coach to Cubs scout
Chicago native Bob Lofrano sits in his office in the North Gym, leisurely typing player reports for current and prospective MLB athletes. With his tan, leathery skin, and his small, wire framed glasses, Lofrano’s eyes are fixed on his computer. Chicago Cubs memorabilia adorn his office as he prepares himself for a busy day, jampacked with sporting activities.
With flashbacks...
A Hero’s Journey
Story and photos by Ava Weintraub
Brain surgery couldn’t keep this dedicated teacher away
The diagnosis was dire. The doctors said he had about a week to live and to get his affairs in order.
It was a type of brain tumor called a “schwannoma,” a benign tumor that grows around the sheath of the cranial nerves. But this was a big...
A Stand-up Educator
Backlit by morning light, a figure sits at a desk in a modest office situated by a winding row of spanish-style bungalows. The muted grey and cream colors of the office walls contrast with the beaming smile hidden behind a black Dell computer monitor.
At 6 a.m. political science professor Denise Robb arrives each day to Pierce’s campus with...
His love for the arts department shines through
A man stands with a group of students, informing them safety precautions about using a table saw in the workshop. His salt and pepper hair reflects some of the light overhead. His off-white facial hair scatter across his face, down to the underside of his chin as he speaks about what the table saw can do when it comes to making interesting...