BC Writing Centers Offer Renegades Valuable Support and Resources
Thursday, September 26, 2024
By Deanna Rea
The Bakersfield College Writing Center proudly offers its services to all BC students, allowing Renegades to hone the craft of writing throughout all areas - from structural elements and stylistic improvements to public speaking and academic reading. More than that, BC’s specialized Writing Consultants are determined to help students gain independence and confidence in their academic reading, writing, and English language speaking, while also equipping them to take those life-long skills into their careers.
Dedicated to their mission, the Writing Center proudly supports every student enrolled in Bakersfield College, including the Rising Scholars at Kern Valley State Prison, Early College students, and the local high schools by request from the instructor. “Where the writing happens, we will go!” says Kim Arbolante, the Program Manager of the Writing Center.
The Writing Center currently has three locations - Panorama campus, BC Southwest, and Delano Center, and there will be a fourth location at BC’s Arvin Campus when it opens in 2025. There they offer a variety of services, including thirty-minute, one-on-one appointments (in person or on Zoom). One of the center’s most popular services is the Canvas Workshops, which students can complete 24/7 on their own time. Students who receive DSPS or EOPS accommodations or enrolled in ENGL B1aL or any EMLS course can all receive sixty-minute appointments by accommodations request.
Recently, the Writing Center announced the launch of a brand-new service: the Embedded Writing Specialist project. Through this service, the center’s Writing Specialists will now provide embedded tutoring support for certain ENGL B1a and ENGL B1aL classes. They will assist enrolled students with homework, time management, study skills, course content review, and regular outreach throughout the semester. Interested students can stop by or call the Writing Center for more information.
As Program Manager, Kim Arbolante not only assists students with their writing skills but also works to build confidence in their assignments, abilities, and academic dreams. During her tenure at the Writing Center, she has helped students who have experienced a myriad of challenges and obstacles. At the Delano Center, she recalls assisting a student who felt uncertain about including his family background in his scholarship application out of fear that it may be perceived as “asking for pity.” Upon further evaluation of the application’s prompt, Arbolante and the student concluded that his personal experiences and family background were both important and a powerful narrative of hope, hard work, and community-oriented achievement.
“He entered the session feeling uncertain and anxious about how to portray himself,” Kim says, “and he left the session with a feeling of confidence and pride about his connection to his family and his hard work that was dedicated to improving the lives of those he loved.”
Another student who received assistance from Arbolante, specifically with an autobiography speech, not only received the help he had hoped for but taught Kim an unforgettable lesson in the process. Originally from Guatemala, this student faced brutal acts of violence in pursuit of his education at only eight years old. After witnessing and suffering the loss of one of his teachers, this student made the inspiring promise to continue his education. “He has crossed miles and miles of dangerous roads, uncertain outcomes, and unnavigable immigration procedures,” Kim says, “to fulfill that promise he made ten years ago in his teacher’s car. This selfless woman sacrificed her life to see that his might be better. This is what higher education means to me.”
“Higher education is not merely meaning making and skill learning; it is social mobility. It is the means by which we can alleviate poverty, diminish violence, and create a more peaceful, equitable world,” Kim says. “Higher education provides hope to those who may find themselves in hopeless situations. I am a Writing Specialist. I help students with their academic writing needs,” she says. “However, today, my student taught me a more valuable lesson than I could ever give: he taught me why I do it. Today, more than ever before, I am proud to be a Renegade.”
To schedule your first in-person appointment, stop by the writing center at any one of the campus locations: H-51 on the main campus, Room 207 at BCSW, or LRC 131 in the Delano Center. If you are unable to visit in person, students can email the Writing Center (writingcenter@bakersfieldcollege.edu) to request access to the Canvas and complete the online workshops at their convenience.
