De Anza College Quick Notes

This email was sent to all students registered for winter quarter.

Jan. 12, 2026

Quick Notes for the Week of Jan. 12

President Torres Listening Tours and Winter Quarter Open Office Hours

President Torres is starting his second year at De Anza with a round of listening tours. He is also starting winter quarter open office hours to continue to hear from students, faculty members, classified professionals and administrators. President Torres would like to hear about what is happening in your areas, your ideas for the future of the college and how he can best support you and your departments.

Open office hours will be held from 9-10 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays.

To schedule a time, please reach out to Nathaly Aguilar, at aguilarnathaly@deanza.edu, in the President’s Office.

This Week

Winter Project Fair This Wednesday, Jan. 14

The Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action (VIDA) will hold its winter project fair this Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., in Conference Rooms A&B. This is a chance for students to connect with on- and off-campus organizations, community resources and support services. Students can explore opportunities to get involved in social justice, civic engagement and leadership. All students and employees are welcome.

Silicon Valley Reads

Kickoff This Thursday, Jan. 15

De Anza is once again proud to host the Silicon Valley Reads kickoff this Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m., in the VPAC. Silicon Valley Reads is an annual community reading campaign that hosts a variety of events centered on a specific theme. This year’s theme is "Bridges to Belonging," which will focus on how to navigate the complexities of our modern world with empathy, and how to find the common ground that exists even in divided times.

The event will be moderated by Sal Pizarro, a Mercury News columnist, and will feature a panel of authors. You can register for the event or livestream on the Silicon Valley Reads website.

A Sense of Belonging

Before the kickoff, you can check out the new Euphrat Museum of Art exhibit, A Sense of Belonging, which also opens Jan. 15. The exhibit explores what makes people feel connected to themselves and their community. It will be open from 6-7 p.m. and 8:30-9 p.m. – before and after the Silicon Valley Reads discussion.

Artists include Victoria Almeida, Marie Cameron, Saikat Choudhury, Mark Engel, Susan Harding, Gurmeet Lamba, Josie Lepe, Gustavo Martinez, Siana Smith and Christine Wong Yap.

You can visit the museum Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., from Jan. 15-March 14. The museum will also be open on First Thursdays, Feb. 5 and March 5, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Above image: Josie Lepe's "Sunrise Ceremony 1."

Next Week

Winter Club Day Is Next Thursday, Jan. 22

The Inter Club Council (ICC) is hosting winter Club Day next Thursday, Jan. 22, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., in the Sunken Garden. Over 80 student clubs and organizations will be tabling at the event. There will be live entertainment and goodies. This event is open to all students. Please contact the ICC chair of programs at ICCPrograms@deanza.edu if you have any questions.

Achievements

Auto Tech Students Win Scholarships

This past December, three Automotive Technology students applied for the California Transit Training Consortium's 2025 Jim Ditch Scholarship, and all of them received awards!

The students earned top scores from the scholarship committee, with Quoc Hung Pham receiving the highest score of all applicants.

Jim Ditch was the founder of the Southern California Transit Training Consortium — which is now known as the California Transit Training Consortium. He was passionate about training and education, and the scholarship in his name provides support to students who wish to pursue and/or advance careers in public transportation.

Nursing Students Receive Berghoff Foundation Scholarships

The Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation gave two $1,000 scholarships to De Anza nursing students Thuy Pham and Kali Jan Alhambra. Members of the Berghoff Foundation came to the De Anza Nursing All Student Assembly to give out the special awards.

The Berghoff Foundation is dedicated to increasing dementia education, caregiving resources and research, with a special focus on Lewy body dementia. Thank you to the Berghoff Foundation for supporting our students!

Above, left to right: Chuck Berghoff, cofounder and chairman; Kali Jan Alhambra, De Anza nursing scholarship recipient; Robin Shepherd, executive director; Bonnie Broderick, community health adviser; and Thuy Pham, De Anza nursing scholarship recipient

Join the Track and Field Program

Open to Full-Time Students

The intercollegiate track and field program at De Anza is recruiting for the coming season. The men's and women's teams are open to full-time students at De Anza and Foothill. Practices will take place at De Anza. If you are interested, please email Andy Ponce de Leon at poncedeleonandy@deanza.edu

EventsMark Your Calendar

Be sure to check these program websites for:

You can also check the Events Calendar for additional events and details.

This Week

Next Week

Tell us about your event! Use the online form at deanza.edu/communications/tell-us.

DatesDates and Deadlines

  • Last day to add classes – Monday, Jan. 19
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday – Monday, Jan. 19 – no classes and offices closed

Visit the Academic Calendar page to see more important dates and deadlines by quarter.

Tell Us!

Quick Notes is an email digest of timely information for De Anza students, faculty and staff. Watch for it in your inbox regularly.

Use the online form at deanza.edu/communications/tell-us to let us know about an upcoming activity or other news that you want to share with the rest of the college community. That's the best way to get your item on our radar for the website Events Calendar, newsletter and social media planning.

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