Congratulations to professor Jenny Simon (faculty) and Breeanna Bond (staff) who were recently named 2020 El Camino College Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award honorees. Simon and Bond were selected for their significant contributions to student success, the college and their colleagues.
Jenny Simon joined the El Camino College faculty as an English as a second language professor in 2004. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to ensure the learning and success of her students, while also serving on some of the college's largest faculty-led initiatives.
Soon after she first arrived on campus, Simon volunteered as a Student Learning Outcomes coordinator, tasked with developing the college's inaugural SLO program and process, a monumental task. The framework she helped create is still in place today. She also joined the College Curriculum Committee (chair 2011-13), and the Humanities Division Curriculum Committee, a position she still holds. Most recently, Simon has provided innovative leadership as one of the college's first Guided Pathways coordinators, leading to the creation of meta-majors and program maps so that students have a clear path to achieving goals when exploring a major course of study. Her contributions to this program have helped make El Camino a leader in Guided Pathways implementation.
Widely known as a caring educator and community builder who strives to make students' journey through El Camino College a meaningful experience, Simon is always looking for new ways to help students excel in their classwork and improve the ESL program. Simon describes her educational philosophy as one that provides personalized instruction and support when needed so that students are confident to succeed on their own. Students say she is an approachable and dedicated professor they can rely on, one who is invested in their success, even when they are no longer enrolled in her class.
Simon earned a doctorate in community college leadership from USC, in addition to a master's degree in linguistics and a bachelor's degree in language studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Colleagues praise Simon's generosity of spirit, and her willingness to share time, talent and knowledge to anyone who seeks her assistance. Her leadership, patience, and commitment to academic excellence enhances her work with students, colleagues, and the entire El Camino community.
Breeanna Bond is a CARE adviser whose primary focus is serving El Camino's single head-of-household students. She is dedicated to all aspects of the educational experience and goes above and beyond to ensure that students are heard, cared for and can secure resources they need to be successful at El Camino College.
Bond constantly looks for ways to enhance El Camino's CARE program by organizing workshops, finding useful resources and scholarship opportunities for students, and securing grants to provide additional student services. She regularly attends seminars and conferences to stay informed and encourages students to attend as well so they can share the learning opportunity. Her professional development activities also include serving on various campus committees such as the ECCE Executive Board as the secretary and grievance officer and participating in the ECC PRIDE Program. She organizes an annual celebration for students that serves 120 families and approximately 250 children each year, bringing the college together to support students during the holidays.
After graduating from ECC with honors, the Torrance native transferred to the University of California, Davis where she earned a bachelor's degree in sociology. She continued her education at CSU Long Beach, where she earned a master's degree. Bond was hired for her first-ever job as an ECC student ambassador and was named student employee of the year almost a decade ago. She also worked in Outreach before assuming her current position in 2016. In 2019, she was named an El Camino College Woman of Distinction.
Bond is a reliable advocate for her students' education, helping them work with their professors to help bridge equity gaps. Her contributions to the college and the CARE program have inspired students to dream beyond what they believe is possible, making a difference in their lives. One student noted that Bond "makes the college feel like home to those in need of one."