There is so much to discover about what goes on in our campus. One thing to consider is the background and story of each professor that teaches us. They all have a deep passion and are always involved in their subject. By hearing their journeys up to this point, we may take home great lessons and advice to utilize in our own educational path.

John Ulloa began his studies in history and received a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from San Francisco State University. Before he graduated, he was already teaching for Modesto Junior College but kept searching for other teaching positions in the Bay Area. He found an opportunity at Skyline and soon, our campus became his home. He has now been teaching at Skyline for 11 years.

This is his second year working full-time and he is grateful to be working at a full-time capacity and experiencing everything Skyline has to offer.

Ulloa is humbled by the opportunities and support the school district has given him to become more involved and in-tune with his teaching. He has been sent to a series of trips and training, such as the Museum of Tolerance, the National Conference of Race and Ethnicity, Online Pedagogical workshop and trainings, just to name a recent few! This summer, he will be leading Skyline’s abroad trip to Cuba.

“The district has heavily invested in me since I started,” Ulloa said. “It’s been wonderful that I’ve had the opportunity to build curriculum and participate within my department.”

Ulloa has always been open minded and interested in talking to people since he was a young boy. His motto has always been, “you can never learn too much.”

Ulloa has been serving as coordinator of the Honor’s Transfer Program for 2 years now. The program is designed for student’s on a transfer track to a UC, however, he wants the program to be more inclusive rather than exclusive.
“I want all students to have access to the program and participate in the program in a way that helps the student facilitate, achieve, scaffolding and maximizing their intellectual opportunities at Skyline College,” Ulloa said.

The program is designed to give students the opportunity to do work that is more in depth; not necessarily harder or more work. This quality of education acclimates students to preform at their highest level with a deeper understanding of the subject. You don’t have to be in the program to take an honor’s class; any student can take any of the honors classes. The only requirement is that they meet the prerequisites for the class, and that there is enough room in the class.
To better familiarize themselves with the Honors Transfer Program, students are highly suggested to join the Honor’s Club. The club was brought back to Skyline after the program was reestablished. The first co-presidents of the club, Alex Reyes and Flavious Abellana, learned a lot from leading the club.

“John and I had a lot in common with our educational path as well as our motive for bringing back the club to Skyline,” Reyes said. “We wanted the club to have a different image to the student body, so overall, we were a great team. Being part of the club became a huge turning point in my academic career. I don’t think my experience would have been the same without John advising me.”

Skyline offers a variety of enrichment learning programs, each with different focuses, including Kababayan, Puente, ASTEP, MESA, Phi Theta Kappa, as well as the Honors Transfer Program. By making the Honor’s Transfer Program more inclusive and accessible, it redefines what that culture means and stands for at a much earlier stage in a students academic career.