Skyline Transfer Opportunity Center

Pamela Hodel was born in Famingham, Massachusetts. She came to California in 1969 and for many years worked for the Army and Air Force, as well as in the corporate world. While working for Wells Fargo Bank she was encouraged by her manager to take telecommunications courses at Skyline College. She had never before attended college, found she loved attending Skyline, and eventually earned an Associate of Science degree in Telecommunications. The coordinator of the program, Omer Thompson, encouraged her to go on and get a Bachelor’s degree so she could teach in Skyline’s Telecommunications program. She went to see the Transfer Center Coordinator, Linda Rosa Corazon, and was advised to consider a program she had never heard of, the Bachelor of Vocational Education degree at San Francisco State University, which is designed for individuals with vocational education backgrounds. The program perfectly suited her needs and after earning her BVE degree, Pamela was in fact, offered a position as an instructor in the Telecommunications program at Skyline College. She currently is also taking courses towards Adult Education certification so she can teach in Adult schools and ROP programs. Pamela serves an inspiration and a role model in a program that is predominantly male. She is the mother of two sons who have been very supportive of her educational aspirations. Pamela also loves to travel, particularly to Southeast Asia and collects Ming ceramics. She greatly believes in community colleges, as well as lifelong learning, and is currently taking an Arabic language course at Skyline College. She will also be a presenter at the upcoming “Expanding Your Horizons” conference at Skyline College, which encourages girls and young women to consider careers in fields involving Mathematics, Science, and Technology.