Community Partnerships - Golden West College

On The COver
On Th e CO v e r
GWC Alumnus
Stephanie Pollaro
Alumnus Stephanie Pollaro, daughter of Norma Pollaro,
presented a program on campus last November on Human
Trafficking: ( Modern Day Slavery) that we thought our
readers would find interesting. We are always happy to hear
from our alumni.
Stephanie informed the audience that Human Trafficking
represents the third largest source of profit for organized
crime, after drugs and guns, generating billions of dollars
each year. Stephanie spent the last year in India, working
with survivors of human trafficking. She is the founder of
“International Sanctuary,” a non-profit organization
working to bring hope to girls rescued from human
trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
Wavelength asked Stephanie to tell us about her career path
that eventually led her to form this organization.
After graduating from GWC in 1996, I transferred to Cal State
Northridge, declared my major in Speech Communication
and received a B.A. in Speech Communication. From there,
I transferred to Cal State Long Beach where I received an
M.S. in Counseling. After receiving my M.S., I stayed on and
worked as a health profession advisor at Long Beach. This
was a good choice for me, because I became very excited
about being able to use my counseling skills.
It was during my stay at Long Beach that I learned about
human trafficking. My eyes were opened to the world of
slavery, especially in India. The more I researched the topic
the more passionate I became. I took several trips to India
and finally decided that I had to commit to the country,
so I moved there for a year, working with a grass roots
organization. I decided that the area I wanted to work with
was the area of survivors of human trafficking. That is when
I decided to start my own organization.
Continued on page 3
2 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009
2008 Fall Season in Review
By Danny Johnson
GWC Sports Information Officer
The Golden West College Athletic Department has housed at least one new State Championships
trophy in 28 of the past 31 years. Since 1966 Golden West College has been marked as the
most successful Athletic Program in the State. The Rustlers are proud owners of 72 State
Championships, 163 Conference Championships, and 365 All American Selections.
Fall Season Review:
Rustler Round-Up
Men’s Water Polo – 33-2 capturing the Orange Empire Championships, Southern
California Championships, and the 2008 State Championships. Head Coach Scott Taylor
coached his seventh consecutive Conference Championship, his seventh consecutive Southern
California Championship, and his second State Title.
Football – made their mark on the newly established American Mountain Conference
with a record of 5-2. The Rustlers defeated LA Harbor, SD Mesa, Compton, San Bernardino
Valley, Mt. San Jacinto, and Saddleback in what was their most successful season in over two
decades.
Men’s soccer – took on the challenge of being in the toughest conference in the state.
The 5-13-4 Rustlers were plagued with injuries throughout the season. Under the direction of
Matt Wells, the men’s program has already bounced back and is ready for the 2009 campaign.
WoMen’s Volleyball – defeated Orange Coast College in the first round of conference
play. With the success of their season, they qualified for regional playoffs eliminating San
Diego Mesa in the first round, but were knocked out in the second round by the 2007 State
Champions, El Camino.