Emeritus Students (ESCOM volunteers) make a difference within College of Marin’s intergenerational educational community by meeting and working with COM students in a variety of ways. Examples of past ESCOM Connections include:
An ESCOM member with the COM Athletic Department who has an extensive local to international sports management background shared his experiences with the COM Men’s Basketball Team.
ESCOM Connects hosted a career panel for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams. Panel members shared their career and life experiences and recommendations to help these student-athletes maximize their COM experience and as they move forward in their lives.
ESCOM volunteers helped ESL students who have English as their second language practice their networking and job interviewing skills.
ESCOM volunteers sat in on the orientation for 40 first time COM students in the COM Nursing Department.
2026 spring connections made
2/18/2026 Larry Tolbert, Robert Chandler, Gary Gonser attended the EOPS Program mixer hosted by EOPS director Becky Reetz
April, 2026 Robert Chandler and Peter Tiernan volunteers to take part at the IVC Organic Farm and Garden April plant sales to support the food distribution programs on campus, as sent to us from Christine Sleight
2/23/26 Gloria Dunn donated a computer to ESL student through ESL instructor Aylin Atilgan
April, 2026 Peter Tiernan, Brian Durwood, and Mehrnaz Rezayati: Made ESL conversation partner connections through Miguel Oropeza’s Language Exchange program, ( it is unclear if actual connections were finalized and if volunteers ultimately met with the students.)
2025 summer/fall connections made
Philip Styne and Christine Sleightconnected with the Healthcare Exploration Academy and offered to give speeches about their healthcare career choices for their Summer Academy.
ESCOM members volunteers to partner with ESL COM students, members of Mi Familia, in the Language Exchange program organized and advised by ESL Instructor Miquel Oropeza: Robert Chandler, Adrienne Plasse, Ida Hill
Peter Ehmke has joined the Keith Rosenthal’s COM Foundation Scholarship Advisory Committee, to help scholarship recipients.
Leonard Weingarten and EOPS Director, Becky Reetz, took part in early planning to partner with ESCOM CONNECTS to host a mixer during the fall.
Here is a wrap-up for the ESCOM Connections made in spring, 2025.
Christina Stroeh and Gloria Dunn met with an ESL student as her conversation partner throughout the semester, at the request of ESL Prof. Wendy Walsh.
Adrienne Plasse and Dr. Ray Fay visited the Medical English class of ESL Professor Miguel Oropeza for an interview class activity. And Adrienne Plasse visited a Nursing class to engage in mock interviews, requested by NURS Professor, Kimberly Pritchett.
Leonard Weingarten and Gary Gonser represented ESCOM CONNECTS at a number of COM Fairs.
Christine Sleight continued her collaborations with the IVC food bank and garden initiatives.
Adrienne Plasse and Janelle LaFond took part in a Language and Culture Exchange, at the Canal Alliance, organized by ESL professor, Suzanne Jones.
Luanne Mullin, Lois St. Sure, and Nancy Major took part in an April Career Night Panel at the request of Shinna Kim, COM counselor and MAPS Coordinator.
Jeff Lemont, PhD; Christine Sleight, PhD; and Philip Styne, MD took part in a July Health Career Exploration Academy for HS students at IVC organized by Shinna Kim, COM counselor and MAPS Coordinator.
Lorrie Verplaetse and Christine Sleight each met with a Nursing student enrolled in a Geriatric Nursing course, to be interviewed for an assignment about the health life of a senior.
Here is a wrap-up for the ESCOM Connections made in 2024.
New member, Ken Winer, made a connection with COM’s food banks with the guidance of Christine Sleight. 9/24/24.
Leonard Weingarten and Men’s Basketball Coach LyRyan Russell created several connections this fall. On 10/3, Leonard made a career presentation to the team. And on 11/24, a panel provided a career presentation to the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Panel included ESCOM members: Leonard Weingarten, Gloria Dunn, Jeff Ross, and Ken Winer.
Leonard Weingarten gave a “brown bag” lunchtime presentation about interviewing to about 40 to the Behavioral Science Students (10/24).
Leonard Weingarten and Gary Gonser represented ESCOM CONNECTS at a number of COM Fairs: the Resource Fair in 9/24, the Psychology & Social Science Service Career Fair in 11/18/24. And the Health Fair in 9:24. Adrienne Plasse and Dr. Ray Fay also participated in the Health Fair.
At the request of EOPS Director, Becky Raetz, Jeff Ross offered legal references for former incarcerated students.
At the request of the Student Nursing Association, Richard Jensen provided student leaders guidance on how to prepare a business plan.
Adrienne Plasse and Leonard Weingarten met with Director of Nursing, Alicia Bright, and NUR Dept. Chair, Darlene Brady, attended new student orientation and paved the way for Adrienne Plasse’s continued, on-going role as NURS Program Liaison throughout the semester.
Lorrie Verplaetse served as an embedded tutor for the semester-long ESL Advanced Writing Class, enabled by the support of Dean Tonya Hersch, Tutorial Program Director Oksana Pensebene, and Professor Aylin Relya.
Christine Sleight coordinated volunteers on both campuses addressing food insecurity and the campus food banks and gardens.
Four COM students individually reached out as a result of the campus fairs, and Leonard’s ongoing outreach to faculty and staff, ultimately resulting in four connections with ESCOM members:
- Noah Groth (re; computer science);
- Lorrie Verplaetse (re: tutoring help);
- Dr. Ray Fay (re: interviewing skills for NURS student), and
Nancy Major (re: creating a third-party connection for a Behavioral Science research assignment).New member, Ken Winer, made a connection with COM’s food banks with the guidance of Christine Sleight. 9/24/24.