CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus invites the public to an open house this week, offering a chance to explore its academic programs and resources.

The open house will run from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake.

Interested community members may find out more about the college’s academic programs, adult education, student support and financial aid programs. Information will also be shared on transfer services and dual enrollment opportunities at the open house.

“If anybody has ever dreamed or thought about going to college, they really should just come to campus and talk to someone,” said the Lake County Campus Dean Korinda Ebenhack. “We want to answer questions and help people see themselves.”

Ebenhack was appointed in the summer and has been serving as the dean for five months.

“Applying now, that is our big message,” Ebenhack said, adding that the open house is a “big day to help people figure out they need to apply.”

For the new academic year, school will start on Jan. 13, 2025.

All applications for admission will go through the state’s community college application system. It usually takes two days for applicants to hear back. Financial aid, however, can take up to eight weeks, Ebenhack said.

“Many students wind up paying no tuition, because almost every student is eligible for financial aid,” said Ebenhack.

Some sources of financial support include the California Cal Grant, the Educational Opportunity Program, the California Promise Program and grants that pay for students’ books.

Employment-oriented programs

Woodland Community College provides “over 50 different degrees and certificates” that serve a wide range of industries and student needs, according to Ebenhack. These programs are highly employment-driven and aim to tackle local needs and place students in local jobs.

The culinary program, for example, has a good employment rate and displays where all their graduates went to work on a board, Ebenhack said.

“It’s all written on the board and it’s pretty impressive — almost 100% placement out of our culinary program,” she added.

Ebenhack did not share an overall employment rate of the students. “We don’t track that.”

Dr. Lizette Navarette, president of the Woodland Community College, talked about the school’s “Drinking Water and Wastewater Technology Program” in a presentation at the Clearlake City Council meeting two weeks ago.

This program, said Navarette, leads students “directly to state certification” on water and/or wastewater treatment.

“Students that take that program find jobs before they even finish,” Navarette said. “Just the power of making sure that our programs are directly connected to labor demands in the regions that we serve.”

Ebenhack believes their programs are designed to help fill local jobs.

“I think community colleges try to teach and train people in the areas that can keep them local, so you don't have to move,” she said. “Not everybody wants to move.”

Possible pathway to university

Admission to a university after graduation is also a choice.

Woodland Community College has signed a memorandum of understanding, or an MOU, with California State University Chico on “guaranteed admission,” said Dr. Shouan Pan, chancellor of the Yuba Community College District, in the presentation at the Clearlake City Council meeting.

“When they graduate and they get good grades, [they are] guaranteed admission to Chico State,” Pan told the city council.

“It’s a great benefit to students,” said Ebenhack of the “nice peace of mind” for students.

Still, “it does take time to get organized,” she added.

In the meantime, Ebenhack acknowledged different student preferences.

“Not everybody has to transfer, right? Any goal is legitimate. And we just want to help people reach their goals and build their confidence and, you know, make more money,” Ebenhack said.

The campus in Clearlake now has eight full-time teachers and 20 part-time teachers, said Ebenhack. Lake County students may take in-person classes for some degrees on campus or online classes for others.

Some of the local in-person classes include accounting, baking, welding and early childhood education.

For Ebenhack, it’s essential for community colleges to stay flexible and “meet the needs of a broad spectrum of people.”

On the Scoreboard of the US Department of Education, Woodland Community College has a 23% graduation rate, with 35% transferred to another college and 42% withdrew from the school before graduation.

The scoreboard also shows an annual average cost of $4,449 at the college and just 1% of the enrolled students are on federal loans. Ten years after attending the school, regardless of whether the students had graduated or not, they are found to earn a median annual income of $40,042.

No specific data is available for the Lake County Campus alone.

After the Boyles Fire

The open house this Thursday is the first big event in the campus after the Boyles Fire in September that caused serious smoke damage on campus structures.

Last week, the YCCD Governing Board approved a resolution in honor of the City of Clearlake and Lake County Fire Protection District Members for their tremendous work during and after the fire.

“We have been busy with fire mitigation — including tree and brush removal after the Boyles Fire,” Ebenhack wrote in a newsletter on the open house in an email last week, adding a list of “great things happening on campus” from preventing fire and painting a new mural to expanding their welding program and remodeling student lounge.

For her, the open house is a must-attend for anyone interested in a college education or learning about their options.

“We are ready, rain or shine!” Ebenhack said.

Email reporter Lingzi Chen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..