Chris is graduating with her master’s degree this coming year from SBBCollege. Excited for graduation and what her degree can do for her personal and professional life, Chris is encouraging others to do the same.

“Going back to school to earn my degree was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’d been out of school for quite some time and have a full-time job, so it took some adjusting — but walking across the stage at graduation to receive my degree will make it all worthwhile. My husband and my children are very proud of me. If I can do it, so can you!”

What plans do you have for 2013? Have you established a New Year’s resolution yet? Consider a resolution to achieve one of your personal goals, like Chris…go back to school and earn your degree.

It’s never been a better time to go back to school. The new year brings new beginnings and new opportunities to make commitments that you will keep.

Looking for a boost in your current job? New skills or qualifications? A new career path? The prestige of having a degree?

SBBCollege wants to help you keep your commitment to yourself, and help you earn your degree.

With bachelor’s degrees in business, legal studies and healthcare, and shorter-term job training in the fields of medical assisting, paralegal studies, information technology and nursing, SBBCollege has a program for you.

SBBC Santa Maria, a career college in Santa Maria, California, has been giving back to their community this holiday season.

With the help of their business, legal and medical students, the staff and faculty have sponsored a tree in Altrusa’s Festival of Trees, held a food drive at their college campus and even participated in Santa Maria’s annual Christmas Parade.

The Festival of Trees, organized by Altrusa of the Central Coast, allows community members to win one of 35 Christmas trees donated and decorated by community sponsors for the event. Each tree also comes with gifts under the tree. Along with providing area residents a chance to win a tree and gifts for their family for only $1, the event also raises money for local scholarships and grants.

SBBCollege’s tree had a toy theme, intended for a family with children to have a fun-filled Christmas with their favorite toys.

Along with sponsoring a Christmas tree, the SBBCollege Santa Maria campus is holding a canned food drive this holiday season. Partnering with the Santa Barbara County Food Bank, the campus has challenged itself to “stuff the office” of the campus’ academic dean. Donations will be received up until December 14th, when they’ll be delivered to the Food Bank

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without the annual Santa Maria Christmas Parade. Staff, faculty, students, family and friends walked in the parade to represent the business and medical college.

SBBC Santa Maria, a Santa Maria college offering associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, recently helped their students in the pharm tech training program start their careers in the pharmacy field.

Congrats on your new careers!

Current pharmacy technology student, Crystal R. got a job as a pharmacy clerk at a retail pharmacy in Santa Maria.

Giovanna R., graduate of the pharmacy tech associate’s degree program, is now a pharmacy technician for a retail pharmacy in Santa Maria.

After completing the pharm tech courses and receiving her degree, Jackie O. is a pharmacy technician for Health Plus Pharmacy in San Luis Obispo.

Rachel T., graduate of the pharm tech school program, received her pharmacy technician license! She now works at a retail pharmacy in Lompoc.

The associate’s degree pharmacy technology program at Santa Barbara Business College prepares students to assist licensed pharmacists in retail, institutional or hospital pharmacies. Students in the career training program also participate in an externship, where they can work at a local pharmacy and receive real-world work experience in the field before they graduate.

SBBCollege Cares was in full effect this Thanksgiving season, as SBBCollege Santa Barbara, a college offering medical training and business classes in Santa Barbara, helped the local homeless center prep its Thanksgiving meal.

Students, staff and faculty helped prepare food for an expected 300 guests on Thanksgiving day!

SBBCollege Santa Barbara is located at 506 Chapala St, Santa Barbara, Ca 93101. As a career training school in Santa Barbara, the college offers a medical assistant program, medical office courses, a bachelor’s business degree program, and an MBA program.

SBBCollege Rancho Mirage, a business and technical college in Rancho Mirage, hosted a blood drive for the Coachella Valley community at their campus on Nov. 1st.

Partnering with the Desert Blood Services, the college campus on Monterey Avenue donated 23 pints to the local blood supply! Thank you to everyone who helped SBBC with the blood drive!

SBBCollege Rancho Mirage has been serving the communities of Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Coachella, La Quinta, and Desert Hot Springs since 2008. Along with their career and technical training in business,nursing, criminal justice, paralegal studies, medical assisting and medical office, the career college in the Coachella Valley also provides community service to the community through their SBBCollege Cares program.

SBBCollege Santa Maria will be hosting a blood and turkey drive at their campus at 303 E. Plaza Drive on Tuesday, November 6th from 11am to 3pm.

Partnering with the United Blood Services of the Central Coast, the college in Santa Maria, Ca hopes to increase Santa Barbara County’s blood supply for the holiday season.

In conjunction with the blood drive, the Santa Maria technical school is also partnering with the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to accept donations of frozen turkeys. The turkeys will be given to those in need this holiday season.

Stop by the campus and join the College as they give back to the community! Call the campus at 805-922-8256 for more info.

Graduates of SBBCollege’s business administration career training classes in Ventura County have started their new careers in the business field. With training in financial accounting classes, marketing courses and management, these graduates received their degrees in business administration.

Miguel V., Personal Banker, National Bank in Ventura

Joann Z., Office Administrator, Tax Firm in Ventura

Jasmine V., Office Assistant, Detective Agency in Santa Barbara

Angelica R., Quality Control Administrator, Medical Supply Company in Camarillo

SBBCollege, a trade school in Ventura County, offers shorter-term job training and bachelor’s business degrees. The Ventura college classes are offered at 4839 Market Street in Ventura.

Applications are now being accepted for SBBCollege Ventura’s business training program, along with the College’s other career training programs in Ventura – medical assisting, medical office, criminal justice and paralegal studies.

Along with classroom lectures, whenever possible, students in the SBBCollege Criminal Justice degree program participate in hands-on training. Using the theory and skills learned in the criminal justice classes in an actual hands-on setting can help students prepare for their careers in the criminal justice field.

Students in the crime scene investigation class at SBBC used their CSI training to help solve a staged double crime scene on campus. The first crime scene had students collect evidence from a disheveled room with a victim, while the second crime scene had students looking for clues in an outdoor setting.

Students carefully detailed any evidence found and also worked together to put a story behind the crime. An observant student left no stone unturned as he decided to look inside a trash can. The trash held a vital piece of evidence – a gun – that was crucial to solving the crime.

The criminal justice program at Santa Barbara Business College prepares students for entry-level employment in security and other related criminal justice careers in Southern California. The program provides a basic understanding of the criminal justice system and social and behavioral sciences, and is offered at the associate’s and bachelor’s degree level.

SBBCollege’s medical training programs had some recent success as graduates from the program have found their new careers! Congrats to these grads who received training in medical assisting, and are now working as medical assistants in their communities.

Spring A., Medical Assistant, Medical Center, Pismo Beach

Gracie E., Medical Assistant, Medical Clinic, Santa Maria

Laura B., Medical Assistant, Central Coast Family Care, Santa Maria

Mari S. passed her RMA exam – and is now a registered medical assistant!

SBBCollege offers a medical assisting training program and a medical assisting associate’s degree program at their campus locations in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Bakersfield, Ventura, and Rancho Mirage.

What does a pharmacy technician do? Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in pharmacies. They support licensed pharmacists in day-to-day activities, such as assisting in patient consultations, counter dispensing and prescription preparation.

How do I become a pharmacy technician? Employers may require their pharmacy technicians to have formal training in the field, by attending a pharmacy tech school and/or earning an associate’s degree in pharmacy technology.* Courses in the pharmacy technician program may include topics in medical terminology, prescription processing, pharmacology, and pharmacy procedures and applications. Check with a local employer for further requirements.

SBBCollege offers a Pharmacy Technology program in Bakersfield and Santa Maria. To prepare students for a career as a pharmacy tech, SBBCollege offers a pharmacy technology program in Kern County and Northern Santa Barbara County. The Bakersfield college campus pharmacy tech program, along with the pharm tech program in Santa Maria, prepares students to stock and inventory prescriptive and over-the-counter medications, maintain written or computerized patient medication records, count or pour medications into dispensing containers and much more.

What types of jobs are available for pharmacy technicians? Graduates of SBBCollege’s pharmacy technology program are prepared to work in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies or retail pharmacies as a pharmacy technician, front counter clerk, pharmacy assistant, and pharmacy cashier.

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/