LBCC: LB College Promise Appoints Interim Director To Expand Student Experience

Press release from Long Beach City College:

July 27, 2021

Longtime Long Beach resident Elijah Sims was recently appointed
as the Interim Director of the Long Beach College Promise, the
nation’s leading example of a seamless education from high
school, free community college tuition, and guaranteed transfer
to the local university.

The purpose of the new director position will be to strengthen
the partnership between the five Long Beach College Promise
institutions. Sims will:

Beyond working on the educational pathway, Sims will be working
with the City and the Port to enhance opportunities for Long
Beach College Promise participants, such as supporting efforts to
develop internships and jobs for Long Beach College Promise
students.

Sims will report to all three educational chief executive
officers at LBUSD, LBCC, and CSULB, who will also share the cost
of the position. As a result, he will split his time among the
partners in service to the Long Beach College Promise initiative
as a whole.

Sims joined LBCC in 2012 as an adjunct faculty member in
Counseling. Since then, he has been a full-time Counselor and
Associate Professor, and Entry Services Coordinator. His recent
efforts include initiating a team of completion counselors to
help students earn degrees and transfer to 4-year institutions,
developing retention and persistence interventions for continuing
students, and supporting academic probation students to return to
good standing.

Sims is not new to Long Beach College Promise outreach efforts,
as he has worked with Promise students for the last five years as
a counselor and coordinator. 

Sims spent the majority of his K-12 education with LBUSD schools
and graduated from Millikan High School. He graduated from CSULB
with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and received his master’s
degree in Education from CSU Dominguez Hills. He is currently
working on his Education Doctorate Degree at CSULB.

“With this exciting appointment, The Promise enters an important
new phase. We’ve renewed our collective commitment to excellence
and equity,” LBUSD Superintendent Jill A. Baker said. “We extend
a warm welcome to Mr. Sims and pledge the full support of our
pre-K-12 schools as we build on our enduring, nationally
recognized Promise partnerships.”

“Elijah is uniquely qualified to fill this new role because he
has walked the walk through all three institutions as a student
himself,” said Long Beach Community College District Interim
Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz. “Working closely with
him in these last three years, I can’t think of a better person
to help take the Long Beach College Promise to the next level for
our students.”

“Elijah is accomplished, remarkably talented, and particularly
well-suited for this position,” said CSULB President Jane Close
Conoley. “The Long Beach College Promise serves Long Beach
students, from kindergarten through CSULB, and Elijah has a
unique perspective as someone who has been involved with — in
one way or another — every Promise educational partner. He spent
his K-12 years in the LBUSD; worked at LBCC as an assistant
professor, counselor, and coordinator; and is an alumnus and
current doctoral student at CSULB. Few people if any, have a
resume that is so personally tied to the Long Beach College
Promise. I look forward to working closely with him as he builds
on the success of the program.”

“The Long Beach College Promise has had such an incredible impact
on our community, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome and
congratulate Elijah Sims on taking on this new role,” said Long
Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. “I look forward to his leadership of
this amazing partnership between our educational institutions,
the City, and our Port.”

“This is a significant step forward for the program as the
College Promise continues to flourish and provide even more
opportunity for our students,” said Port of Long Beach Executive
Director Mario Cordero. “As a proven leader, educator, and a
local resident, Mr. Sims is extremely well suited to take the
helm of the program, and continue to steer toward a brighter
future for the students, families, and institutions who are part
of the Long Beach College Promise.”

For more information on the Long Beach College Promise,
visit www.longbeachcollegepromise.org.

This press release was produced by Long Beach City College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.