Susie Nava knows College of the Sequoias from the student side of the equation.

As a single mother attending COS, she remembers juggling work, transportation and childcare while trying to earn her degree. Now she’s running for the College of the Sequoias Board of Trustees in Ward 5, which includes Hanford.

In this episode of Flor Unmuted, Nava joins me to talk about what access to higher education actually looks like from some of the Central Valley’s smaller communities — and where she believes COS can do more.

We talk about transportation between campuses, childcare, internet access, expanding programs in Hanford and creating stronger pathways between community college and jobs needed here in the Valley. Nava also discusses her interest in behavioral-health workforce programs and how her professional background in quality assur ...