Why Educators Love Living in San Joaquin County, CA

Jeff Adkins

With a strong network of colleges and universities, a growing student population and a commitment to workforce development, the San Joaquin County region attracts some of the top talent in higher education. Institutions, such as Humphreys University, San Joaquin Delta College, Stanislaus State and the University of the Pacific, offer educators the opportunity to engage with diverse student bodies and contribute to the community. 

Providing Tech Training 

Rachaellien Trinh, associate professor of electron microscopy at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, was drawn to the college’s unique STEM programs. 

“Many people don’t know that Delta College offers the only electron microscopy program at a community college in the United States,” Trinh says. “This work is essential to the advancement of science and technology endeavors all over the country.” 

As Trinh explains, there is a huge deficit of skilled and professionally trained workers in this field. 

“That’s why it’s vitally important that we provide first-class training with leading-edge technologies to fill the gap and make sure there are skilled workers to run these advanced machines that help shape the very landscape of our everyday lives,” Trinh says. 

Trinh says she was also attracted to the relationship between the college and the business community and the opportunities those partnerships afford students. The college’s career and technical education programs meet regularly with business partners to understand the changes to and the current needs of industries. 

“As a Sacramento native, I attended other schools as a student, and now looking from the outside in, there are endless possibilities at Delta College when it comes to course availability and the choices and number of CTE programs,” she says. 

Jeff Adkins

Living a Good Life 

John Mayberry, professor of mathematics at the University of the Pacific, credits the quality of life in the San Joaquin County region as one of the reasons he accepted his teaching position. Before assuming the role, Mayberry says he never heard of Stockton or University of the Pacific. 

“But I applied here, got an interview, and after visiting, just immediately fell in love with the campus and the surrounding area,” Mayberry says. “It’s a great place to raise a family because you have a good balance of things you can drive to, but it’s also quieter than a bigger city. Plus, it’s a little more affordable than the Bay Area where we moved from.” 

Mayberry says he was also attracted to the dedication of his colleagues and the university’s willingness to allow instructors to explore their interests. 

“We had a seminar program where any faculty could teach any class on any subject for first-year students to help them hone their oral and written communication skills, so I taught a class on metal music with one of my colleagues, which was really fun,” he says. “The other educators at the university have this passion for student-centered education that drew me in, and it felt like a place I could see myself being at for a long time. I’m now going on my 15th year.” 

Jeff Adkins

Building Better Communities 

After spending 11 years as a geography professor at Cal Poly Humboldt, Matthew Derrick, social science program director at Stanislaus State, says it was the opportunity to live in Stockton that attracted him to the university. Stanislaus State has two campuses for students, one in Turlock and another in Stockton. 

“I had my eye on Stockton as a city for years. It was a gem of a city as far as I could tell. I started visiting and realized it was a city with a lot of potential, so when an opportunity came up, I applied for the job as the director of social sciences,” Derrick says. 

Derrick was also drawn to the diversity of the student population – in terms of ethnicity, race and socioeconomic status. He says their diverse backgrounds have made them even more receptive to the social and civic projects he’s introduced. For example, students partnered with United Way to offer the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. 

“We helped some 400 families prepare their taxes, which resulted in more than $1 million in tax refunds,” he says. 

As the community grows, Derrick says, so does the opportunity to make a difference. 

“This is the largest city in California without its own full-fledged CSU campus, and I saw the opportunity to help grow the campus and to help the city realize a lot of its potential,” Derrick says.