MiraCosta College Employee and Program Honored by the San Diego North Economic and Development Council

A MiraCosta College employee and program were recognized at the annual San Diego North Economic Development Council event in Oceanside. The event celebrates the economic development achievements throughout North San Diego County.

Sudarshan Shaunak, a MiraCosta College employee who assists entrepreneurs grow existing businesses or start new businesses, and the Cooperative Education Reskilling and Training Pilot Program, which received $3.5 million in funding for an education reskilling and training program focusing on disadvantaged and unemployed adults were both recognized at the event.

“The San Diego North Economic Development Council is pleased to honor MiraCosta College for its contributions to the area’s economic vitality,” said W. Erik Bruvold, chief executive officer of the council.

Dr. Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, superintendent/president of MiraCosta College, explains that the awards recognize MiraCosta College’s many contributions to the region. “MiraCosta College provides training and education so our students can get jobs, get the skills they need for a better job, and show them how they can be innovative business leaders in our community,” Cooke said.

Sudershan Shaunak, is the director of North San Diego Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a program hosted by MiraCosta College, and supported by federal and state funding. Additionally, Shaunak is a valued member on MiraCosta College Foundation Board.

​Since 1999, the SBDC has helped MiraCosta students and local entrepreneurs start more than 650 new businesses, create, or retain over 3,700 jobs, obtain $168 million in financing, and win more than $616 million in government contracts. Shaunak’s team conducts over 120 workshops and provides free one-on-one mentoring services to over 1,000 business owners every year.

Shaunak was an entrepreneur before he joined the SBDC and uses the lessons he learned to mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. His expertise includes strategic planning, financial management, financing, business expansion/growth, and start-ups.

In 2014, he received the Anthony Vigil Small Business Advocacy Award, given by U.S. Small Business Administration to individuals who demonstrate exemplary advocacy, leadership, and extraordinary assistance for the small business community.

“I’m humbled and honored to receive this award,” Shaunak said. “We’re proud to support entrepreneurs who are creating a vibrant business community in North San Diego County.”

The second award to MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute recognizes the Cooperative Education Reskilling and Training Pilot Program, which received $3.5 million in funding for an education reskilling and training program focusing on disadvantaged and unemployed adults.

The program offers not-for-credit training that can be completed in three to six months in fields including engineer technician, machinist technology, unmanned systems, welding, biomedical equipment
technician, craft brewing technician. Paid internships allow participants to get on-the-job experience as they learn a new skill.

California Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath said paid internships through short-term training are vital to the state’s economic recovery.

“This program will help folks in our region gain the qualifications they need to compete for well-paying jobs, make career pivots, and more,” Boerner Horvath said. “With our economy in a period of transition, many Californians are in need of a whole different set of skills to break into lucrative industries and get ahead, and this training will help them get there.”

About MiraCosta College
The MiraCosta Community College District has served the coastal North San Diego County area for over 88 years. More than 19,000 credit students in over 80 disciplines enroll in associate degrees, university transfer, and workforce readiness certificate programs annually. The college also serves students with a wide spectrum of educational needs in the region ranging from programs for adult education, adults with disabilities, career preparation, older adults, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Additionally, students enjoy the fee-based programs through the District's Technology Career Institute in Carlsbad. MiraCosta College is one of 15 community colleges in California that offers bachelor's degrees to help students get jobs in high-demand fields. The college’s bachelor’s program in biomanufacturing prepares students to work in biological production, the unique segment of biotechnology where science thrives in partnership with quality and compliance.

As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), veteran and military supportive institution, and Achieving the Dream Leader College, MiraCosta College fosters the academic and holistic success of its diverse learners within a caring and equitable environment to strengthen the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the communities it serves.

MiraCosta College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).