Courier

Media Credit: Michael Barron Del Cid Assistant Dean of Special Services Kent Yamauchi is also an adjunct faculty of psychology at PCC. He has worked at the college since 1981.

Helping students on a regular basis is exactly what Kent Yamauchi is known for as assistant dean of special services.

Yamauchi has been the administrator for three areas on campus-Student Health Services, Psychological Services and Disabled Student Programs and Services-since 1993.

An adjunct faculty in psychology since 1987, Yamauchi also teaches courses in introductory, social and developmental psychology for the Division of Social Sciences, as well as a course for the Division of Health Sciences in applied psychology for dental assistants.

If anyone were to stop by his office, he or she would know exactly what school Yamauchi attended in the 1970s. His office is filled with memorabilia from the University of Southern California.

USC is where he first thought about a career in dentistry, but later switched to psychology while reading psychology books to his legally blind roommate.

After receiving both his bachelor's and master's degrees at USC, he attended the California School of Professional Psychology to get another master's in psychology and received a doctorate in 1981.

Yamauchi was hired as PCC's counseling psychologist in 1984.

Best thing about college: "What I really enjoyed was the opportunity to meet a variety of people from around the world."

Worst thing about college: "Always having something that was due. Back then we would end our classes before Christmas and come back for final exams in early January. Talk about a spoiler for your winter break."

Most interesting college experience: "The most interesting college experience I had was when I was enrolled in a program called the human development semester."

Yamauchi explains that the four course program was coordinated to look at different areas of study: psychology, sociology, biology and social work.

He did an end-of-semester project which was way ahead of its time: prepared child birth, or what is now known as Lamaze classes. Yamauchi remembers his father didn't quite understand why men would want to get involved with childbirth.

One thing I'd change: "[I would] take the time to meet more people with different ideas."

What you know now you wish you knew then: "Try to take things a little easier. Not be so hard on myself and push myself so hard."

Secretary Opinion: "The first thing that comes to mind is an outstanding person and boss, an all-around genuine good person," said Carma Howard.

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