As someone who has worked at College of the Canyons for over two decades, I’ve seen the highs and lows. I was at the College Health and Wellness Center during the pandemic and experienced firsthand the challenges that come with change. In The Signal, I’ve read claims from those who support Scott Schauer, positioning him as a solution to chaos. The problem with this pitch? We are actually doing just fine — in fact, we are thriving under new leadership.  But it is true that we were heading down a destructive path under the prior administration. Confidence in executive leadership was at an all-time low for a multitude of reasons. It was Edel Alonso who helped to right the ship. I know this is still hard for many to believe, but for those of us who worked every day in the orbit of the past administration, it was a very bad situation behind closed doors. Change was urgently needed. It was time for a new vision.  We worked daily to preserve the outward-facing optics that the college was doing great, but internally, we were struggling. Edel Alonso had the courage to listen to us and make the tough decisions necessary to create a healthier campus environment for staff and students alike. In the past few months, employee morale has soared as a result. Our students have noticed and are thriving in the positive energy.  As a former counselor, Edel knows what it’s like to work directly with students and truly cares about their success. She is the choice of teachers and staff in this election, not because these employees are all part of a union, but because they are united in recognizing that Edel stood up for us when we needed her most. I hope you vote alongside college employees and join us in keeping the college moving forward with Edel. Gayle Freund Saugus The post Gayle Freund | COC Is Already Thriving appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.