Skyline College has lost another one of its students. Lois Cornejo, who had taken classes such as creative writing, fitness, dance, poetry and yoga at Skyline College for the past 22 years, passed away on Jan 29. She was 66.
         Mrs. Cornejo was published poet–her work was featured in the Talisman, Skyline College’s annually literary magazine run by students from the Creative Arts department.
         “She had a great appreciation for the arts in all aspects,” said James Herndon, head of Skyline’s campus security, in an email to staff and faculty.
         Katherine Harer, a Language Arts faculty member who had known Mrs. Cornejo for about six years, described her as a very vivacious and energetic person who enjoyed poetry and music projects.
         “She was very original, and was moved by things in daily life,” Harer said. “She once wrote a poem about some men at a Los Lobos concert–how macho they were acting but at the same time, how cute it was. It’s hard to imagine she’s gone. She seemed so much younger.”
         Mrs. Cornejo was also a retired elementary school teacher, who taught at ER Taylor Elementary School, in the San Francisco Unified School District.
         According to Cathy Welsh, an administrative assistant in the Language arts Department, she was a very friendly, hard-working woman and was always busy. Welsh knew Mrs. Cornejo through physical education classes they took together.”It was a surprise and a shock and it came too soon,” Welsh said. “She had more life in her.”
         In addition, she said that Lois was a very nice woman who loved her children and was very proud of them.
         Mrs. Cornejo is survived by her son, Steven Cornejo, a member of campus security who has worked at Skyline for the past 10 years. He was unavailable for comment at press time.