San Jac receives Education Champion Award
San Jacinto College has received the Education Champion Award as a part of the 41st annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards.
This award honors the College’s commitment to service learning and its community service initiatives that provide students with hands-on experiences while benefiting the local community. The volunteer awards are presented by OneStar Foundation in partnership with the Office of the Texas Governor.
Service learning addresses community needs while giving San Jac students the chance to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. One impactful initiative is the See to Succeed eye care clinic, a collaborative effort with the Houston Health Department that provides vision care for Pasadena Independent School District students.
Each year, eye care technology students assist with exams, guide children in selecting frames, and help process prescriptions. In February 2025, nearly 1,400 K-12 students received comprehensive eye exams, with 96% also receiving eyeglasses.
The Governor’s Volunteer Awards, hosted by Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to their communities through volunteerism and service.
San Jac’s selection as the Education Champion Award recipient highlights its dedication to fostering student engagement, civic responsibility, and workforce readiness.
Hutchins named new vice chancellor of fiscal affairs
San Jacinto College recently named Carin Hutchins its new vice chancellor of fiscal affairs.
Hutchins joined the College in 2020 as associate vice chancellor of finance. In this role, she oversaw the comptroller’s office, student financial services, financial planning, analysis and budget, and the district records management office.
As the vice chancellor, Hutchins will lead several College departments, including facilities services, contracts and purchasing, auxiliary services, internal audit, safety, health and risk management, budgets, accounting and financial services, comptroller, office of grants management, office of emergency management, and the police department. She will also serve in an advisory board role with the San Jacinto College Foundation.
Hutchins began her career in public accounting working for Deloitte and Touche. She worked as assistant controller for the Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin and was later promoted to controller. Since that time, Hutchins has held positions with large community colleges.
She holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas and is a certified public accountant.
Children’s center re-accredited
The San Jacinto College Central Campus Children’s Center has earned re-accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, achieving an exceptional 91.96% pass rate. The accreditation is valid through February 2030.
The center is one of only four facilities in the Deer Park, La Porte, and Pasadena area accredited by the association. With more than 30 years of experience, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the nation’s leading organization in early childhood education accreditation, setting comprehensive standards for program quality, professional practices, and operational excellence.
This accreditation is widely recognized as the gold standard for early childhood education programs, representing a commitment to operational excellence and high-quality care.
The center, which has served the community for over 20 years, underwent a comprehensive evaluation process, including classroom observations and portfolio reviews. The re-accreditation process began immediately following the previous accreditation in September 2019.
