It’s hard to believe that San Jacinto College has been serving the East Harris County area for 60 years. In that time, the Berlin wall was erected and toppled, John F. Kennedy and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were both assassinated, and the internet, Amazon, and Google were all born. Not to mention this last year in which we navigated a global pandemic. Through everything that happens, San Jacinto College continues to assist students in achieving their educational goals.

Thanks to your support, San Jacinto College has expanded. In 1961, the College started in two rented storefronts in downtown Pasadena. Over the years, we have opened five campuses, including Generation Park in 2020, during the pandemic. We also started the EDGE Center, where students get hands-on training at the Houston Spaceport to build the future of aerospace.

We’ve grown our course offerings also, whether it’s expanding current programs, like creating the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, or adding new degrees/certificates to keep up with workforce needs, like biomedical clinical equipment technician and cybersecurity. San Jacinto College has always been a front-runner in making sure our students get the education they need to advance their career goals and support today’s industries.

This year we are celebrating 60 years of excellence. That excellence includes being named one of the top five community colleges in the country (out of more than 1,100) by the Aspen Institute. It was the third time San Jacinto College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute. Recently, we were notified that we were named one of the 150 community colleges eligible for the $1 million 2023 Aspen prize.

Additionally, The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine ranked San Jacinto College in the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics once again. The College ranked third on the science technologies/technicians degree list and ninth on both the 2019-2020 total enrollment four-year schools and total associate degrees granted lists.

And with your help and gifts, the San Jacinto College Foundation has raised more than $68 million and awarded more than 100,000 scholarships over the past 60 years. The largest donation in the College’s history was the $30 million from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett. A significant portion of this donation has ensured that in-district students attending San Jacinto College the fall semester after high school graduation will not have to worry about the cost of tuition or books. This donation, which will be endowed by the Foundation, will serve as a last-dollar scholarship for all in-district high school graduates who carry a class load of 12 hours as part of the Promise @ San Jac scholarship program.

So, thank you! Thank you for your continued support! Thank you for believing in San Jacinto College and our vision to bring quality education to East Harris County! And thank you for always having the best interest of our students at heart!