A grand entrance: College opens fifth campus
In October, San Jacinto College held a ribbon cutting for its fifth and northernmost campus, Generation Park. Faculty, administrators, trustees, community members, and other supporters gathered at the 55,000-square-foot facility that opened to students in fall 2020 on the 57-acre campus.
The College also celebrated five other new facilities this past fall to better serve the community.
The Board of Trustees and Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer cut the ribbon for the Central Campus Welcome Center, South Campus Cosmetology Center, South Campus Engineering and Technology Center, North Campus Cosmetology and Culinary Center, and the EDGE Center.
While the buildings officially welcomed students in 2020, the grand opening events were postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
To learn about these events and see more photos, visit www.sanjac.edu/grand-openings.
Wigginton joins National Presidential Fellowship for Community College Leaders
San Jacinto College Central Campus provost Van A. Wigginton joins 39 other leaders in the 2021-2022 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. This leadership program selects the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher, more equitable levels of student success.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to have been selected for this opportunity,” said Wigginton, who began his career at San Jac as a government professor in 1995. “I’m looking forward to working with educational leaders from across the country as we strive to promote student success as well as expand opportunities for the students and communities we serve.”
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program created the fellowship in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative. The Rising Presidents Fellows began their 10-month fellowship in November 2021. The fellows are mentored by esteemed current and former community college presidents who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers. They will also learn strategies to improve student outcomes in and after college, lead internal change, and create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools, four-year institutions, employers, and other partners.
With your help, San Jac promises to cover high school grads’ tuition
Be the hero of a student’s story! You can help students earn their degree or certificate debt-free by contributing to a new San Jacinto College Foundation endowment.
Thanks to a generous $30 million donation from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett in spring 2021, the College is expanding the Promise @ San Jac scholarship by establishing a student success endowment. We need your help to raise the remaining $10 million to fully fund the endowment.
With this expansion, beginning with the class of 2022, all high school graduates who live inside the College district and attend college full-time can earn a workforce credential or an associate degree at San Jac with 100 percent of their tuition and books covered.
Promise @ San Jac started in 2020 with three high schools from Pasadena ISD. This last-dollar scholarship covers students’ remaining financial need after federal and state aid, grants, and other scholarships are applied.
Dobie High School graduate Azhia Alvarez is a current Promise student who is fulfilling her dream of attending college without burdening her parents financially.
“Being a first-generation college student, Promise is allowing me to be the first person in my family to attend college,” Alvarez said.
Expanding Promise to cover all in-district high school graduates creates a stronger community and workforce. With fewer worries about school expenses, students can focus on their studies and have a better chance of transfer, sustainable jobs, and an enriched quality of life.
San Jac continually looks for ways to remove barriers students face in achieving their educational and professional goals. Expanding Promise @ San Jac with your help is one of those ways.
“We are promising that in-district high school graduates who attend San Jac full time and work hard can have a bright future where paying for a quality education is no longer a concern,” said Dr. Allatia Harris, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives, workforce development, community relations, and diversity.
To learn more about Promise and the student success endowment or to give, visit www.sanjac.edu/promise-endowment.
