It has been my privilege to serve on the San Jacinto College Board of Trustees for more than 25 years. Over this tenure, I have seen so many wonderful changes at San Jac that have made my pride in the College and community overflow. I have watched in awe as the College has evolved to meet the needs of this community and our students.
When it started, San Jacinto College was housed in two renovated buildings on South Shaver in downtown Pasadena. Today, the College has five campuses, with the most recent addition being Generation Park, which opened in 2020. This campus extends San Jac’s reach to the furthest northern part of our district, allowing new students to be a part of a nationally recognized community college. Also opened in the past year is the EDGE Center, right in the epicenter of the Houston Spaceport. On the cutting edge of cultivating talented, knowledgeable workers, the San Jac EDGE Center is set to continue to meet the needs of industry partners and make aerospace history.
This year, San Jac was named a Finalist with Distinction for The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, an award that recognizes the incredible work being done to help students reach their educational goals. This recognition once again places San Jacinto College among the top five community colleges in the nation. The College also was ranked ninth by The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine on its list of Top 100 Colleges and Universities for awarding associate degrees to Hispanic students. Every day, San Jac faculty and staff work with students to remove any barriers that may hinder their progress to earning a higher education credential.
The San Jacinto College Foundation has awarded approximately 21,000 students a scholarship in its 25- year history. These scholarships help to meet the needs of students wanting to further their educational goals. These scholarships not only impact the students, but their families who support them every step of the way. With the recent $30 million gift made by philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett, even more students will be able to meet their educational ambitions. The San Jacinto College Foundation is creating an endowment with a portion of the funds from this recent gift to ensure future high school graduates have the option of attending San Jac without a financial barrier hindering their progress. We extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been so generous and made a donation to San Jac. Your contribution has gone a long way to achieve the dreams of so many and we appreciate you immensely.
As we look at the path ahead for our region, our students, and our College, we do so with anticipation and excitement. The future looks exceptionally bright for San Jac. As the College continues to evolve with the needs of those who make it so remarkable, we invite you to evolve with us. Why not consider reskilling or upskilling your education, taking a continuing education course to learn a new talent, or getting involved as a volunteer? We thank you for your interest in San Jacinto College and hope you will come along with us as we grow and evolve for the next 60 years.
Thank you.
Marie Flickinger
Chair, San Jacinto College Board of Trustees