President’s Welcome
On behalf of the students, faculty and staff at Fullerton College, it is my pleasure to present the 2023 edition of Fullerton College Magazine. This spring, I am celebrating my first 100 days as Fullerton College’s eleventh president since the college was established in 1913. I carry this mantle with a deep-seeded respect to our thriving Hornet legacy that extends throughout our community and beyond and in service to lead the college with love, equity and commitment to student success.
In this issue of Fullerton College Magazine, we look back on the last year and share stories of innovations and celebrate a post-pandemic return to campus life. We celebrated a lot of firsts this year. Fullerton College is the first and only community college in California to partner with the Disney Aspire Program.
Many hourly employees at the Disneyland Resort live in our service area, and now with the support of their employer they can earn a free education, which helps them advance in their careers. Student-athlete Catherine Lee earned first place as the CCCAA State Championship in golf; our men’s basketball team took first in the CCCAA State Championship, and the Speech and Debate team earned first place at the National Forensics Association Championship. The Drone Lab, with support from the Friends of Fullerton College Foundation, established the first drone apprenticeship program in California. Additionally with faculty leading the charge, two new guaranteed transfer programs were established with Cal State Fullerton’s School of Accountancy and WesternU’s College of Pharmacy, charting out cost-effective paths to advanced degree attainment and well-paying careers.
While it is exciting to be the first, innovation and achievement also occur when we look at the way we do things and adjust as we go to meet the evolving needs of our students. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are themes woven throughout the storytelling in Fullerton College Magazine. We explore new student support programs such as The Hanger, the college’s career closet where students can get outfitted with business attire at no cost. We share our expansion of basic needs support through a free meal credit program, free parking and increased mental health support.
Our diverse students now benefit from bolstered staffing in the Student Development & Engagement Department which provides centralized support for the Cadena Cultural Center, LGBTQIA2S+, Umoja and Grads to Be. Our Theatre Arts program benefitted from creating a diversity equity and inclusion student representative to assure that student concerns about representation and humor were heard and addressed throughout a production of Marian or The True Tale of Robin Hood. Additionally, at press time for this publication, we celebrated the Ethnic Studies Department, which has been a leader in social justice for 50 years!
We plan and prepare for future success through the thoughtful design of the new Performing Arts Center and other renovations on campus. The historic qualities of our campus are being persevered as we modernize the 300 Building and build the Chapman Newell Building cohesively with the charm of our surrounding neighborhood.
At our large college of about 18,000 students, it is important that we conduct our work through an equity lens and provide spaces for communities to thrive. The intentionality of these efforts contributes to a stronger sense of belonging at the college. I am grateful for the expertise of our faculty, classified professionals, and administrators to keep students centered in everything they do.
Please enjoy this issue of Fullerton College Magazine and Go, Hornets!
With gratitude,
Cynthia Olivo, Ph.D.
President