Awards
Dear Gavilan College Community,
I want to express gratitude and pride for the work that we are doing together to increase enrollments while creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students. I continue to be impressed by your dedication to student success.
I am thrilled to share with you some exciting news about our college!
I am excited to announce that Gavilan College has been awarded a five-year, $3 million Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) federal grant. This grant will benefit all students and support our dual enrollment efforts. It will also provide us with additional resources to assist students in completing their financial aid applications and educational plans. The grant includes funding to establish a First Year-Experience (FYE) pilot program for students. Thanks to Carina Cisneros, Dr. Craig-Marius, and our grant consultant, Tom Voden, from WRD Consulting, for their excellent work writing the winning grant!
Also, congratulations to Annette Guiterrez and the Higher Aspirations program team for being awarded a $1.5 million five-year Higher Aspirations Rising Scholars grant to support Juvenile justice-impacted students. We are one of 44 community colleges in the state awarded this grant! The grant will allow our Higher Aspiration program to expand on-site programming in juvenile facilities and alternative schools, thereby supporting the transition to college for these young people upon release. This is part of the investment from California to use higher education to mitigate the impacts of mass incarceration. Through our Higher Aspiration program, we have the unique opportunity to help reduce recidivism, change lives, and build stronger communities. These are perfect examples of our equity efforts in action!
On the community front, we have been recognized by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Foundation to receive the "Service Business of the Year Award" at their 102nd Annual Awards Dinner Dance. This recognition reflects our dedication and work to serve our community, particularly our students from San Benito County, as well as the extraordinary work behind the groundbreaking and construction of our new San Benito Campus. I want to recognize Judy Rodriguez and Josie Olivares for their many years of dedication to our Hollister site and students! Also, special thanks to Serafin Fernandez for leading our construction efforts in San Benito County. And, thanks to Serafin, Eddy Medal, and their respective teams, who worked together to organize an incredible groundbreaking ceremony that united our San Benito County community, with over 200 in attendance!
Here are some recent photos of our San Benito Campus construction activity. The first concrete pour took place last Friday, September 29th. The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2024 (assuming no weather delays).
(Aerial picture of San Benito campus showing concrete has been poured, outlining for buildings, with next picture being a close up of the cement foundation)
Congratulations to Judy Rodriguez, whose booth was awarded 3rd place at the San Benito County Fair! The booth helped promote our Gav 4 Free campaign. Thanks to trustees Jeanie Wallace and Irma Gonzalez for their support.
(Picture of Trustee Wallace with fake ears smiling) (picture of Trustee Gonzalez with fake ears smiling)
Finally, today (Friday), our Men’s soccer team faces off against our neighboring rivals from Hartnell College at 4 p.m. It will be an exciting game you won’t want to miss. Please come out and join me to show our support.
I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students. Through collaboration, we continue to provide our students with a high-quality education and help them succeed in their academic and personal goals. Have a great weekend!