2011 EVENTS:

2011 Distinguished Alumni Awards Presentation – October 1, 2011

Congratulations to the El Camino College 2011 Distinguished Alumni Awards honorees who were recognized at a reception and dinner attended by about 110 family and friends in the college’s newly renovated East Dining Room. The festive evening began with a reception where alumni reconnected, while the guitar duo of ECC music instructor Chris Mello and student Eliseo Borrero performed throughout the evening.

Derf Fredericks, past president of the El Camino College Foundation Board of Directors, served as master of ceremonies, while Foundation Board President Director Steve Napolitano provided closing remarks for the evening. Honorees, along with those who nominated them, shared entertaining and heartfelt stories about their time at ECC and how the college helped them achieve their goals.

Our honorees for 2011 include: David Benoit, Musician/Composer; Donald Brann, El Segundo Councilman and Vice President of the Da Vinci Schools’ Board of Trustees; Pat Furey, Los Angeles County Principal Deputy County Counsel; Michael Montoya, Director, Southern California Edison; and Cinna Toy-Wohlmuth, Doctor of Medicine. Several past Distinguished Alumni honorees were also in attendance, including Dennis Frandey (1970- 73), James Ferreira (1983-85), James Hill (1960- 62), Nils Johnson (1956-58), Kathryn Joiner (1952- 54), Jack Ledbetter (1952-54), Russ Lesser (1960- 62), Cliff Meidl (1989), Wayne Overbeck (1960-62), Virginia Pfiffner (1948-50), James Russell (1958- 60), Ian Teague (1961-63), Donna Toy-Chen (1975- 77), and Hope Witkowsky (1980).

El Camino College Annual Commencement - June 12, 2011

El Camino College celebrated its 64^th Annual Commencement on June 10, 2011 in Murdock Stadium. Mr. Harold Tyler, an ECC graduate and longtime director of student development delivered the commencement address.

Students from the El Camino College Class of 2011 are now on their way, pursuing further educational opportunities, or heading to outstanding careers. We celebrate their success and congratulate them on their accomplishments.

El Camino College Scholarship Award Ceremony - May 12, 2011

The 2011 Scholarship Awards Ceremony, held on May 12, 2011, awarded more than $350,000 to El Camino College students, thanks to the generous donations of El Camino College’s loyal supporters. A total of 347 scholarships were awarded, ranging from $150 to $5,000 each.

“We are profoundly grateful for the support of our generous donors, who understand the important role El Camino College plays in the community and especially in the lives of our students,” said Katie Gleason, Executive Director of the El Camino College Foundation.

Both donors and recipients were invited and honored at the ceremony held in the Marsee Auditorium.

Cherry Blossom Festival – March 8, 2011

With the spring breeze in the air, the El Camino College’s 11^th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival was held on March 8, 2011.

The annual “Dr. Nadine Ishitani Hata Memorial Cherry Blossom Festival” event is named after the college’s former Vice President of Academic Affairs, who passed away in 2005. She was instrumental in working with America Honda Motor Corporation to bring fifty Japanese cherry trees to the campus 11 years ago, one of the many programs she supported during her 34-year career at El Camino College. The trees were donated as a traditional gesture of friendship, similar to the gift given to the United States by Japan in 1912. Those cherry trees still bloom in Washington, DC.

Radiological technology student Nghi Le Trinh was presented with the Dr. Nadine Ishitani Hata Memorial Scholarship and Taiko Drummers from the Taiko Center of Los Angeles performed at the event.

2010 EVENTS:

September 25, 2010

The Road Ahead: Scholarship Fundraiser

El Camino College hosted more than a dozen celebrities from film and television as part of a fundraising event to support scholarships for students in financial need. “The Road Ahead: The Art of Storytelling” featured a lineup of today’s accomplished actors such as Justin Chambers, Tess Harper, John Heard and Miguel Sandoval, reading powerful short stories and quotes centered on an education theme.

The El Camino College Foundation partnered with WordTheatre, an organization dedicated to keeping the love of language and literature alive through the ancient tradition of storytelling.

Proceeds from this event support the Osher - California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment Program and other vital programs and services for El Camino College students. 

July 6, 2010

The college recently broke ground on a new Math, Business & Health Sciences Building, a project that includes a completely new structure that will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver criteria.  The four-story building at the site of the former Business Building will be approximately 115,000 square feet in size, with 58 classrooms, faculty offices, a drop-in computer lab and a tutoring center.  The Math and Business divisions will occupy the new building along with the Respiratory Therapy and Radiological Technology programs.  The Nursing program will also be housed in the new building, with a nursing skills lab and state-of-the art simulation lab with eight beds.

The $20.7 million project has an estimated completion date of September 2011.  The Math, Business & Health Sciences Building and numerous other facilities improvements on campus were made possible with funds from Measure E, the college’s facilities bond.

El Camino College Scholarship Awards Ceremony

The 2010 Scholarship Awards Ceremony, held on May 13, 2010, awarded more than $315,000 to El Camino College students, thanks to the generous donations of El Camino College’s loyal supporters.  A total of 322 scholarships were awarded, ranging from $150 to $2,000 each. 

“We are profoundly grateful for the support of our generous donors, who understand the important role El Camino College plays in the community and especially in the lives of our students,” said Katie Gleason, executive director of the El Camino College Foundation.

Both donors and recipients were invited and honored at the ceremony held in the Marsee Auditorium.

2009 EVENTS:

July 23, 2009

El Camino College Launches Historic Fundraising Effort

Prominent South Bay philanthropists Melanie and Richard Lundquist and El Camino Community College District Superintendent/President Thomas M. Fallo were joined by Los Angeles Major Antonio Villaraigosa at an event held on July 23 in El Segundo to kick off a fundraising drive to support student scholarships through the California Community College Scholarship Endowment.

In May 2008, the Bernard Osher Foundation made a generous gift in the amount of $25 million to the California Community Colleges system to fund scholarships throughout the state.  California’s 110 community colleges were challenged to raise $50 million in matching funds by June 2011.  When accomplished, the Osher Foundation will provide an additional $25 million, bringing the total for endowed scholarships to $100 million.  El Camino College is challenged to raise $1 million while participating in the largest scholarship program of its kind in community college history. 

Melanie Lundquist has committed to helping El Camino raise $1 million and an additional $500,000 for the statewide effort.  This is an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of students and one that we must not let pass by.  As Melanie Lundquist said, “It is the responsibility of all of us to leave the world a better place for the next generation.”

Southern California Edison made a significant contribution to the California Community College Scholarship Endowment to support El Camino College and other colleges within SCE’s service area.  The El Camino College Compton Center, Fullerton, Mt. San Antonio, Riverside and Ventura Community College will join El Camino College as recipients of SCE generous support.  Pedro Pizarro, SCE executive vice president, power operations, presented a $200,000 check to El Camino College President Thomas M. Fallo and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.  Southern California Edison will be investing $20 billion in California’s infrastructure and creating jobs throughout the state.  The Southern California Edison scholarships will support students and create the opportunity to pursue careers in various technical areas.  SCE is committed to education and their partnership is an integral part of the workforce and career development programs at community colleges and four-year institutions.

For more information about how you can support the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, contact Katie Gleason, Foundation Executive Director, at (310) 660-6040 or kgleason@elcamino.edu
 

2008 EVENTS:

October 18, 2008

A Private Concert with David Benoit

The El Camino College Foundation hosted a private concert performed by world-renowned jazz pianist David Benoit and special guest performer David Pack, both alumni of El Camino College. The concert was held at the beautiful Palos Verdes Estates home of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Teague.

Guests were treated to a beautiful sunset while enjoying a delicious buffet and listened to the delightful piano music of David Benoit and lovely singing of David Pack under a star-studded sky. The event was an overwhelming success with over 200 people in attendance.

Proceeds from the event will be used to support many Foundation programs, including the Foundation Book Fund program and other services that support our students.

We would like to thank the following sponsors whose support made this event possible: Southern California Edison, Supervisor Don Knabe, ExxonMobil, First California Bank and Citibank.

 

October 20, 2008

Learning Resource Center Opens

The new El Camino College Learning Resource Center is now open and ready to serve our students. A well-attended grand opening celebration featured inspiring speeches and a book signing by author Ray Bradbury.

The Eva Brown Peace and Tolerance Collection was also unveiled at the event, with Mrs. Brown available to sign copies of her book, “If You Save One Life.” Mrs. Brown, a survivor of the Holocaust and a distinguished speaker and author, presented a $10,000 check for the Eva Brown fund, to be used for Holocaust and tolerance educational materials including books and videos.

The new $13 million Learning Resource Center was funded with monies from Measure E - $5 million and state funds - $8 million. It includes a basic skills lab, campus archives, the Ella Rose Madden Nursing Collection, and a digital processing center. In addition, it houses the Distance Education/Incubator Conference Center, designed to foster innovative approaches to the educational process by enabling faculty to experiment with flexible learning environments and technologies.

 

JANUARY 29, 2008:

El Camino College Humanities Building Opens 

The brand new Humanities Building opened on January 29, 2008 with a grand opening celebration complete with an open house, reception and tours of the building.

The $30.9 million project is the first completely new instructional building on the El Camino College campus in nearly 40 years. The building replaces the last of the original “barracks-type” structures on campus, trucked up more than 60 years ago from the old Santa Ana Army Air Base in Orange County.

The three-story building is constructed of brick, concrete and glass, with energy-efficient features and utilizes recycled and eco-friendly materials wherever possible. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art smart technology and are designed to let in plenty of natural light. 

Thanks to all who supported Measure E, which made the Humanities Building and numerous other facilities improvements on campus possible.