Dear Andrea,

I can't believe we're in the month of March already! Our Spring term is currently in full bloom and students are thriving, however, I am full of sadness as I write this message. In the past month, we've lost several El Camino Warriors. Long time ECC football Coach Don Jurk, who played on our very first football team and coached from 1950-1992, passed away on January 31st. He was still actively involved on campus helping with the selection of the annual Verry Scholarships.

On February 7th, we lost Mary Haag, long-time supporter and widow of Robert Haag, whose name lives on at El Camino in the "Robert Haag Recital Hall". Mary was a fixture on campus and attended many events at the Center for the Arts, and was also active with her own scholarships for El Camino students.

On Friday, February 23rd, we honored and recognized renowned ESPN commentator Chris Mortensen as an El Camino College Distinguished Alumnus as he was fighting throat cancer. Unfortunately, less than ten days later, he succumbed to his illness on March 3rd. And the very next day, we lost retired ECC faculty and Dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Dr. Gloria Miranda, who passed away after a brave fight with breast cancer.

Our hearts are heavy but we are all better people for knowing these four incredible individuals. They were Warriors in so many ways. May they Rest in Peace.

Andrea Sala

Executive Director

Enjoy a sneak peek of some fabulous photos from the evening HERE.

2024 Distinguished Alumni and Gratitude Award recipients with El Camino College President and Board of Trustees.

President Thames, Andrea Sala, and Dr. Wanda Austin after Austin delivered her dynamic keynote address.

2024 Distinguished Alumni with all past Distinguished Alumni honorees in attendance.

Several weeks ago, El Camino's F.I.R.S.T. (Formerly Incarcerated Re-Entry Students Thriving) students won first place for the Rising Scholars Challenge at California State University Los Angeles.

This annual symposium is specifically designed for community college students who have had a carceral experience.

Congratulations to our amazing students and coaching staff, who worked extremely hard to represent our FIRST program. We are very proud of all of you!

El Camino College's Onizuka Space Science Day is an annual STEM event for local science-minded students in grades 5-12 and is free to the public. The event honors astronaut Ellison Onizuka's memory and is dedicated to his dream of inspiring the youth of America to strive for and achieve their career goals.

This years’ featured astronaut and keynote speaker from NASA is Rick Mastracchio. Mastracchio was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He holds a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from the University of Connecticut, a Master's in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master's in Physical Science from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He has conducted nine spacewalks totaling 53 hours.

This year marks the 38th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident that took the lives of the seven crew members, including Ellison Onizuka. Additional event information can be found HERE.

A new student exhibit entitled, “Getting to ZERO,” just opened featuring El Camino architecture students who developed technological innovations of buildings to improve the environment and help climate change. “Getting to ZERO” is an exhibition and event series that centers around the topic of “de-carbonization” within the design and building industries. Since building construction accounts for nearly 40% of the total carbon emissions and 23% of the waste and debris in our environment, ECC’s architecture students have designed sustainable strategies to minimize waste and/or achieve zero carbon.

The exhibition highlights the science that goes into creating buildings that not only minimizes ecological impacts, but also nurture the natural environment. The exhibit also demonstrates the positive impact the architecture profession can have on the environment. Marc Yeber, ECC's Assistant Architecture Professor explains, “This effort breaks new ground on several levels for the college; it puts sustainability at the forefront by shining the spotlight on student-conceived ideas and it charts an educational pathway that students can pursue who are interested in sustainability."

The “Getting to Zero” exhibit runs through April 25 at the Art Gallery in the Arts Complex Building.

On Thursday, March 21st, the West Basin Municipal Water District will gather major water providers and employers in the South Bay/Los Angeles region for a Career Night at El Camino College. The goal is to connect employers to high schoolers, college students, and young adults who are interested in career pathways, job openings, training, and benefits that are available in the water industry. Participants will hear from water professionals, observe technical demonstrations and network throughout the program.

Thanks to WBMWD for hosting this valuable community resource.

To learn more about the event including participating employers, or to register, click HERE.

The El Camino College Foundation (EIN 95-3874302) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to fund and support student success programs at El Camino College.