By Mrs. Joanne Montgomery, President, Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees
Citrus College has ended the 2011-2012 academic year with a series of celebrations and activities. There were many wonderful accomplishments to be proud of despite a year of budget challenges. As president of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, I applaud the college's students, faculty and staff for their tenacity and collaboration, and I am honored to share some of these end-of-the-year highlights.
One week after its 97th anniversary, Citrus College conferred more than 1,300 associate degrees—an all-time high for the second consecutive year. This historic number of graduates illustrated the fact that more students are choosing Citrus College as the first step in their journey to obtain a college education. It also reflects a trend among the nation's community colleges that underscores the need for these viable and productive institutions.
For the sixth consecutive year, Citrus College garnered recognition as a national leader among the nation's 1,200 community colleges in awarding associate degrees. Community College Week magazine's annual "Top Producers" issue listed the college on five of its 44 lists - a record number for the institution. The rankings and categories included 33rd in associate degrees awarded to Hispanic students, 65th in associate degrees awarded to all minority students and 87th in associate degrees awarded to Asian-American students. These institutional successes are a direct reflection of our students' stellar academic performances.
I am very proud of the fact that students from Monrovia continue to excel at Citrus College. Ryan Keenan, a Monrovia High School graduate, was selected as a Key of Knowledge student, the college’s highest academic honor. A recipient of an American Society of Architects and Engineers scholarship, Ryan will attend Cal Poly Pomona as an architecture major. Austin Dyche, Christian Hansen, Julia Horejsi and Haley Keavy of Monrovia were honored among the college’s Top 100 Students for their academic achievements. In addition, Blanca Chanta and Teresa Ibarra Casteneda were among the first class of graduates to receive Associate Degrees for Transfer, enabling them to transfer into the California State University system as juniors. I congratulate these students for their accomplishments, and I wish them well in their educational and professional endeavors.
As always, it is an honor to represent the Monrovia community as a member of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees. Thank you for your interest and support.
Note: Montgomery represents Monrovia on the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees
