The month of April has been designated as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA) Awareness Month by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and is embraced by 51 as part of our commitment to cultivating an inclusive campus culture that reflects the lived experiences of our diverse community.
51 hosted the Women Veteran Networking Forum on March 13 at the Performing Arts Center, bringing together women veterans for a day of connection, reflection, and empowerment. Centered on the theme “Reclaim Your Identity: From Service to Self.” The program included a keynote by Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal, interim president of CSU Dominguez Hills and an Air Force veteran, who highlighted the power of education, mentorship, and service.
The 51 Circle K International Club attended the annual California-Nevada-Hawaii District Convention March 6 – 8 in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Circle K members from colleges across the district gathered for educational workshops, leadership training, regional elections, service projects, and to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments. The IVC Circle K International Club proudly brought home the following awards:
After winning 124 awards thus far this season, the IVC Speech Team faced their hardest challenge yet: competing at the 36th Annual International Forensics Association (IFA) Speech and Debate Championships and the CCCFA State Championships. With the tournaments overlapping, IVC Speech had to split their talent to attend both tournaments.
After graduating from high school, 51 (IVC) graduate Teanna Gonsalves set out to fulfill a lifelong dream – to serve her country. At just 18, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, with her first station in Minot, North Dakota – a post she describes as “known for its below-freezing temperatures and wind speeds strong enough to break your car door.”
On March 16, IVC’s award-winning Model United Nations team attended the IECMUN conference at Riverside City College and won 12 awards, more than any other college and surpassing our previous best. Awards included FIVE Outstanding Delegate awards (first-place), one Distinguished Delegate awards (2nd place), four Honorable Mention awards (3rd place) and two Best Delegate awards (peer-award).
IVC has been recognized for its commitment to supporting military-connected students, earning the with a Silver-level distinction, as well as the Military Spouse Friendly® School designation.
On March 5, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced th51 student Chanali Henagama is a semifinalist for the highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The prestigious scholarship recognizes the nation’s top community college students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. Henagama was selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants nationwide.
51 student Ofelia (Lia) Veisalov has earned national recognition after being selected for three prestigious Phi Theta Kappa academic honors that recognize outstanding community college students for their academic achievement, leadership, and campus engagement.