Rio Hondo College has been selected to receive a NASA-sponsored California Space Grant that will provide 12 students with hands-on instruction in science, technology, engineering and math as a way of boosting their interest in STEM fields and raising academic performance. The grant, announced Jan. 30, brings the College $6,000 for student scholarships, $1,000 for equipment and $500 for faculty mentor awards. In addition, the consortium will fund a trip to either NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and will host online webinars on research topics.
Follow-up Story: Forty-five firefighters from across California hewed their way through structures and carved up cars during an 11-day advanced training course at Rio Hondo College’s annual Regional Truck Academy that concluded Feb. 3. The program, launched in 2006, offers professionals a mix of lectures and hands-on exercises, including forcible entry into burning structures, structure ventilation, high-rise operations, elevator rescues, rope rescues, thermal imaging, auto extraction and rapid intervention tactics. Photos are available.
Rio Hondo College Professors to Serve as Judges in Hillcrest Arts Fest
Rio Hondo College art history professor Sheila Lynch and design and drawing professor Ron Reeder will join four other art professionals to judge the 57th annual Hillcrest Festival of Fine Arts, set for Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, Feb. 26. The juried competition’s categories range from photography and water color to graphics/mixed media, sculpture and religious. More than 200 artists participate annually. The festival is hosted by Hillcrest Congregational Church, 2000 West Road, La Habra Heights. For information, go to www.hillcrestfestivaloffinearts.com/.
Rio Hondo College will showcase transfer and career pathways, honors programs, financial aid, adult re-entry programs and student support services at a Community Education Forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 11 at the Rio Hondo College Educational Center at Pico Rivera, 9426 Marjorie St., Pico Rivera. The forum will provide community members with a chance to meet faculty from Rio Hondo’s academic and career programs, including nursing, public safety, business administration and automotive technology. For details, call 562-908-3403 or email outreach@riohondo.edu. A light dinner will be served and drawings will be held.
Rio Hondo College will host a comprehensive Cash for College financial aid workshop and application lab on Saturday, Jan. 28 to assist students with funding their higher education journeys. The event will include guidance for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as the California Dream Act, including one-on-one support in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese. The workshop will begin at 10 a.m.; the application lab will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both will be held in the Rio Café, Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. To register, go to bit.ly/cash4college-rio17. For information, contact Los Angeles Cal-SOAP at Rio Hondo College, Room SS105 or 562-463-7026.
Local Police Agencies Scoop Up Rio Hondo Police Academy Graduates
Follow-up Story: Twenty-two of the 29 cadets who graduated Jan. 11 from Rio Hondo College’s Police Academy have been hired by area police agencies, including all four female cadets. Cadets from Class No. 203 will start their careers in Colton, El Monte, Hermosa Beach, Montclair, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Signal Hill, South Gate, Vernon and Westminster. Several will join California State University campus departments in Fullerton, Northridge and Los Angeles. The intense academy runs for six months and includes more than 1,000 hours of instruction in 42 public safety topics as well as grueling physical training. Eighteen police chiefs attended the graduation ceremony. Two days before the ceremony, students helped to raise money for the Special Olympics and honored a fallen colleague during their traditional Pride Run, held this year in San Fernando. Photos are available.
Follow-up Story: Rio Hondo College showcased transfer and career pathways, honors programs, financial aid, adult re-entry programs and student support services at a Community Education Forum on Jan. 19 at the College’s El Monte Educational Center. The forum provided community members with a chance to meet top-notch faculty from Rio Hondo’s academic and career programs, including its highly popular nursing, public safety, business administration and auto technology programs. Photos are available.
The 29 cadets of Rio Hondo College’s Police Academy will hold their traditional pre-graduation Pride Run at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9 in San Fernando, honoring fallen Officer Jesse Paderez. This is the first time the academy has chosen San Fernando for the run, which serves to remind students of the sacrifices made by police officers and start them on their careers with the spirit of community service. In addition to honoring Paderez, the run will raise money for the Special Olympics of Southern California. Community members are encouraged to line the run’s route and cheer on the cadets, who will graduate from Rio Hondo College’s rigorous training program on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Rio Hondo College’s Board of Trustees named Norma Edith Garcia as president for 2016-17, Madeline Shapiro as vice president and Vicky Santana as clerk during the group’s annual reorganization meeting on Dec. 14. The board includes Gary Mendez and Mary Ann Pacheco, the outgoing president. The College will engage with the community this winter and spring with a series of monthly community education forums highlighting Rio Hondo College’s student services as well as academic and career education programs.
Follow-up Story: The Rio Hondo Dance Collective will present its sixth annual holiday program at 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, staging a contemporary version of “The Nutcracker” with 27 dancers from Rio Hondo College as well as 70 community dancers from five area schools and the Rio Hondo College Child Development Center. The production is streamlined to one hour to create a more enjoyable experience for parents with small children. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door; children 5 and under are free. The event will include food and gifts for purchase, including homemade tamales, plus a visit from Santa Claus.The show will be held at Rio Hondo College's Wray Theater, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
