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.
To honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, Rose Hills Memorial Park is presenting “Juan Diego & the Beautiful Lady,” a free outdoor theater performance for the community from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4 at Mission Hills Plaza at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. The bilingual play is directed and performed by Rio Hondo College theatre arts students, along with pupils from St. Marianne de Paredes Elementary School in Pico Rivera. After the performance, dancers from Pacifico Dance Co. will lead a procession following the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Sky Rose Chapel for a special blessing
Follow-up Story: Rio Hondo College students, faculty and staff have donated close to 250 backpacks and suitcases for foster children and youths as part of the College’s third annual Case of Hope Drive. The donations, which included gifts from community members, far exceeded the 150 bags donated in 2015, and came with an added surprise: a donation of 200 toys by a Rio Hondo College graduate.
Rio Hondo College Stands in Solidarity with Students
Rio Hondo College is exploring ways it may legally shield undocumented students from immigration actions, according to a Nov. 16 letter to the campus community from College leaders. The letter, signed by Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss and Board of Trustees President Mary Ann Pacheco, affirms the College’s support for all its diverse community members. The letter follows action by the Board of Trustees to reassure the campus community of its support in the wake of community concerns following the presidential election.
Rio Hondo College women’s tennis team will host The Unger Games, a round-robin tennis tournament that offers prizes for the top finishers, at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. Named for tennis coach Karen Unger, The Unger Games is an annual outreach event that raises funds for the program. Gates open at 9 a.m. for individuals who wish to warm up before the tournament. Partners are randomly chosen for all rounds but one. The tournament is at the Rio Hondo College tennis courts, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
