Follow-up Story: The Rio Hondo College Foundation held its annual A Taste of Rio May 6, raising more than $102,000. The food and wine tasting event featured fare from more than 14 restaurants, tastings of wine, beer and spirits, and more than 60 drawing prizes, which included getaways, Disneyland tickets, gift baskets and tickets for entertainment venues.
Follow-up Story: Follow-up Story: More than 300 students attended the 21st annual Women’s Conference, themed “Courage to Dream,” a joint venture between the Whittier Union High School District, Rio Hondo College and Soroptimist International of Whittier in celebration of Women’s History Month. The program featured three sessions of workshops focusing on women’s wellness in body, mind and soul, with topics ranging from relationships and financial literacy to college survival and self-defense. ABC7 Eyewitness News traffic reporter Alysha Del Valle delivered the keynote address on her extensive experience as a news reporter.
Follow-up Story: Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Felicity Huffman shared the challenges of her acting career and offered advice to students during a March 2 talk that held a standing-room-only audience rapt at Rio Hondo College’s sixth annual Forensics Showcase. Huffman, part of the ensemble for ABC’s critically acclaimed “American Crime,” won a Golden Globe for her role in “Transamerica,” for which she was also nominated for an Academy Award. The showcase highlighted performances by members of the Forensic Speech and Debate Team who will represent the College at state and national tournaments.
Rio Hondo College will begin offering three new two-year associate degree programs in fall semester 2016, including one that brings a guarantee of admission to California State University (CSU) campuses. The new courses of study are Associate of Arts in Social Work, an Associate of Arts in Dance and an Associate of Arts for Transfer in Economics. The economics degree, approved in August, is part of the growing system of two-year degrees that include the transfer guarantee. The California Community Colleges approved the social work degree in December 2015 and the dance degree in January. In both cases, Rio Hondo educators decided to offer a local AA degree because the college system hasn’t finalized the elements for a guaranteed transfer degree. The Rio Hondo degree programs mirror the requirements of a degree for transfer.
Rio Hondo College Spanish professor and noted poet Zaro explores the local literary landscape through Poetry.LA, a collaborative that showcases the work of the region’s talented writers. In just over three years, he has hosted 25 video interviews, including his most recent one with L.A.’s poet laureate, Luis J. Rodriguez. Ask Zaro what drives his interest, and he'll you that he has been intrigued by L.A.’s literary vitality since he arrived here two decades ago. In addition to his interview series, Zaro promotes the arts at Rio Hondo College and in the surrounding communities.
Rio Hondo College will conclude spring dates for free star and planet gazing at the Gordon D. Crowell Astrophysical Observatory at 8 p.m. Friday, May 13. The College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Guests should arrive 15 to 20 minutes early and park in Lot C in front of the Child Development Center. The walk to the observatory is about half a mile uphill. Flashlights are not required. Viewing is contingent on clear weather. For information, call 562-692-0921, ext. 3742.
Rio Hondo College will conclude its 2016 program of free basic income tax return help with one final day of service, from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13. IRS-certified students from help with tax preparation for qualifying individuals and families who earned $52,000 or less in 2015 as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Call 562-463-7359 to make appointments. Those seeking aid will need to bring identification as well as all pertinent tax documents and records.
Rio Hondo College’s Student Services Division will partner with Assembly Member Ian C. Calderon, D-Whittier, and the Long Beach California Student Opportunity and Access Program (CalSOAP) to hold a Cash for College workshop and application lab on Saturday, Feb. 6, at the College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. The workshop will run from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by the application lab from 10 a.m. to noon. Applicants will receive advice, access to computers and help in filling out forms, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The deadline for 2016-17 aid applications is March 2.
Rio Hondo College is doubling the size of its Santa Fe Springs training facility for firefighters and homeland security programs, acquiring 3 acres previously leased. The expanded 6.1-acre footprint gives the College greater flexibility in its development of what many already consider to be the area’s top center for teaching firefighter cadets and training first responders in advanced techniques for natural disasters, hazardous material spills and terrorist attacks. The College has used the land under a lease agreement for nearly nine years, constructing $2.1 million in training props and infrastructure. In 2012, the College worked in collaboration with the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department to open a regional Homeland Security Training Center to serve Los Angeles County on the property. The center is used non-stop by area firefighters and public safety agencies, including area SWAT teams.
Follow-up Story: A Ugandan children’s choir performed Feb. 18 at Rio Hondo College’s Wray Theater during the California leg of its 2015-16 world tour to raise awareness of African children orphaned or who face significant health challenges. The Watoto Children’s Choir was founded in 1994 and includes four adults and 18 children – all of whom have lost one or both their parents. The choir is part of the Watoto Church, which creates villages to care for orphaned children, providing them with stable homes and access to education and health care. The group was invited to perform its “Oh, What Love” tour by Rio Hondo Choral Director Kellori Dower.
