For students, staff or visitors at Río Hondo College (RHC) who may have spotted a herd of goats on campus recently, there was no reason for alarm – they were on official business. The goats were intentionally released on campus on July 18 as part of RHC’s ongoing vegetation management and wildfire prevention efforts. Over the course of two weeks, the goats will visit several designated grazing areas on campus under the supervision of a professional herder and a border collie to ensure they remain within their specified zone. RHC will host a meet-and-greet with the working goat herd to provide students, the college community and visitors the opportunity to learn more about the goat grazing as a wildfire risk reduction, feed and take pictures with the goat herd team
Río Hondo College's (RHC) innovative approach to nursing education has garnered it a prestigious spot as one of only four institutions statewide to receive the 2024 Nursing Education Investment Grant from the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) on June 24. RHC will receive a share of FoundationCCC’s 2024 Nursing Education Investment Grant, which totals $450,000. The College will utilize the funds to partner with UbiSim, a virtual reality (VR) platform for nursing simulation, to equip its lab with immersive VR technology to enhance the clinical experience for its students.
A piece of Río Hondo College’s (RHC) campus will forever pay tribute to the legacy of Congresswoman Grace Napolitano long after she retires from public service later this year. The Río Hondo College Board of Trustees unanimously approved renaming the College’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Quad to the Grace F. Napolitano Quad at its July 10 meeting. The dedication honors Congresswoman Napolitano’s extensive contributions and advocacy for RHC, particularly its CTE programs over her 24-plus years in Congress. Napolitano delivered the keynote speech at RHC’s 2022 commencement and helped secure more than $2 million in federal funding to benefit RHC programs throughout her career in Congress. She was first elected to Congress in 1998 and served 13 terms in the House.
Rio Hondo College's Fourth Annual Forensics Showcase, “Beyond De’Bate Cave,” a clever title highlighting student success in debate and beyond, is scheduled for Thursday, March 6 from 7-9 p.m. at the Wray Theatre. The showcase will feature performances by Forensics and Debate students and a panel discussion moderated by a special “surprise” guest. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office) or 626-383-6367 (cell)
To kick off Women's History Month, Rio Hondo will be hosting its annual Women's History Conference with a keynote by Telemundo news anchor Dunia Elvir. Elvir was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Best Investigative Report in Los Angeles in 2001 and has won several local and international awards for her contributions to journalism. The conference, themed “Women Inspiring Hope and Possibility,” is a joint venture with the Whittier Union High School District and Soroptomist International of Whittier and will be held at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 7 at the Rio Hondo College Wray Theatre. About 300 students and visitors are anticipated to attend. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office) or 626-383-6367 (cell)
Rio Hondo will host its first-ever Regional High School Counselor Breakfast for approximately 100 counselors from 25 local high schools from 8 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. In addition to touring new state-of-the-art buildings on campus, including the Freshman Success Center and PE Complex, counselors will also hear about the Associate Degree with a Guarantee for transfer program, the Student Success Initiative and other programs that create a pipeline for local graduates toward college completion. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
The new Freshman Success Center at Rio Hondo has seen hundreds of students in its first semester, and is focused on guiding new students through the educational and transfer process. It is part of the College’s adopted Student Success Initiative. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
The EOP&S/CARE program at Rio Hondo College was successful in adopting all families who participated in the “Adopt-A-Child” program, in which faculty, staff, students and community members bought holiday gifts for the children of Rio Hondo College students in need. The gifts will be distributed to the families on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
Rio Hondo College will host a Board of Trustees Induction Ceremony and Reception at the Rio Café starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11 in honor of Trustee-elect Mary Ann Pacheco, and re-elected trustees Madeline Shapiro and Norma Edith Garciá. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
Ruthie Flores Retana is the new Director of Marketing and Communications at Rio Hondo College. She begins her new post on Monday, Dec. 2. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
The cast and director of “Geeks USA,” an independent film, will be on hand at the screening of the movie on Friday, Nov. 22 at Rio Hondo College’s Wray Theater to hold a Q&A with the audience. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
Rio Hondo College is hosting its first-ever Transfer Conference for its students on Thursday, Nov. 21. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)
Rio Hondo College veterans decided a traditional ceremony to celebrate Veterans’ Day was a little too dry for their taste, so they opted to make it funny. The RHC Veterans’ Club will host a comedy night filled with comics who also happen to be veterans at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6. All proceeds will go to the RHC Veterans’ Club. Contact: Christina Esparza, 909-445-1001 (office)