Hello San Jacinto College friends and supporters!
I have had the honor and privilege of serving as San Jacinto College Chancellor for more than six years now, and I always tell people I meet that I have the best job in the world. I feel this way because of our people – our students, our employees, and our community. The work we are doing at San Jacinto College is changing lives, and I love being a part of that.
As the eighth largest community college in Texas – and the third largest in the Gulf Coast Region – we help students discover their educational pathway, and achieve their dreams and goals. We have 186 academic and technical programs taught by highly qualified faculty, with real-world success and career experience. And whether you call it good fortune or good location, San Jacinto College is at the heart of the industries that drive both the Gulf Coast and national economies.
At San Jacinto College, we recognize the need to provide well-trained workers who can receive top-notch training and graduate with the certificate or associate degree they need to enter the workforce. We also know that students who begin their education at a community college have better success when they transfer to a four-year college or university of their choice. We have put in place many resources to help our students get the most out of their first two years of college. You can read more about them on page six.
Since our founding more than 54 years ago, our focus has always been on student success. It always will be. If our students don’t succeed, we don’t succeed. Part of that success is ensuring that we have the right facilities and environment for teaching and learning. As we look toward the future, it is important that we build new facilities and update the old ones, so that we have the right space to help students succeed. We must provide up-to-date training spaces and replicate work environments that students will experience after graduation. We are designing buildings for optimal use with regards to classroom size, technology capacity, and energy efficiency.
Our students could not succeed without the relationships and partnerships we have with you, our community. These partnerships are critical in providing guidance for our curriculum, programs, and the internships for our students to receive real-world experience. Our partnerships with local independent school districts have been even more exciting, as we have developed multiple strategies to capitalize on and manage the new opportunities provided through House Bill 5 and the endorsement pathways.
As you read this issue of CareerFocus magazine, you will recognize the many ways that San Jacinto College is making an impact in our community. I invite you to visit any of our campuses for a tour, a fine arts or athletics event, or to speak with an enrollment specialist.
Best,
Brenda Hellyer, Ed.D.
Chancellor, San Jacinto College