Board of Trustees’ Moon, Sinor, and Mims re-elected
San Jacinto College Board of Trustees members John Moon Jr., Keith Sinor, and Dan Mims were re-elected to their respective positions and took the oath of office at the College’s Board of Trustees meeting June 7, 2021.
Moon, the current vice chair, was elected to Position 5 in 2009. He is no stranger to the College, having attended San Jac after graduating from Sam Rayburn High School. Moon is a licensed real estate agent and a lifelong area resident. He has served as an adjunct professor at the College and is a certified public accountant. Moon serves on the College’s building committee and previously served on the finance committee.
Pasadena native and Deer Park resident Sinor graduated from Sam Rayburn High School and attended San Jac. In June 2011, he filled the remaining four years of Position 7, previously held by Wayne Slovacek. He is a certified public accountant, and after two years in public accounting, Sinor joined Sinor Engine Company Inc., where he had been a co-owner and chief financial officer. He is actively involved in the community, having served on Deer Park Rotary Club and Deer Park Chamber of Commerce boards. Sinor also serves on the College’s finance committee.
Mims has helped guide the College for more than a decade in various leadership roles on the Board of Trustees, including chair from 2013-2017. He also serves as the building committee chair. Mims is president of Mims Investment Inc., a local leasing and warehouse business. He served as president of Mims Meat Company Inc. before its sale in 2010. Mims is involved with the Association of Community College Trustees, Community College Association of Texas Trustees, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, the Rotary Club of North Shore, Houston Restaurant Association, and UniPro Foodservice.
Residents who live within Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, Sheldon, Channelview, Galena Park, and portions of the Clear Creek, Humble, and Pearland independent school districts elect the College’s trustees. Each position is for a six-year term, and elections are held in odd-numbered years.
College offers free child care and tuition for students
San Jacinto College students with children are eligible to receive free child care or be reimbursed for those costs through the new child care assistance program. This funding is granted through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
Any student who is enrolled full or part time in credit or non-credit courses at San Jac and has a child who is currently enrolled in a licensed child care facility is encouraged to apply at sanjac.edu/admissions-aid/scholarships-grants/childcare-assistance.
Interested students will submit a HEERF Childcare Assistance application and receipt or class schedule from the College. Assistance provided will be calculated based on need, class schedule, and grant availability. Applicants will receive full or partial child care funding based on these factors. Students will reapply for this grant each semester.
For students using San Jac child care, the grant will be distributed directly to the provider. Those students who have their children in community care centers will be reimbursed for payments made to the provider.
Also available is the Fast Track tuition discount program, which is available through the spring 2022 semester for credit certificates or the fall 2022 semester for non-credit certificates. The Fast Track tuition discount program covers the cost of obtaining a workforce certificate for high-demand careers. Students just need to register for any of the approved credit or non-credit programs.
San Jacinto College receives $30 million from MacKenzie Scott
Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott and her husband, Dan Jewett, donated $30 million to San Jacinto College, the largest private gift in the College’s history.
“The San Jacinto College Board of Trustees, the San Jacinto College Foundation Board of Directors, as well as our employees and students, both current and future, are deeply grateful for this very generous gift,” said Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer. “We weren’t expecting it, and it came at just the right time so we could put programs like 21Forward in place to help East Harris County students who made it through their senior year. These students were impacted by COVID, yet they persisted and graduated. We are honored to be able to use a portion of this gift to help students stay on their higher education pathway. We look forward to announcing plans for the remainder of the funding in the future. For now, we are stunned by this unbelievable gift and excited about the opportunities it provides for us to serve our community in new ways.”
San Jac announced the creation of the 21 Forward scholarship as a part of this generous donation. Scott donated more than $2.7 billion to 286 organizations throughout the country. She said, “Higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity, so we looked for two- and four-year institutions successfully educating students who come from communities that have been chronically underserved.”
For more information about grants and scholarships, visit sanjac.edu/grants.
San Jac Athletics gives strong showing at national tournaments
By Melissa Trevizo
The San Jacinto College baseball and softball teams competed in their respective National Junior College Athletic Association national tournaments after super regional and regional tournament wins in May.
The San Jacinto College softball team completed the 2021 season with a third-place finish at the NJCAA national tournament in Yuma, Arizona.
San Jac softball finished the season 43-10 overall after winning the Region XIV Tournament. The third-place national finish is the highest ever in school history (five appearances).
“I am extremely proud of our entire team,” said Head Coach Kelly Saenz. “These girls put everything they had into this season, facing some talented teams, to finish as one of the top three at the national tournament. I appreciate their dedication and work ethic throughout the entire season, and applaud them on a job well done.”
Sophomore Audrey Garcia was named to the all-tournament team and sophomore Alexis Uresti was named NJCAA Division I, Midwest Region First Team.
The San Jacinto College baseball team ended their 2021 season finishing third at the Alpine Bank Junior College (JUCO) World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
San Jac finished the season 51-15 overall including a Region XIV Tournament victory. The team’s JUCO world series appearance is the 27th in program history.
“I am extremely proud of what this team has accomplished, third place in the nation,” said Head Coach Tom Arrington. “They were a team that faced many adversities, but remained diligent in the work ethic and support of one another. Win or lose, they will always be a championship team.”
Give the gift of education Nov. 30
The season of generosity is almost here. Get a head start by giving the gift of education Nov. 30 on Giving Tuesday.
The San Jacinto College Foundation invites you to help provide scholarships for students who could not complete a degree or certificate without financial help. Or you may support other Foundation programs and initiatives that directly impact students. When you give, you can select the fund you want to support.
The Foundation’s 2021 Giving Tuesday fundraising goal is $10,000.
Foundation scholarships help students like Zahra Cope, who could not have completed her associate degree otherwise.
“The scholarships I have received through the San Jacinto College Foundation have provided a great deal of financial relief for me, and I can’t thank these scholarship donors enough,” Cope said.
Want to participate in the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign?
- Visit sanjac.edu/giving-tuesday on Nov. 30.
- Contact Courtney Hunter, alumni and annual giving coordinator, at 281-998-6104.
- Mail your donation (checks only) to 4624 Fairmont Parkway, Suite 210, Pasadena, TX 77504. Make payable to San Jacinto College Foundation.
Infielder Sabin Ceballos was presented the Jay Tolman Outstanding Defensive Player Award for the tournament. Ceballos along with outfielder Mason Auer and catcher Chase Adkinson were named to the all-tournament team.
