San Jacinto College

New leaders take helm at San Jac San Jacinto College has welcomed several leaders into key roles while continuing to focus on student success, workforce preparation, and community impact. Dr. Alexander Okwonna was appointed the deputy chancellor and College president following the August 2026 retirement of Dr. Laurel Williamson, who served San Jac since 2007. Okwonna has spent 21 years with...

Adrian Torres was eating breakfast with friends when his phone rang. On the other end was Chef Chris Shepherd from the Southern Smoke Foundation yelling. Torres had already seen his name on the list of nominees. Now, hearing Shepherd’s voice, it became real. “We all cried and celebrated right there at the table,” he said. That morning marked the beginning of a remarkable run. On...

Students in San Jacinto College’s simulation and game design program took their classroom skills to the digital fighting arena with Soul Resurgence: Second Strike, the program’s first student-created fighting game. For David “DJ” Thomas, full-time lead professor of game and web development, watching students go from talking about games to building one is the best part of the...

Seven students and one professor in San Jacinto College’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in logistics and supply chain management program received more than $30,000 in Transportation Club of Houston scholarships. The scholarships represent 30% of the club’s funding to students in logistics, supply chain, and maritime programs in 2026. San Jac is the first community college to participate at...

Evelyn Zuniga was working in tech support before she knew that role existed. Since few other families at her apartment owned a computer, the preteen got used to troubleshooting printer problems and explaining Microsoft Word to neighbors. “I was the one teaching them everything, and I really enjoyed that,” she said. Zuniga little imagined this after-school hobby would become a...

When Dariana Zavala got home from kindergarten, school was just beginning. She would race to her bedroom, grab her dolls, and lead them in reciting their ABCs. Today, Zavala is no longer pretending to be a teacher but working toward becoming one, pursuing San Jacinto College’s Bachelor of Applied Science in early childhood education. And her childhood dream is happening thanks to the Promise...

With its pristine drywall and gleaming floors, San Jacinto College’s new Maritime Campus seemed an odd place for a student to clomp around in muddy boots. Far from careless, though, Warren Buhrman was committed to his maritime studies — coming straight from digging ditches to plotting charts and throwing lines. “My company allowed me to take a break for classes, then come back to work...

Stephanie Funderburg, a San Jacinto College employee of 13 years, has served as an administrative assistant in career and employment, a recruiter/outreach advisor, and is currently the coordinator of tours and events for the office of outreach and recruitment. “I never planned on being in education, but I’m so glad I ended up here,” she said. “I love working with a group of talented...

Protecting private data from cyberattack is 24/7 work. Pursue a rewarding cybersecurity career keeping hackers, viruses, and terrorists at bay. San Jacinto College offers a Bachelor of Applied Technology in information technology with an emphasis in cybersecurity. San Jacinto College An Equal Opportunity Institution sanjac.edu/accreditation Learn...