San Jac announces new College mascot

The wait is over! San Jacinto College introduces the community to its new mascot — the Raven.

In 2022, San Jac recognized the time to unify the College with one mascot representing its diverse community of students, employees, and alumni. But what best signifies the College spirit in mascot form?

More than 1,300 community members submitted ideas, with Ravens and Jaguars standing out as the two top contenders.

Last fall, the San Jac community voted. For one month, the lead mascot switched back and forth, showing how strong each contender was. Eventually, the Raven clawed its way to the top.

Now the process has begun to give the San Jac Raven life. San Jac will continue to work with the community to select a name, and the final design will be revealed in late spring.

While remembering its storied past with different campus mascots, San Jac is optimistic about the new Raven era and the traditions and memories ahead as one unified College.

State of the College focuses on serving community, adapting to change

State of the College

San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer delivered the annual State of the College address Nov. 10 at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, & Technology on the Central Campus.

The theme for the 2022 State of the College address was “A focus on the opportunities that are enriching to yoU, the community,” which focused on changes in three areas: the needs of San Jac students, the landscape in hiring and retaining employees, and the needs of business and community partners.

Audience members included the College’s Board of Trustees, elected officials, industry partners, community leaders, and San Jacinto College Foundation donors.

Interesting facts the Chancellor highlighted in her address include:

• In 2021, San Jac awarded credentials to 6,675 unique students — the largest number of unique students in the College’s history and a 15.6% increase over the previous year.
• The College has created three new Chancellor advisory councils this year: bio-pharm manufacturing, cyber security and cloud computing, and global logistics.
• In September, the College partnered with LyondellBasell for its Global Day of Caring to distribute more than 2,500 trees to community members.
• San Jac created a Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Twelve teams comprising 120 employees are researching and recommending ways the College can better serve the needs of students, employees, and the community.

San Jac community recovers after tornado

At San Jacinto College, our hearts go out to everyone whose homes, businesses, and lives were impacted by the severe weather Jan. 24.

Many in Pasadena, Deer Park, and Baytown will be picking up the pieces for some time after a tornado ripped through the community. The day after the disaster, San Jac opened the opportunity for our College community to give to emergency funds to help students and employees affected by this disaster. The San Jacinto College Foundation has been distributing these funds as quickly as possible based on need. Every donation, no matter the amount, is making a difference for those who were in the path of this storm.

Whether you donated, served meals, or donned work gloves and boots, thank you for helping our community rebuild. From tropical storms and hurricanes to tornadoes, our community unites after disasters. We are stronger together.

Emergencies happen anytime, but you can lessen the impact. Help San Jac students who are experiencing crises like severe weather, unexpected medical bills, and more. Visit sanjac.edu/donate and choose “Student Emergency Fund” to give.