San Jac competing again for Aspen Prize San Jacinto College has been named a Top 200 community college in the nation by the Aspen Institute, a prestigious honor that highlights the College’s strong student success and outcomes. This national ranking honors San Jac’s commitment to academic excellence, equitable support services, and measurable results that help students complete credentials...

Jeri Rae Venegas never imagined her pet portrait paintings would lead to collaborations with luxury brands like Marc Jacobs and David Yurman. Now based in Austin, the San Jacinto College alumna balances commissioned work with her own artistic projects. Q: How did you get started in art? A: I grew up mostly in Friendswood and attended San Jac for about four years, taking only a few...

Caleb Hill felt as if he’d hit a grand slam when he enrolled at San Jacinto College: He was joining a champion baseball team and getting his degree covered 100%. The La Porte High School graduate has played ball since age 4, so it’s no surprise he wanted to continue swinging a bat in college and beyond. That’s when the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship stepped up to the plate, removing the...

Climb on the Magic Book Bus! San Jacinto College North Campus English professors Dr. Courtnee Fenner and Nikkol Baker took a cue from the popular 90s-era book and TV series to create an out-of-this-world literary experience for their students. In the “Magic School Bus,” Ms. Frizzle and her students take field trips across time and space to dive into science. In Fenner and Baker’s...

Lenny Gordon has been crazy about cars since childhood, when he shadowed his dad at a car dealership. As a teen, Gordon was tinkering under the hood of his own Chevy Camaro and interning at Monument Chevrolet through a high school auto tech program. It was Monument’s owner, Carroll Smith, who encouraged him to continue his studies at San Jacinto College. The College’s General Motors...

When emergencies strike, dispatchers are often the first to respond. San Jacinto College’s criminal justice dispatch occupational certificate program prepares students to become that vital connection between crisis and help. “The program is designed to give students the fundamental education and real-world experience required for a career in public safety and emergency communications,”...

San Jacinto College’s close partnerships with industry leaders play a critical role in keeping academic programs aligned with workforce needs. One example is Andrew Pakkala, an engineering design graphics graduate whose career has come full circle — from student to industry professional to advisory committee member helping guide the program’s future. Pakkala earned his Associate of...

San Jacinto College adjunct welding instructor Sharon Guerrero stands in a welding bay at the North Campus, surrounded by sparks and steel. At 27, she’s mastered a trade that satisfies her curiosity. “I used to look at structures and wonder, ‘How do they build that?’” she said. “Now I know how and what tools they used.”. Raised near Houston, Guerrero first enrolled at San Jac...