Clovis Community College Holds Annual Breakfast

Clovis Community College President Lori Bennett speaking during the annual President’s Breakfast held at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District on September 24, 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLOVIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Hundreds of Clovis Community College (CCC) supporters joined students, faculty, and community leaders for the second annual President’s Breakfast on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.

President Lori Bennett, Ed.D, thanked the “Crush” sponsors, which included California Health Sciences University, KSEE 24, and the Fresno/Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau. She then addressed the many achievements of the college and students.

“Clovis Community College is one of the newest in the state and has already established itself as a leader in academic excellence,” said Dr. Bennett. “Across all 115 California Community Colleges,  Clovis Community College is ranked number one for the number of transfer students to UC’s and CSU’s (per 1,000 students); number one in Associate Degrees for Transfer earned (compared to similarly-sized community colleges); and number one in Associate Degrees earned with the fewest units accumulated, which means our students are not stacking up lots of unnecessary units or courses on their way to degree completion.  We are extremely proud to provide the academic excellence that supports such high levels of student achievement.  We want everyone to share our pride in creating opportunities, one student at a time.”

Clovis Community was just named the 2019 Champion for Higher Education for the second time. It is the fastest-growing community college in California, with an enrollment of over 13,000 students.

“We are proud to be the local choice for academic excellence, innovation, and student achievement,” said Dr. Bennett. “We want all students who come to our campus to know that they can achieve their dreams. We’ve worked on building and strengthening community partnerships and educational pathways…Over $100,000 was raised for 2019 scholarships. Your support truly makes a difference in our students’ lives.”

The video, A ‘Crush’ Perspective of Student Success, was played for the audience. It featured three students, Aaliyah Obel Jorgensen, Arturo Sanchez, and Shawn Bianchi expounding on their CCC experience. The support and encouragement they received enabled each of them to discover their passion and achieve their career goals.

Dr. Bennett praised the diversity and “grit and determination” of students. The school has a 90% retention rate with 34% of students in STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and 1,172 degrees and certificates were earned last year.

Students excelled in athletics too. Since athletic programs began in 2016, student-athletes earned 140 Kiwanis Torch of Excellence Winners, 11 four-year scholarships, and 35 individual state qualifiers, to note just a few.

“We set the bar high for ourselves and our students,” said Dr. Bennett. “We’re knocking down barriers.”

Heather Jamieson-Brown studied journalism at Fresno City College where she acted as a reporter for the award winning Fresno City Rampage, but took a break to be a caregiver for her ailing father who had Parkinson’s disease. She has three grown children and has lived in Clovis for 16 years. Heather has always loved reading books set in the American Old West, but rarely found any with strong female protagonists, thus, she wrote one. She is currently working as a reporter/journalist for the Clovis Roundup.