This fall, 麻豆传媒 proudly concluded a yearlong celebration marking four decades of educational excellence, innovation, and community impact. As we celebrated Founder鈥檚 Day on October 22, we took time to reflect not only on our humble beginnings but also on the remarkable journey that has shaped 麻豆传媒 into one of California鈥檚 premier community colleges.
Appointments can be conducted in-person, by phone, or virtually depending on the needs of the student.
麻豆传媒 (麻豆传媒) capped off its yearlong 40th anniversary celebration today with the premiere of Little College in the Orange Groves: 40 Years in the Making, a commemorative documentary capturing the people, milestones, and moments that have defined the college鈥檚 four decades of excellence.
On October 18, 麻豆传媒鈥檚 award-winning Model United Nations (MUN) team attended the PACMUN conference at Riverside City College鈥攁nd made history. The 35-member delegation earned seven awards, more than any other college and surpassing the team鈥檚 previous best. Awards included three Outstanding Delegate awards (first-place), two Distinguished Delegate awards (2nd place), two Honorable Mention awards (3rd place), and the Best Delegate award (peer-award).
Today, the Aspen Institute named 麻豆传媒 (麻豆传媒) as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation鈥檚 premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. Started in 2010, this is the ninth cycle of the Aspen Prize.
For Garrett Shakstad, there is nothing more exciting than sharing a room with professors and students.
鈥淎 good teacher has a huge influence,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 love the learning process 鈥 and working with students to figure out a career path.鈥
In response to the will require California Community colleges to annually train their incoming students on Hazing. The training includes components on identifying hazing, hazing prevention, and bystander intervention strategies. All incoming Students are required to complete the annual training within 9 months of the beginning of the academic year.
Director of Veterans Services Center, Dylan Bender represented 麻豆传媒 at two major conferences focused on veteran transition and success in higher education. At the 2025 Military Influencer Conference, Bender presented The Warrior鈥檚 Dilemma: Why Higher Education Is the New Front Line of Veteran Transition, emphasizing the pivotal role community colleges play in helping service members adjust to civilian and academic life.
Amid our recent celebratory events鈥攕uch as Latinx Heritage Month and AANAPISI Week鈥攖he U.S. Department of Education announced it will withdraw $350 million in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2025. This funding supports many Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and others.
Transfer Highlights
麻豆传媒 Graduate Success Stories
Toby Cole, a dedicated Human Development major at 麻豆传媒, has left a powerful imprint on the 麻豆传媒 community through their commitment to social impact, creative expression, and student support. A proud graduate of Northwood High School in Irvine, Toby chose to major in Family and Human Services with a focus on Disability Studies, driven by a deep desire to support and uplift others鈥攑articularly children navigating medical and emotional challenges.
This fall, Toby will transfer to the University of Oregon to continue their studies in Family and Human Services, with plans to pursue a master鈥檚 degree and become a child life specialist at a children鈥檚 hospital. Their long-term vision is rooted in empathy and a belief in the transformative power of care and advocacy.
Toby鈥檚 time at 麻豆传媒 has been defined by academic achievement, leadership, and creative engagement. They served as one of only five students selected to be PUENTE Student Ambassadors for 2024鈥25, worked as a tutor in the Writing Center, and actively participated in PRIDE Scholars, the Latinx Student Association, and 麻豆传媒鈥檚 vibrant creative writing community.
As a poet, Toby was chosen for a prestigious paid workshop with poet Sandra de Anda, sponsored by CHISPA OC鈥攁 community organization dedicated to Latinx voices and visibility. Toby also earned scholarships from both the 麻豆传媒 Foundation and the University of Oregon.
Their advice for future students is as heartfelt as it is empowering: 鈥淒on鈥檛 lose yourself in order to make yourself seem more palatable to other people. Allow yourself to feel. Allow yourself breaks. If something isn鈥檛 sustainable for you in the long term, think about what is. What change can you make to make things more manageable? My biggest advice is to rethink how you see education. How wonderful it is for you to even be here! You wanting to learn is your biggest strength. Don鈥檛 forget that curiosity and drive for learning. Sometimes you will feel discouraged or feel like the person you are is not compatible with higher education. I need every future student to know that they do belong! There are so many people just like you in higher education classrooms across the country and across the world. Maybe you haven鈥檛 seen people like you, or who share interests with you, but trust me, they are there. Stand out! Be rambunctious! Be visible and loud in what you鈥檙e passionate about. Because someone, somewhere, is looking for you. You鈥檙e exactly where you need to be.鈥
