Genirberg Family Scholarship Established with $50,000 Gift to CCC Foundation
On a dreary February day in 2018, Contra Costa College Foundation Director Sara Marcellino answered her phone. Sam Genirberg, a 93-year-old Jewish activist and resident of El Cerrito, was on the other line. He was calling in response to a personal note he had received from the foundation, thanking him for the donation he had […]
‘You Only Have One Life!’ Says Business Major Quynh Pham
Quynh Pham was born and raised in Vietnam. She moved to the US just 14 years ago. “When I came here,” she recalls, “it was very hard for me to learn English. I was very nervous to talk to people. I’m scared I’ll pronounce things wrong. And, in Vietnam, we learned British English, and sometimes […]
CCC Brought Christine Sanok Out of Retirement–and Took Her to Italy!
It’s never too late to go back to school! Christine Sanok heard about CCC’s culinary program at her retirement dinner, from a friend who had heard her mention culinary school before. “I wanted to be a blessing to my family and friends,” Christine explains. “I wasn’t very confident in the kitchen. We host one event […]
Scholarships Created in Memory of Richmond Resident Whose Estate Gifted $835,000 to CCC Foundation
The Contra Costa College Foundation has received a gift of $835,000 from the estate of Geraldine M. Packard. The donation will fund 12 annual scholarships through the newly established Packard-Zell Scholarship Fund. “We are thrilled to be able to support even more students from our community looking for a second chance, thanks to the generosity […]
CNA Grad Tatiana Frank ‘Has Moved Way, Way Up The Ladder’
We all have to start somewhere. Tatiana Frank started in CCC’s Certified Nursing Assistant program. She came to CCC as a busy 17-year-old–with an admittedly bad attitude. “I would say I was a problem student,” she says. “Not major problems. I turned in my work. But, I’m not gonna lie, I did have an attitude.” It’s […]
Meet Study Abroad Scholar Jonathon Torres
The Contra Costa Community College District has a great study abroad program – but some years, no one from CCC applies at all! Retired Chancellor Dr. Helen Benjamin and retired Senior Dean of Research & Development Tim Clow want more students to be able to take advantage of this experience. That’s why they decided to create […]
Supporting the Students That I Cared So Much For: A Bequest to the CCC Foundation
I was introduced to Contra Costa College (CCC) when I was a one-year sabbatical leave replacement. I was then lucky enough to get hired full-time the following year. While my work life at CCC spanned everything from reference librarianship to teaching German, directing the choir to sponsoring the students’ academic honor society, the most gratifying […]
‘No One Can Take An Education Away’
Iracema Camargo Garcia has faced challenges that most of us can’t fathom. “I suffered a lot in my country,” she remembers. But Iracema is a fighter. No matter what challenges faced her, she persevered. Iracema emigrated from Mexico when she was 20 years old. “It was really hard,” Iracema says. “I came here and there […]
Digital Film Grad Hector Ortiz Wins Filmmaking Grant
This week, CCC graduate Hector Ortiz began principal photography on Announcement, the film for which he was awarded a grant by the Richmond Arts Commission. The short will focus on how the end of DACA impacts one Dreamer’s family. “Whether you support immigration rights or are against,” Hector says, “it’s definitely not going to be […]
‘I Was Able to Overcome What I Imagined to Be Impossible’
Josielyn Bustamante plans to become a civil engineer, in order to help others. “My aspiration,” Josielyn explains, “is to one day be able to help communities meet their basic human needs.” “Being a civil engineer will allow me to be able to design and build ways to facilitate transportation and access to water, such as […]
Kristin Lobos Found Self-Confidence at CCC
Kristin Lobos didn’t come to CCC for an associate degree. Inspired by her daughter’s struggle, Kristin had planned on earning a certificate in addiction treatment. “I had been through this experience with my daughter,” Kristin explains, “and I wanted to help other families. I did some research on where would be a good place to […]
Emergency Fund Helps Students Stay in School
Mayra Magana came to Contra Costa College to take English as a Second Language courses and pursue higher education. But she hasn’t had consistent access to a computer, which made doing coursework difficult. “I cannot stay here [on campus] to use these computers,” she explains, “because I need to get to work each day, too.” […]
Aspiring Novelist Gwendolyn Bullocks Says, ‘This is My Time!’
Gwendolyn Bullocks came to CCC with the goal of becoming a writer. “I used to always write. I have one book published. I want it where I travel with my books. I want to be a full-fledged novelist,” Gwendolyn explains. Gwendolyn will be graduating this May with degrees in English, Arts & Humanities, and Social […]
Duy Masuno Went from Business Major to Biotech Pro
Duy Masuno was born in Vietnam. When she was a teenager, her mother asked if she wanted to study abroad. Duy jumped at the opportunity. She moved to Los Angeles, where she completed high school. When family in the Bay Area told her mother that there was a community college right next to their home, […]
Student Emergency Fund Featured on Forbes Civic Nation
CCC’s New student emergency fund has been featured on Forbes’ Civic Nation Voice blog! In a post published this morning, Sara Marcellino, Development Officer for the Contra Costa College Foundation, describes the program in detail: If an otherwise dedicated student suddenly goes missing from class or confides in struggling to continue, faculty members, or college counselors are […]
Business Professor’s Estate Gifts $825,000 To College Foundation
The Contra Costa College Foundation has received a gift of $825,000 from the estate of retired business professor, Stephen C. Schaefer. The donation will support Contra Costa College students interested in business careers and related campus support activities. It will also fund the Stephen C. Schaefer Scholarship, which will be awarded to business students transferring […]
