2021 Commencement Program

History of the College It was a college starting from scratch – no name, no firm location and no construction funding. But from the moment the idea was born, Grossmont College promised to become one of the county’s leading higher education institutions. Following several years of study involving both lay and educational groups, the voters of the area approved the formation of the Grossmont Junior College District in an election held Nov. 8, 1960. The first official organizational meeting of the Grossmont Junior College Governing Board occurred July 1, 1961. With an opening enrollment of 1,538, the first college classes convened Sept. 11, 1961, on the Monte Vista High School campus in Spring Valley. In an election held Sept. 18, 1962, voters approved a $7.5 million facilities bond. The Governing Board moved to purchase a 135-acre site located on a scenic mesa in the Fletcher Hills area adjacent to the cities of El Cajon and La Mesa. Ground was broken for the new campus in December 1963. Even before construction was completed, the administrative offices were moved to the new campus and classes opened Sept. 14, 1964. The Grossmont College campus was officially dedicated Dec. 12, 1964. The first increment of the campus was planned to accommodate an enrollment of 2,500 daytime students, with the completed campus expected to serve 4,800 students. On Oct. 18, 1965, a second bond election for $3.5 million was passed by area voters, making it possible to complete the master plan. New facilities were completed Sept. 25, 1967. In 1970, state legislation changed the term “junior college” in California codes to “community college.” On Jan. 6, 1971, the San Diego County Board of Education approved a petition from the Grossmont Junior College District to change its designation to the Grossmont Community College District. On March 5, 1985, the Governing Board officially changed the name of the district to the Grossmont- Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD) to reflect the establishment of Cuyamaca College. Proposition R, the district’s $202 million facilities bond measure, was approved in 2002, allowing the construction of the Learning and Technology Resource Center, the Science Laboratory Building, the Digital Arts and Sculpture Building Complex, the Health and Sciences Complex, and a multi-story parking structure. The college’s new student center, Griffin Center, and the Student Services and Administrative Building opened in spring 2012. In 2013, East County voters approved Proposition V, GCCCD’s $398 million bond measure, which will make it possible to renovate or replace aging, overcrowded facilities; modernize college technology; improve safety, security, and access for disabled students; and create a Veterans Support Center and an East County Workforce Solutions Training Center. Today, Grossmont College is transforming lives through education by offering more than 150 degree and certificate programs, including university transfer and career education courses. Grossmont College also offers a full range of student activities and clubs, as well as 17 intercollegiate athletic teams. Enrollment has remained steady at a level of more than 16,000 students since the mid-1970s, rising to 17,484 students in 1991 and 18,241 students in 2002. In fall 2009, enrollment exceeded 20,000 students for the first time with 20,362 students, and increased to the highest level ever in spring 2010 with 20,793 students. The total number of degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021 is 3,687. -2- Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board Elena Adams Linda Cartwright Debbie Justeson Brad Monroe Julie Schorr Benjamin Blevins, Student Trustee Priscilla Ortiz, Student Trustee Mission Statement Grossmont College provides an exemplary higher education learning environment through comprehensive and innovative instructional programs and student support services. By advancing equity and inclusion, we prepare our diverse student population to lead and engage with local and global communities. We fulfill our mission by providing the people of East San Diego County and other communities with: ● Associate/transfer degrees and certificate programs ● Career education and workforce development ● Preparation for collegiate success ● Exploration of academic and career options ● Lifelong learning opportunities The Grossmont College Seal The seal of Grossmont College is used on official academic documents. It includes the Griffin symbol, which is the half-eagle, half-lion of Greek mythology, combining their qualities of courage, strength, and swiftness. The Griffin was charged with guarding the treasures of the ancient world. The three Greek words are Tharros, Dynamis, and Philosophia, which means courage, strength, and love of wisdom. Degrees and Certificates Granted Granting of the associate in arts degree or the associate in science degree to a student indicates successful completion of basic and general educational requirements plus evidence of proficiency in a specialized field. In addition, a certificate of achievement is available to those who have attained well-defined levels of skill and knowledge in designated areas. As a member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, certain courses taken at Grossmont College are accepted on transfer by the University of California, all California State Universities, and by most public and private four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States. -3- Commencement Program Processional. “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar Welcome & Remarks. Marsha Gable, Ed.D. Interim President Greeting . Lynn Ceresino Neault, Ed.D. Chancellor, GCCCD Brad Monroe GCCCD Board President Conferring of Degrees and Certificates. Marsha Gable, Ed.D. Interim President Student Remarks......................................... King Wong ASGC President Commencement Address. Melissa Shields Class of 2021 Student Speaker Presentation of Class of 2021 Presentation of Degrees and Certificates of Achievement -4- 2020-2021 Full-Time Distinguished Faculty Honoree Sue Gonda History Retired professor emeritus Dr. Sue Gonda began her career in the 1970s as a secretary. In Detroit where she grew up, she worked for law firms and, after moving to San Diego, at a medical center. Law and medicine inspired her to enroll at San Diego State University at age 28, completing a bachelor’s degree in history in 1990. Gonda fell in love with women’s history, seeing women as important history makers and builders of the country’s diverse communities. In her University of California Los Angeles doctoral studies, she pursued an original mix of legal and medical theories about women and how they informed ideas about consensual sex, rape, seduction, and women’s worth. She researched and published about 19th-Century San Diego divorce cases, beginning a lifelong pursuit of both national and local history. Her theatre background (her first love) meshed with her love of teaching. She began teaching full-time at Grossmont College in her 40s, before the ink on her doctoral diploma was dry. At Grossmont College, Gonda became co-chair of the Curriculum Committee and served in the Academic Senate as an officer and President. She chaired the History Department and was Coordinator of the Cross- Cultural Studies Program (soon to be renamed Ethnic, Gender, and Social Justice Studies). She aimed to make the department central to campus life and student equity – particularly for its underserved students of color. Gonda became advisor for a new women’s club – the American Association of University Women – and brought SafeZones to campus as advisor of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Club for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) students. SafeZones trains LGBTQ+ allies to create a campus that is welcoming and inclusive for all LGBTQ+ people. The AAUW club produced Women’s History Month programming and feminist club education. In 22 years at Grossmont College, Gonda won teaching and leadership awards and has appeared on radio, television, and in the press about feminist and LGBTQ+ issues. Gonda has been a feminist activist through the Women’s Museum of California, where she served as president for several years, co-founded the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002, where she oversaw programming, exhibits, archival collections and made community presentations. She continues this work on the board of directors today. Gonda lives with her spouse of 27 years, Dr. Susan Cayleff, and deeply appreciates receiving the Distinguished Faculty Award as a testament that by doing the things she loved, she made a difference. -5- 2020-2021 Full-Time Distinguished Faculty Honoree Craig Milgrim Biology Retired professor emeritus Craig Milgrim began his teaching career at a private boarding school for dyslexic students in New England, and eventually pursued a master’s degree in molecular genetics at the University of Vermont, where he was awarded a teaching fellowship. While there, Milgrim came out of the closet as a gay man, experiencing the joy and challenges of living as his authentic self. After graduating in 1989 and after 7 years in cold New England, he relocated to Phoenix, Ariz., to be closer to family. Upon arrival, Milgrim was hired by a private technical college in Los Angeles and spent several years working in educational administration, while teaching biology as an adjunct professor at Maricopa County Community Colleges and Arizona State University. In

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