Dear Hornet Familia and Community,
I’m so proud that we are in week 7 of the fall 2026 semester and together, we’ve accomplished so much in such a short time. We had our Convocation, the grand reopening of Building 300, the incredible grand opening of our Future Titan Center and so much more.
Honoring Heritage and History
Our Latine Heritage Month festivities have also been a great success, and I hope that you will help us spread the word about the remaining events for Latine Heritage Month with our students. Additionally, I’d love for us to amplify our upcoming 2026 election events to help students remain informed about the candidates running for office. It is our collective responsibility to promote these opportunities so our students can take agency in their voting decisions. I’d love to thank Professor Jodi Balma for her leadership in coordinating these efforts.
This October, our Student Development and Engagement Team is also hard at work with LGBTQIA2S+ History Month and Undocumented Student Success Week. Please join us for exciting events in celebration of our LGBTQIA2S+ and our undocumented and immigration-impacted communities.
Preparing to Make Foundation History
Our first ¡Viva! Fullerton College Gala is almost here and our committee, comprised of faculty, classified professionals, administrators and community members has been collaborating to pull together a signature event for both “friend-raising” and fundraising towards student scholarships.
We have amazing music lined up, including two of our own faculty performing jazz, a lively DJ and a well-renowned South California band called Spaghetti Cumbia. We’ve all tapped into our networks and have exciting programming ahead. Thematically, we’re honoring Hornet Life with our current students, living legends and those who have passed that we hold dearly in our hearts. Our honorees include Edgar Clark, Dr. Richard Ramirez, Faculty Emeritus LaDonna Rhodes, CEO of Hydraflow Cindy Ayloush, national speech and debate team and faculty leader LaToya Green and our state champion men’s basketball leader Coach Perry Webster. Staff discount tickets are now available on the ¡Viva! Fullerton College Gala website. I look forward to having you join us for a fun night of celebration and honoring our “why” – our students.
Reflecting as We Go
I feel so blessed every day to serve in this capacity as your President. I’d love to thank every staff member for making our college an incredible place where teaching, learning and striving for a better future is our North Star.
Speaking of North Stars, I am so proud to share that our 2026 Ghana Delegation team has safely arrived at the All-African Diaspora Education Summit. I look forward to hearing all about the transformational experiences they will undergo and seeing how they will further our efforts to become a California designated Black-Serving Institution.
Our student services team is also preparing for Mellow into Midterms to ease the stress that comes with midterm exams. I’d like to thank Dr. Sonia De La Torre and her team for their efforts to increase student retention and caring.
I’d like to also thank Dr. Carlos Ayon and our faculty for addressing curricular matters impacting future funding. Your hard work is very appreciated.
I also express gratitude to Dr. Henry Hua and his team for their steadfast work on our Performing Arts Center and daily operations in Maintenance and Operations. You help keep our campus looking beautiful and moving forward – adelante, just like our strategic plan.
Gracias Hornet Familia,
Dr. Cynthia Olivo
President