It’s Our Story...But It All Begins With You

	Images courtesy of El Camino College
	Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Executive Vice-President, Southern California Edison, Pedro Pizzaro; South Bay philanthropist Melanie Lundquist; El Camino College President Thomas Fallo; and Foundation for California Community College President Paul Lanning.

The California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment Program is the largest scholarship endowment of its kind in community college history, and would increase El Camino College's current scholarship program by $100,000 per year.

Prominent South Bay philanthropists Melanie and Richard Lundquist challenged the community to support this most important effort and recently hosted an event announcing the kick off of El Camino College Foundation’s fundraising campaign. This is an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of students, and one that we must not let pass by.  As Melanie Lundquist says, “It is the responsibility of all of us to leave the world a better place for the next generation.”

The California Community Colleges make it possible for everyone, regardless of their income level or background, to achieve the dream of a higher education. Be a part of our story. Your contribution will have a positive impact on El Camino College and the students we serve. 

Taking the Lead. . .

Southern California Edison (SCE) made a significant contribution to the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment in support of El Camino College and surrounding colleges. Pedro Pizarro, SCE executive vice president of power operations, presented a $200,000 check to El Camino College President Thomas Fallo and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. SCE’s contribution will provide scholarships for students studying at El Camino College and El Camino Compton Center, Fullerton, Mt. San Antonio, Riverside, and Ventura community colleges. The donation represents the company’s commitment to students pursuing higher education and skilled job training. SCE expects to invest $20 billion over the next five years to expand the region’s distribution and transmission grids and creating jobs statewide.

President Fallo awards one of the 2009 scholarships to Garrett Dunbar. El Camino College Foundation awarded more than $302,000 in scholarships as part of the El Camino College Scholarship Program

 Read previous El Camino College success stories here >

“The experience at El Camino College was amazing...the teachers at El Camino College care about every single student. I felt like I was an important part of the college. I will never forget that.” Rachel Kartsonis, UCLA – 2006 ECC Graduate

“When I began at El Camino College five years ago my assessment test placed me in remedial math and English. I could barely add or subtract. This fall I will officially become a UCLA Bruin." Johnny Torres 2009 ECC Graduate

To promote student success, we must build from the ground up and start with a solid foundation. The El Camino College facilities plan does exactly that, with efforts underway to modernize and upgrade nearly every part of the campus, offering the very best to students in the way of safety and technology.

Already complete is a brand new Humanities Building, the first completely new building to open at El Camino College in 40 years. In addition, a new 1,230-space, five-level parking structure opened this past spring, along with a new Learning Resource Center featuring a basic skills lab, campus archives, the Ella Rose Madden Nursing Collection, and a digital processing center. Our facilities plan includes many more upgrades from labs and classrooms to restrooms and student services areas.  We are building for the future.