Hall of famer is not a term to be used loosely and Cerritos College officials are very careful who they give the title to.
Just a little over a month ago Cerritos College held its annual Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 3
During the ceremony the institution inducts former Falcons in all categories ranging from academics to sports and all in between.
College President Dr. Jose Fierro said, “The Cerritos College Hall of Fame Sub-Committees will come to a consensus on which candidates will be forwarded to the Hall of Fame Steering Committee for final selection of the award.”
With almost a full year to continue deliberating the school has a strict criteria in which it uses to select its candidates.
“He or she must be retired. The selection criteria on the nomination form states that the candidate is eligible two or more years after finishing his/her career at the college,” said Fierro.
Athletic Director Dan Clauss is on the committee for athletics along with Sports Information Director John Van Gaston.
“The Athletic Sub-Committee meets to look over the nominations of the three categories and rank their top five in order using a point system, five points for first and so on.
The individual that receives the most points in each of the three categories will be moved forward to the Steering Committee for final approval,” Clauss said.
According to Fierro, the deliberation process usually lasts for two weeks but Clauss admits that the process will last as long as necessary.
This year inductee Danny Garcia admitted during his acceptance speech that he was not aware Cerritos College had a Hall of Fame.
That is something that Fierro and Clauss feels will change in the near future because of its rich history.
“The Hall of Fame was established to recognize those individuals and corporations who have made outstanding contributions to the excellence to Cerritos College,” Fierro said.
Clauss added, “It brings the campus together as a family. Employees get the opportunity to learn about the history of the college. It honors the people who have made a lasting impact on the college.”
