After 41 years of dedication to Cerritos College and the Cerritos College Foundation, Janice Cole, who served as the foundation treasurer, will retire.
On Thursday, May 5 Cerritos College faculty celebrated the retirement of Cole with a reception at the Student Center stage.
The foundation which is a non-profit organization, serves as a charitable vehicle for the community, individuals and alumni, to assist with financial support of Cerritos College beyond that which state funding supports.
During the 2014-2015 academic year, the Cerritos College Foundation awarded $209,510 in academic and need-based scholarships to deserving students, and provided $1,293,446 to total support to various academic programs at the college.”
“I started working here as a student in 1970. I worked until I got a job at another district and came back and worked for the same boss until he retired.
“This is like my second home there are amazing people here to work with. The students are beyond exceptional, it’s a great place to make a difference in peoples lives.
She added, “I had that opportunity with the scholarships that we do. I have never dreaded going into work and I love my job so it’s hard to leave it.
Cole continued, “If you have a job you love you will never work a day in your life and that’s so true I got to meet interesting people, make a difference, laugh and and joke with people around me.
I feel like I grew up here I got married and had a child while I was here, my son went and graduated from here, it’s very hard to say goodbye.
I love the people and my coworkers and it will be hard to leave the relationships but I’m looking forward to new adventures,” Cole expressed.
Former Dean of Community Education, business education instructor and Cole’s first boss, Nello Di Corpo said, “I hired her in ’75 she was a spark plug. She’s loyal, a family member, she kept us all together. Cerritos is going to miss her they’re not going to find anyone like her I’ve been trying to get her to retire for 24 years because thats when I retired, 24 years ago.”
“Janice has heart. She is the glue puts everything together and everything sticks because of her. I hired her as a student worker, she’s a friend of my sister. It was the early 70’s that we hired her as a student worker in community services, eventually I was his [Nello Dicorpo’s] secretary and eventually she took my job because I had a baby” Barbara Keenoy, El Rancho Unified School District former principal, former secretary of the foundation and alumna of Cerritos College.
Rachel Samarin, Program Assistant of Cerritos College Foundation stated, “Janice has been incredible. I’ve worked with her for nine years and its been an amazing nine years. She is kind, thoughtful, generous and Cerritos College is a better place because she’s been here. She going to be missed terribly and I sit right next to her so it’s going to be different. I’m excited for her and her future as she ushers in this golden time of her life and we’re going to miss her. You can’t replace Janice.”
