California Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon has secured $17 million in funds for Cerritos College and was celebrated for his feat with a presentation held on Oct. 19.
The Prop 98 allocation will be used in support of the construction of the forthcoming student services and administration center, as well as the student transit Metro Go Pass program.
The program is designed to ensure disadvantaged students can still make their way to class through affordable transportation means at a steep discount.
The presentation opened with a short but sincere statement of thanks from President Jose Fierro before the trustees were introduced.
“One of the biggest potential problems students face is getting to class,” said Dr. Fierro, “Thanks to Speaker Rendon, we have made real strides forward in combating that problem.”
After the Superintendent’s words, Rendon presented the board with the first of multiple checks throughout the night, which would ultimately add up to a total of over $17 million.
Before things moved inside for the scheduled board meeting, Student Trustee Hector Ledesma took to the podium to deliver a personal thanks on behalf of the student body.
“I, and many others, attend Cerritos at an important time in our lives which will prove critical in our development,” said Ledesma.
“It honors now that you give back to a school that gave so much to you in your own youth,” the Student Trustee said.
Upon the start of the board meeting, Speaker Rendon remarked on his own history working with troubled youth and how access to education is key to ensuring they do not face a difficult future.
“I worked in childhood development for thirty years […] If the kids ended up in the childhood education program, I knew they wouldn’t end up in the gang programs,” said Rendon.
“The work that you do every day is the work of Cerritos college, it’s the work of California, it’s the work of this community. So, thank you.”
Cerritos typically struggles to stretch its budget over the various expenses the campus will face in any given year, which makes Rendon’s grant a welcome change of pace for the college.
After the last of the $17 million in checks were presented, President of the Board of Trustees James Birkey offered his own thanks for the relief Speaker Rendon has afforded him.
“This is really special to us, as a college,” he said, “We work really hard to stretch resources to make a difference for a community that does not always get a lot of resources.”
Birkey ended his speech by saying, “So for us, this is not just a gift, this is a step towards change, so thank you so much.”
After the presentation took place and the recognition happened, the board of trustees had their regularly scheduled meeting beginning at 6 p.m.
