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Good evening Trustees, colleagues, and members of the public.

As we step into April, I’d like to recognize that this month marks Community College Month—a nationwide celebration of the incredible impact community colleges have on individuals, families, our students, and the economy.

Community College Month was originally spearheaded by the Association of Community College Trustees, and the goal was simple, but powerful: to raise awareness about the economic, academic, and equity advantages of attending a community college. The 2025 theme this year is Community College Month “Best Decision Ever”—a fitting phrase for the life-changing experiences that unfold every day throughout the colleges our district.

You heard earlier today from one of our Academic Senate Presidents, Michael Takeda, and others in the room, that they made an intentional, heart-driven decision to work here. It’s a decision our students have made to come here and learn here. I think it is a decision that all of us have taken to heart,  to serve here.

Here at State Center, we live that theme out loud. Whether it’s in classrooms, labs, libraries, or student service offices, the commitment and care of our faculty, classified professionals, and administrators are the heartbeat of our four colleges: Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, and Madera Community College.

Tonight, as we meet here at California’s first Community College, Fresno City College, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to celebrate again the recent ribbon cutting of the new Science Building—a milestone that truly represents our commitment to innovation and student success.

A special thank you to Jennifer Laval, our outstanding IT team, Cris Monahan-Bremer, and our dedicated custodial and grounds crews, for not only making the facility wonderful for our ribbon cutting, but most importantly, making it wonderful on day one for our students. I want to thank them for tirelessly working to open this building and it went smoothly. Alongside them were our faculty, carrying boxes and making sure that our students saw everything perfect on day one.

A special shout-out goes to Seth Yates, chemistry instructor, whose involvement with this project dates back to 2010, when he was first hired and joined the facilities committee. He was very impassioned and ready to tell everyone that something needs to be done with the science building. He shared during his remarks during the groundbreaking that the old science building and parking is something that needed to be worked on. I took us a while Seth, but I hope you are proud of the building that we’ve opened. It marks a long-standing support that we have had for two critical FCC projects: expanded parking and a state-of-the-art science building

I also want to thank Dr. Susan Mac Leod (Biology), Dr. Nihal Orfi (Engineering), and Dr. Daniel Kwasniewski (Chemistry) for sharing their powerful remarks last week—and more importantly, for sharing their passion and talents with our students every single day in biology, engineering and chemistry. They are truly amazing.

And finally, immense gratitude to Dr. Shirley Harvey, some of you know her as Shirley McManus, Dean of Math, Science, and Engineering. It is through her leadership and dedication through the years helped turn this vision into a reality. Thank you, Shirley, for seeing it through.

As we celebrate Community College Month, it’s important to recognize that this is more than just a campaign—it’s a call to reflect on the transformative power of community colleges.

At State Center, we also know that our diversity is a strength. The different perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators enrich the campus experience and push us to grow, to become better. Our goal is to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and empowered to pursue their academic and career aspirations. We firmly believe that education is a fundamental right for all individuals. Our mission is rooted in access and equity, before those were even words. Before it became divisive, we have been serving everyone,  and that will not change. We will continue to advocate for our students to ensure that our depth of instruction and support confirm that they made the "best decision ever."

We may not always agree, but we must agree to continue to listen, learn, and engage in open dialogue—the kind that leads to healthy collaboration and meaningful progress.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, thank you for showing up and listening, thank you for showing up and teaching, thank you for showing up and caring.

Our district not just a place of learning—but a place of belonging.