Excellence
excellence (ek-sə-ləns) n. Outstanding or valuable quality:
From earning local to national recognition, San Jacinto College strives for excellence in all we do.
Minnie Stevens Piper Award nominee focuses on excellence
2024-2025 Minnie Stevens Piper Award Nominee
When you look up the word “excellence” in the dictionary, you might find a picture
of San Jacinto College English department chair Dr. Celucien Joseph.
Joseph is an expert on Haiti. Beyond writing articles and op-eds, presenting at conferences,
and conducting media interviews, he founded a rural elementary school so underrepresented
and economically disadvantaged Haitian students could learn and become engaged citizens.
He speaks French and Haitian Creole fluently and holds three master’s and two doctorate
degrees.
But those might not be his most impressive traits. As this year’s Minnie Stevens Piper
Award nominee, he gives 100% to support San Jacinto College students and fellow faculty.
Joseph provides the most up-to-date curriculum, including revising several humanities
and English courses. Recognizing the need for a mentorship program for new English
faculty members, he started a one-year mentorship program last fall and selected mentors
to guide mentees. He also teamed with LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy,
& Technology faculty to redesign a technical writing course to equip students with
more essential skills.
Joseph’s accomplishments are significant. He epitomizes how we rise to help students
and our community, and we thank him for his excellent work.
Alumnus takes advantage of all san jac offers
Enter San Jacinto College. Zumlot signed up for English classes at the College, which
led him to enroll full time at the South Campus. When the pandemic hit, he wanted
to help, so he became a volunteer firefighter at a nearby fire station. This work
and his classes solidified his decision to continue to medical school.
As part of his degree completion, Zumlot took an organic chemistry class taught by
Dr. Christopher Wild. While in this class, he applied for the highly competitive University
of Texas Summer Health Professions Education Program. This intense program not only
deepened his desire to become a physician but also showed he had the work ethic to
succeed.
Zumlot received a scholarship as a freshman in medical school and is now in his second year at the University of Houston, planning to graduate in 2027. But he credits his success to San Jacinto College, which he feels is much more than a community college.
“It is a community — a steppingstone,” he said.
Zumlot encourages other students to take advantage of the opportunities here, to engage with professors, and to be active on campus.
ACCT Equity Award
September 2023
The Association of Community College Trustees awarded the San Jac Board of Trustees its Western Region Equity Award for promoting and increasing opportunities for underrepresented and underserved students in the last five years
— from degree/certificate completion, transfer, and employment to community engagement
and outreach.
TETA Award
October 2023
The Texas Education Theatre Association named Central Campus theatre artistic director
Dr. Jerry Ivins its 2023 Higher Education Educator of the Year. Ivins has nurtured the talents of countless students in his 28 years at San Jac while serving as judge, adjudicator, and contest manager for the University Interscholastic League
one-act play competition.
Top 100 College for Hispanics
October 2023
Once again, San Jac made the national Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine’s Top
100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics list. For 2021-2022 data, the College
ranked …
- Second for school by major for science technologies/technicians
- Sixth for total associate degrees granted
- Eighth for four-year school total enrollment
In 2021-2022, San Jac had 25,570 Hispanic students — a 61% Hispanic population. That same academic year, the College awarded 3,341 degrees, or 58% of its degrees, to Hispanic students.
top women in maritime
February 2024
Marine Log Magazine named Captain Amy Arrowood, maritime credit program director,
one of the 2023 Top Women in Maritime. Arrowood’s career spans 20-plus years — from
serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and industry sector to joining San Jac as a full-time maritime faculty member.
Music Record-breakers
March 2024
San Jac Music Students
Maritime Center of Excellence Designation
PTK shirley b. gordon award
April 2024
Central Campus provost Van A. Wigginton numbered among 19 campus leaders nationwide honored with the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction in April 2024. This student-nominated award is the international honor society’s most prestigious for community college presidents. Beyond his community involvement,
Wigginton has championed student leadership on campus and helped expand dual credit offerings.
Recognizing Greatness
TechGuide Recognition
HBJ Top Trade School
Athletic Seasons Conclude and Athletes Earn Accolades
2024 Baseball Team
2024 Season Accolades
- 11 players earned all-conference or all-Region XIV honors
- Eight student-athletes made National Junior College Athletic Association all-academic teams
- Catcher Jake Bennett earned conference co-offensive player of the year
View the 2024 Baseball photo album
2024 Softball Team
2024 Season Accolades
- 12 players earned made the Region XIV academic team
- Eight student-athletes made National Junior College Athletic Association all-academic teams
- Nine softball players were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-American scholar-athletes
- Shortstop Arriana Wright was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and National Junior College Athletic Association all-American and two-time conference and Region XIV player of the year
View the 2024 Softball photo album
aspen prize finalist
June 2024
San Jac numbers among 10 finalists competing for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The $1 million award is the nation's
signature recognition of community colleges with high student success, strong support, and equitable outcomes. San Jac has placed as a top-10 finalist in each of Aspen’s last five award cycles.
New Baseball Coach Hired
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