Cerritos College is a public comprehensive community college located in Norwalk, California. The college offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions.
History
CCCAA Men's Soccer Semifinal: Cerritos v Taft - 12/1 - 10am -
The college was founded in 1955. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a local ranch in the 19th century. In turn the college was part of the inspiration for the renaming of the neighboring city of Dairy Valley to Cerritos. The district covers Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Norwalk, La Mirada, and Hawaiian Gardens.
Originally, classrooms were rented in the now defunct Excelsior High School in September 1956. On July 24, 1957, the Cerritos Junior College District won the case against Dairy Valley (now Cerritos) to use the undeveloped land as an educational site. On September 1959, the college moved from Excelsior High School to the current site.
Organization and administration
The founder was Ralph Burnight of Redlands and a resident of Bellflower and superintendent of the Excelsior School District. The current college president is Dr. Jose Fierro.
Academic profile
Cerritos College, is a public comprehensive community college serving an area of 52 square miles (130Â km2) of Southeast Los Angeles County; with a district population comprising approximately 500,000 residents (2010). Its single campus is the largest community college campus in Southeast Los Angeles County by total enrollment.
The college offers associate's degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions. Over 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies each year.
The Cerritos College student body is a majority of minorities: Hispanics, Asians, African-Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans together account for more than 60% of its students. The college has a student body that is 54.6% Hispanic, 12.4% Caucasian, 10.2% Asian/Pacific Islander, 3.6% Filipino, 7.3% Black, 0.5% Native American, and the rest undeclared. Students come from more than 30 California cities, with 60% of the students coming from cities outside the college district. Cerritos College ranked third in California and sixth in the nation among Hispanic-serving community colleges for the number of associate degrees granted to Hispanic students in 2006.
Notable alumni
- T. J. Houshmandzadeh â€" former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
- Kareem Larrimore â€" former Dallas Cowboys cornerback
- Tom Tolbert â€" former NBA player
- Lorenzo Romar â€" former Washington Huskies head basketball coach
- Jeff Tedford â€" Fresno State Bulldogs head coach (note: Tedford graduated from Fresno State)
- Joe Gibbs â€" former Washington Redskins head coach
- Jim Zorn â€" former Seattle Seahawks quarterback and Washington Redskins head coach
- Han Ye-seul â€" Korean actress
- Mark Powell â€" drummer of The Get Set, Kosmos Express and The Kite-Eating Tree
- Marcelo Balboa â€" US National Soccer Team captain
- John Corbett â€" actor
- Ron Yary â€" former Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Ray Wersching â€" San Francisco 49ers player
- Herb Welch â€" former New York Giants player
- Rich Camarillo â€" former New England Patriots player
- George Horton â€" University of Oregon baseball coach
- Bob Apodaca â€" Colorado Rockies pitching coach
- Tom Nieto â€" Major League Baseball catcher, coach
- Kirk Jellerson â€" college football coach
- Demetrin Veal â€" Tennessee Titans defensive tackle
- Bret Barberie â€" Major League Baseball player
- Rod Barajas â€" Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
- Mike Benjamin â€" Major League Baseball infielder
- Brian Hunter â€" Major League Baseball outfielder, infielder
- Louie Medina â€" Major League Baseball
- Damacio Page state champion wrestler; current mixed martial artist, formerly for the WEC and the UFC
- Bao Quach â€" wrestler; Professional MMA fighter
- Craig Worthington â€" Major League Baseball third baseman
- Houston McTear â€" world record sprinter
- Tupe Peko â€" National Football League player
- Rodney Allen Rippy â€" actor
- Broderick Thompson â€" former National Football League player
- Bobby McFerrin â€" musician
- Steve Seungjun Yoo â€" Korean-American singer
- Eric Draper â€" personal photographer for U.S. President George W. Bush
- Bobby Lane â€" American football player
- Emanuel Newton - (attended) professional Mixed Martial Artist
- Fou Fonoti â€" American football player
- Han Ye-seul - South Korean actress
References
External links
- Cerritos College Homepage
