Notable Alumni

Notable alumni at the state Capitol

As part of the Joint Higher Education Advocacy Day on May 1 at the state Capitol, three of the California Community College's most distinguished alumni were honored with posters affixed in the hallway directly in front of Gov. Jerry Brown's office.

The posters were of:


Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa

Dr. J. Craig Venter

Chief Justice Tani Catil-Sakaueye

Steve Jobs

Co-founder, Apple Inc. - De Anza College

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry by democratizing the technology and making the machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive, and accessible to everyday consumers. The two conceived a series of user-friendly personal computers that they initially marketed for $666.66 each. Their first model, the Apple I, earned them $774,000. Three years after the release of their second model, the Apple II, sales increased 700 percent to $139 million dollars. In 1980, Apple Computer became a publically traded company with a market value of $1.2 billion on the very first day of trading.

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Stephanie Pollaro

Co-founder, International Sanctuary - Golden West College

Stephanie Pollaro’s passion for empowering women and children suffering in the bonds of sexual slavery was born from a magazine article that she read in May 2003. The article outlined the brutality of human sex trafficking in India and around the world. After several short trips to India and a one-year volunteer stint with an Indian NGO in Andhra Pradesh that served women and girls in red light districts, Stephanie was struck by the need to provide skills training and employment alternatives for young women rescued from forced commercial sexual exploitation.

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Photo credit: Jeremie Vella, Affinity magazine

Beverly Cleary

Best-selling children's author - Chaffey College

When children ask Mrs. Cleary where she finds her ideas, she replies, “From my own experience and from the world around me.” She included a passage about the D.E.A.R. program in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (second chapter) because she was inspired by letters she received from children who participated in “Drop Everything and Read” activities. Their interest and enthusiasm encouraged her to provide the same experience to Ramona, who enjoys D.E.A.R. time with the rest of her class. Now, D.E.A.R Day is celebrated nationwide on April 12, in honor of Beverly Cleary’s birthday. Mrs. Cleary’s books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the 2003 National Medal of Art from the National Endowment of the Arts and the 1984 John Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. Her Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 were named 1978 and 1982 Newbery Honor Books, respectively.

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Scott Brooks

NBA Head Coach, Oklahoma City Thunder -San Joaquin Delta College

Scott Brooks concluded his third season as head coach of the Thunder by leading Oklahoma City to a Northwest Division Title and a spot in the Western Conference Finals versus the eventual NBA Champion, Dallas Mavericks. During the 2010-11 season Brooks led the Thunder to 55 wins and a spot in the Western Conference Finals after Oklahoma City captured playoff series victories over the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. After the late-season acquisition of Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics in mid-March, Brooks guided the Thunder to a 13-4 mark in the final 17 games of the regular season. Under Brooks, the OKC franchise has qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998.

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Lindsay Pearce

Actress/Singer - Modesto Junior College

Lindsay Pearce has starred in amateur shows since the age of 13. She is an adopted child and for the first six months of her life she was deaf, which helped her to appreciate her ear for music. In early 2011, Pearce was chosen as one of 12 competitors out of 40,000 that auditioned to be on "The Glee Project," a singing/acting reality show where the winner would receive a seven-episode arc on the third season of "Glee." She made it to the final four and was chosen as a runner up, with the producers giving her a two-episode arc. In the third season premiere of "Glee," she was introduced as Harmony, an ambitious and talented singer who leaves Kurt and Rachel completely blown away after watching her sing a mash-up of "Anything Goes" and "Anything You Can Do." Pearce's second performance in the same season's Sectionals episode featured her performing "Buenos Aires" from Evita.

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Julian Nava

Professor, First Mexican American Ambassador to Mexico - East Los Angeles College

Dr. Julian Nava, 84, is an Emeritus Professor of History at California State University, Northridge and is one of the department's founding members, having taught there from 1957 to 2000. After growing up in Los Angeles, Nava served as combat air crewman in the United State Navy Air Corps before attending and graduating from East Los Angeles Community College. In 1967, Nava ran run for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education and won, becoming the first Hispanic to serve on the county-wide board (composed of 13 cities including Los Angeles). He served on the board until 1979. In 1980, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico by President Jimmy Carter. He was the first Mexican-American to hold the position.

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Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa

Neurosurgeon - San Joaquin Delta College

At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Quiñones is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology, Neuroscience and Cellular and Molecular Medicine. In addition to directing the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital, and the Pituitary Surgery Program at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Quiñones leads the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Laboratory. He focuses on the surgical treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors, with an emphasis on motor and speech mapping during surgery as well as in the treatment of patients with pituitary and skull base tumors using transphenoidal endonasal and minimally invasive surgical approaches.

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Adrianna Ocampo

Planetary geologist - Pasadena City College

Adriana C. Ocampo is presently a Science Program Manager at NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate, in the Planetary Science Division responsible for the New Frontiers Program. As the New Frontier Lead Program Executive she is responsible for the Juno mission to Jupiter (with a USD$1B plus budget), and the New Horizons mission to Pluto. She also is the Lead Venus Scientist responsible for NASA’s collaboration in ESA’s Venus Express mission, JAXA’s Venus Climate Orbit, and the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG), which develops strategic plans and assessments for the exploration of this planet. Ocampo was a research scientist at the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech/JPL), where she worked since 1973. In 2005 she was the Investigation Scientist for the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer/High Energy Neutron Detector/MARIE and also worked for the Mars Program Science Division and the Solid Earth and Natural Disasters Program.

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John Madden

NFL Hall of Fame Coach/TV broadcaster - College of San Mateo

Six times in 10 seasons, the Oakland Raiders recorded 10 or more victories with John Madden at the helm. In 1976, the coach guided his team to a near-perfect 13-1 record to win the AFC Western Division. The success continued in the post-season with wins over New England in the divisional playoff game and a commanding 24-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. Madden and the Raiders capped the 1976 season with a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Between the 1976 and 1977 seasons, the Raiders won 17 consecutive games, one short of the then-NFL record for consecutive wins. Madden’s .759 regular season winning percentage ranks as highest ever among coaches with 100 career victories. Only Hall of Fame coaches George Halas and Curly Lambeau had reached 100 career wins at an earlier age.

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Gabrielle Union

Actress - Cuesta College

Gabrielle is currently in production for Screen Gems’ THINK LIKE A MAN, based on Steve Harvey’s book "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man." The film, directed by, Tim Story is slated for release in 2012. She is also in production for Lionsgate’s GOOD DEEDS as starring opposite Tyler Perry, Thandie Newton and Rebecca Romijn. The film, directed by Tyler Perry, is also slated for release in 2012. Gabrielle recently wrapped production for Film Science's independent film, FAMILY TREE, starring opposite John Slattery, Zach Gilford and Jena Malone. Directed by Brian Savelson, the film is slated for release in 2012. Additionally, Gabrielle recently completed a pilot "Little In Common" about three families united through their kids' little league sports.

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Elton Rule

President, ABC Television - Sacramento City College

During Mr. Rule's years as president, ABC, Inc. achieved leadership in all areas of broadcasting, forged a new position as a major entity in the field of specialty publishing, and positioned itself to move aggressively into the new communications technologies of the 1980s. The Corporation was named one of the "five best managed companies" in the country by Dun's Review magazine in December, 1979, and its accomplishments by the end of the 1970s were recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the "ten most noteworthy achievement5 of U.S. businesses" during the decade.

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Ken Grossman

Founder, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Butte College

Ken Grossman learned about beer as a young man. A neighborhood friend’s father taught him how to homebrew at an early age, and his life has never been the same. After skipping out on his high school graduation to join friends on a bicycle trip, Grossman ended up in Chico, CA. In 1976 at 21-years-old, he turned his mechanical and brewing skills toward opening a home brew shop. After years of intensive home brewing and recipe development, Grossman began Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.—one of the nation’s first “micro” breweries. Grossman began the design for Sierra Nevada in 1978, with little resources and no business models to follow. Small-scale breweries were unheard of, and Grossman had to rely on his mechanical skill to get started. 

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Michael Fincke

United States Astronaut - El Camino College

Michael Fincke graduated from Pennsylvania’s Sewickley Academy in 1985. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a bachelor of science in Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a bachelor of science in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. This was followed by a master of science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1990. He was awarded an associate of science degree in Earth Sciences (Geology) from El Camino College in Torrance, Calif. in 1993 and then a second master of science in Physical Sciences (Planetary Geology) from the University of Houston - Clear Lake in 2001.

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J. Craig Venter

Entrepenuer, Genomic Researcher - College of San Mateo

J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his numerous invaluable contributions to genomic research. He is Founder, Chairman, and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit, research organization with approximately 400 scientists and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant, synthetic and environmental genomic research, and the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics.

Dr. Venter is also Founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Inc., a privately held company dedicated to commercializing genomic-driven solutions to address global needs such as new sources of energy and next generation vaccines.

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Annette Bening

Actress - San Diego Mesa College

Two-time Golden Globe-winner Annette Bening was most recently seen in Focus Features’ critical and commercial sensation “The Kids Are All Right,” in which she played opposite Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. Her role as Nic earned her a Golden Globe and New York Film Critics Circle award, and Oscar, Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice, and Independent Spirit nominations in the “Best Actress” category.

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Guy Fieri

Celebrity chef, TV personality - College of the Redwoods, American River College

In 2006, Guy Fieri (‘Fee-eddy’) premiered his first show, Guy's Big Bite on Food Network. Today, this "Culinary Rock Star” also hosts top-rated show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, as well as the special series Tailgate Warriors and guest judges on Next Food Network Star. On March 14th, 2010, Guy made his debut as a game show host on the new NBC primetime series, Minute To Win It. The show became an instant success and is currently airing its fourth season.

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Frank Cruz

Co-founder of Telemundo - East Los Angeles College

Frank Cruz is a business leader, educator, author and veteran broadcaster. He serves as president of Cruz and Associates, a consulting firm he founded. He is the former chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which oversees and funds the nation's more than l,000 public radio (NPR)and television (PBS) stations. Cruz is also the former chairman and founder of Gulf Atlantic Life Insurance, the first Hispanic-owned life insurance company in the United States.

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Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye

Chief Justice of California - Sacramento City College

Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye was sworn into office as Chief Justice of California on January 3, 2011. She is the first Asian American and the second female to serve as the state's Chief Justice. After former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated her as Chief Justice on July 22, 2010, the California State Bar Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission rated her as exceptionally well qualified for the position. At a public hearing on August 25, 2010, she was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, and in a general election on November 2, 2010, an overwhelming majority of voters elected her to that position for a term beginning January 3, 2010. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye chairs the Judicial Council of California, the administrative policymaking body of state courts, and the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

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Kay Ryan 2011 Pulitzer in Poetry, United State Poet Laureate. Photo Credit: Jane Hirshfield.

Kay  Ryan

2011 Pulitzer in Poetry, United State Poet Laureate -- Antelope Valley College

Kay Ryan was born in California in 1945 and grew up in the small towns of the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. She received both a bachelor's and master's degree from UCLA.

Ryan has published several collections of poetry, including The Niagara River (Grove Press, 2005); Say Uncle (2000); Elephant Rocks (1996); Flamingo Watching (1994), which was a finalist for both the Lamont Poetry Selection and the Lenore Marshall Prize; Strangely Marked Metal (1985); and Dragon Acts to Dragon Ends (1983). A re-issue of her 2002 collection, Believe It or Not!, poems inspired by stories from the newspaper cartoon Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, has recently been re-released and re-titled as The Jam Jar Lifeboat & Other Novelties Exposed, (Red Berry Editions 2008).  The Best of It: New and Selected Poems will be published by Grove Press in spring 2010.

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Aaron Rodgers

Most Valuable Player Super Bowl XLV - Butte College

Green Bay Packers quarterback and Super Bowl XLV most valuable player Aaron Rodgers led the Butte College Roadrunners to a 10-1 record, the NorCal Conference Championship and a No. 2 national ranking in 2002. He was recently inducted into the California Community Colleges Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Governor of California - Santa Monica Community College

The world knows Arnold Schwarzenegger as a famous bodybuilder and a Hollywood action hero, but he is also a successful businessman, generous philanthropist and California's 38th Governor.

Schwarzenegger's most notable accomplishments while governor include the nation-leading Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - a bipartisan agreement to combat global warming by reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions - and overhauling the state's workers' compensation system - cutting costs by more than 35 percent. In addition, Schwarzenegger was the first governor in decades to make major investments in improving California's aging infrastructure through his Strategic Growth Plan, helping to reduce congestion and clean the air. He established the Hydrogen Highway and Million Solar Roofs Plan, continuing his leadership in creating a greener environment. In November 2009, more than three years of leadership by Governor Schwarzenegger culminated with the passage of the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010.

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Amy Tan

Best-selling Novelist/Author - San Jose City College

Born in the US to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan failed her mother's expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist. She settled on writing fiction. Her novels are The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter's Daughter, and Saving Fish from Drowning, all New York Times bestsellers and the recipients of various awards. She is also the author of a memoir, The Opposite of Fate, two children's books, The Moon Lady and Sagwa, and numerous articles for magazines, including The New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, and National Geographic. Her work has been translated into 35 languages, from Spanish, French and Finnish to Chinese, Arabic and Hebrew.

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George Lucas

Actor/Director - Modesto Junior College Alumni

George Lucas was raised on a walnut ranch in Modesto, California. His father was a stationery store owner and he had three siblings. During his late teens he went to Downey High School and was very much interested in drag car racing. He planned to become a professional racecar driver. However a terrible car accident just after his high school graduation ended that dream permanently. The accident changed his views on life. He decided to attend Modesto Junior College before enrolling in the University of Southern California film school.

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Jeremy Renner

Actor - Modesto Junior College Alumni

Jeremy Lee Renner, son of Valerie and Lee, was born in Modesto, California. After a tumultuous yet happy childhood with four younger siblings, Renner graduated from Beyer High School and attended Modesto Junior College. He explored several areas of study, including computer science, criminology, and psychology, before the theater department, with its freedom of emotional expression, drew him in.

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Antonio R. Villaraigosa

Mayor of Los Angeles - Los Angeles City College

Born on January 23, 1953 in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles, Antonio is the oldest of four children raised by a single mother, Natalia Delgado.

Villaraigosa’s sense of civic justice and political action began at a young age. As a high school student, he volunteered with the farm workers movement, led student walkouts and organized an African-American student union. During his junior year of high school, Villaraigosa dropped out, but eventually returned to school at the encouragement of his English teacher, Herman Katz. After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School, Villaraigosa attended UCLA, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in History. He went on to attend the People’s College of Law, a night school dedicated to public-interest law.

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Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Baseball player, civil rights activist - Pasadena City College

Baseball player, civil rights activist. Born Jack Roosevelt Robinson on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African–American to play in baseball's major leagues. The youngest of five children, Robinson was raised in relative poverty by a single mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.

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Other Notable Alumni

Clint Eastwood
Actor, Director
Los Angeles City College

Joyce Luther Kennard
California Supreme Court Justice
Pasadena City College

Morgan Freeman
Actor
Los Angeles City College

Tom Hanks
Actor
Chabot College

Hillary Swank
Actress
Santa Monica City College

Rosario Marin
Former United States Treasurer
East Los Angeles College

Arjay Miller
Fmr. Pres., Ford Motor Company
Long Beach City College

Martin Yan
Chef
Golden West College