Santa Ana College celebrates 100 years with community gala

Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet

SANTA ANA, Calif. ― Pha Tran aspires to become a pediatrician. Tran ― who came to America from Vietnam five years ago and is a second-year student at Santa Ana College ― said she hopes to be able to transfer and apply for medical school in the next few years.

“Most people believe that most immigrant people who come here will just go to work right away to make money to support their families,” Tran, 25, said. “But I want to go to college to support my education so I can do better in the future. I want to learn new things, new languages and be able to communicate with more people to prepare me for my professional goals.”

Tran is exactly the type of student Santa Ana College wants to foster and this year, the college turns 100 years old with big plans to celebrate this milestone. Officials have planned a centennial celebration, to be held Saturday, for the community. It is being billed as the biggest event in the history of the college.

Santa Ana College is one of California’s oldest community colleges. (Photo:  Linh Nguyen/Nguoi Viet)

“Santa Ana College was founded in 1915,” said Dr. Erlinda Martinez, college president. “We’ve grown from starting with 24 to 25 students, to now with our credited and non-credit programs serving 50,000 students a year.”

For the Vietnamese American community, Santa Ana College, located at 1530 W 17th St., oftentimes has been the springboard and starting point of professional careers. Beginning with the influx of foreign students after the Vietnam War, the college taught English to many newcomers and has since found alumni in doctors, lawyers, politicians, nurses and various professionals in the community.

Students sit outside during a break from classes during the fall semester. (Photo: Linh Nguyen/Nguoi Viet)

“I think that it launches a career because they start with the basis of English and then become residents and then become citizens, transfer to universities, and then become a part of, if you will, the fabric of our community,” Martinez said. “Our (county) supervisor, Andrew Do, who represents the college, attended Santa Ana College. He didn’t get his degree here, but he took courses in English and other courses he needed to have along the way.”

Dr. William Nguyen, 40, a chemistry professor at Santa Ana College, came to America at age 17 through the Humanitarian Operations effort. He began his own studies at the school and came back to teach at his alma mater.

“When I first started at SAC, I had been in the U.S. for just about a year or so,” Nguyen said. “And to be able to come back here and work ― I don’t just teach chemistry ― I am involved in other projects, and it’s pretty cool.”

Santa Ana College first opened in 1915 with less than 30 students and today and has helped thousands of students pursue their educational goals. (Photo: Linh Nguyen/Nguoi Viet)

In the 17 years since they college started tracking statistics, more than 55,000 Vietnamese students have enrolled and gone through SAC.

“I feel pretty grateful to be here for the 100-year celebration of SAC,” Tran said. “I feel it’s a huge achievement for SAC, and they’ve helped a lot of people.”

While 100 years is a memorable milestone, Martinez said it is only the beginning. The college continues to evolve and add programs. The state’s pilot program will allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree at the community college in Occupational Studies, whereby graduates can go on to become occupational therapy assistants.

Students in Dr. William Nguyen’s chemistry class perform experiments. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)

“Last March, the state legislature passed a bill that said they were going to try having community colleges offer baccalaureate degrees,” Martinez said. “It had to be in an area not offered by the Cal State or UC system, so we submitted our program for occupational therapy assistants and we were approved. We’ll offer it in 2017.

“We’re constantly looking at ways to meet the needs of our community. New majors are being developed, new skills or equipment and technology ― it’s a very dynamic place to be. I just happen to be fortunate enough to be here at the time when we’re celebrating. And I love parties, so we’re celebrating and having lots of parties. But it’s not just a party ― it’s a recognition as well, of what we’ve been able to do.”

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