[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 14, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





     HONORING CERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR 45 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 14, 2018

  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 45th 
anniversity of Cerro Coso Community College.
  Established in the fall of 1973 as a separate college within the Kern 
Community College District, Cerro Coso grew quickly from its humble 
roots in the Indian Wells Valley community of Ridgecrest to 
representing the largest service area of any community college in the 
State of California. Today, the college serves an incredible 18,000 
square miles of desert, mountain, and valley communities in eastern 
California at eight sites across Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties.
  Cerro Coso has defined itself as the premiere community college in 
the eastern region of the Congressional District I represent, offering 
over 180 classes each semester and nineteen two-year degree programs, 
all of which have been accessible online since 1997. A source of great 
pride for the Indian Wells Valley, Cerro Coso has dedicated its mission 
to serving students who deserve an education regardless of financial or 
personal status. In what has become known as the ``Cerro Coso 
Promise,'' the college offers financial support to its student body, 
assisting with tuition and books so that students can achieve their 
educational goals regardless of financial barriers. The work 
accomplished at Cerro Coso is invaluable and truly vital to the 
community it serves.
  I am incredibly proud of the faculty, administrators, and educators 
who have made Cerro Coso Community College into the educational 
powerhouse it is today in our community. The work these dedicated 
individuals have done has touched the lives of thousands of students, 
providing them the skills and knowledge to succeed in any endeavor they 
pursue. As a former trustee of the Kern Community College District and 
currently a proud Representative of the college and the Ridgecrest 
community, I look forward to continuing to watch Cerro Coso's growth 
and achievements in the years to come. Go Coyotes.

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