[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 2019

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) for its 50th anniversary. Since 
1968, Hillsborough Community College has provided the people of the 
Tampa Bay community with an affordable and quality education.
  Ever since holding its first classes at Hillsborough High School in 
my hometown of Tampa, Florida, HCC has since grown to become an 
accredited institution serving over 44,000 students each year across 5 
campuses and 3 training centers. HCC has expanded to offer 190 academic 
programs, ranging from Paralegal Studies to Engineering Technology. 
More than 84 percent of HCC graduates remain in Hillsborough County 
after graduation. Their contributions to our community are 
irreplaceable. HCC's graduates make Hillsborough County a better place.
  HCC is a vibrant and diverse community with students of many 
different backgrounds. HCC also has been recognized as a Hispanic 
Serving Institution, meaning more than 25 percent of full-time HCC 
students are Hispanic or Latino. The 50th graduating class included 
students aged 16 to 72 years old. To celebrate the diversity of their 
campuses and encourage retention, in 2006 HCC hosted its first Annual 
Black, Brown & College Bound (BBCB) Summit. The Summit brings 
accomplished professionals and scholars together with Black and Latino 
male students to discuss barriers that affect persistence and 
completion among minority males. In its 13th year, BBCB has grown 
nationally to include more than 150 different colleges and universities 
from 40 states.
  HCC has is not just be an institution of higher learning, but part of 
the fabric of our community--hosting events such as a hearing of the 
United States Senate on small, premium cigar businesses in the 
college's Cigar City campus, forums to address the persistence of 
sexual harassment in the workplace and enrollment events for the 
Affordable Care Act to expand health care coverage to our most 
vulnerable neighbors.
  Hillsborough Community College plays a critical role in preparing 
young students for promising futures in the workforce. I applaud HCC's 
success in preparing students for continued education and professional 
careers. I am eager to see where HCC's next 50 years will lead students 
in the Tampa Bay community.

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