[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 81 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MENDOCINO COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 15, 2023

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague 
Representative Mike Thompson in recognition of Mendocino College on the 
occasion of its 50th Anniversary, and in appreciation for decades of 
quality education provided to the communities of Mendocino County and 
Lake County.
  Over the last half century, Mendocino College has transformed from 
initially offering instruction in spare classrooms at Oak Manor 
Elementary School in 1973 to the dynamic institution we know today, 
proudly serving an area encompassing more than 5,207 square miles, 
including 51 towns and cities and 14 federally recognized Indian 
reservations.
  Mendocino College was founded in 1972 by a vote of the citizens of 
Anderson Valley. Laytonville, Potter Valley, Round Valley, Ukiah, and 
Willits Unified school districts. The first students would attend 
classes in Ukiah in 1973, making the College the first and only public 
institution of higher education in Mendocino County. The College would 
go on to serve over 1,000 students at temporary facilities at the 
Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, and by voter initiative in 1974, expanded 
to serve communities across both Mendocino County and Lake County. By 
the 1980s, the College began offering distance learning options in 
response to community needs. The Ukiah campus opened its doors in the 
summer of 1985 and is still in operation today.
  The College has continually invested in its educational 
infrastructure over the decades, with the strong support of the 
surrounding community and public funding. In 2012, the College 
completed construction of the Library and Learning Center, an 
innovative 48,000 square foot facility on the Ukiah campus. Always 
striving to reach as many potential students as possible, Mendocino 
College welcomed its newest satellite campus in 2017, the Coast Center 
in Fort Bragg.
  Mendocino College has been a pioneering institution in our region for 
decades, renowned for its strong dedication to student success and 
equity. In 1984, Mendocino College President Dr. Lee Lowery, with 
education advocates Sybil Hinkle and Gabrielle Thomas, formed the 
Mendocino College Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to 
helping students in need. Today. the Mendocino College Foundation 
supports students with hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships 
each year, directly contributing to the College's mission of creating 
opportunities and enriching students' lives.
  Mendocino College continues to adapt and innovate to provide programs 
to support students from rural communities, including English language 
learners, veterans, and Native Americans. Through its federally funded 
High School Equivalency Program and College Assistance Migrant Program, 
the College is delivering significant and impactful services to 
underserved, Latino, and migrant students. The College was designated a 
Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education in 
2014, and was just awarded a $2.6 million Hispanic Serving Institutions 
grant from the U.S. Department of Education through a highly 
competitive process.
  Over the last five decades Mendocino College has awarded nearly 
15,000 students with degrees and certificates and supported nearly 
350,000 students on their academic journeys. A vital institution of 
higher learning for Mendocino County and Lake County, Mendocino College 
is worthy of highest commendation. Mr. Speaker, please join us in 
recognizing Mendocino College on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary 
and offering the College our best wishes for another 50 years of 
serving the community.

                          ____________________