Monthly Archives: August 2021

Associations – CCCBA

Constance Carroll is the President and CEO of the California Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCCBA), a non-profit 501(c)(3) she founded that is dedicated to the promotion and expansion of baccalaureate programs among California’s 116 community colleges in workforce fields.

Constance grew up in Baltimore, Maryland during the period of segregation.  It was that experience that generated in her a great passion and commitment to diversity and expanding equity and opportunity to everyone.

She has had a distinguished career in higher education for almost 50 years.  And on July 1, 2021 she retired as the longest serving chancellor for the San Diego Community College District in which she served for 17 years.  She also served as President of San Diego Mesa College for 11 years.

Constance’s professional history includes service on national boards, numerous awards, and publications.  In 2011, she was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to serve a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities.  In 2020, she was appointed to serve on the College Promise National Advisory Board, which leads a nonpartisan initiative dedicated to building public support for tuition-free Promise programs across the country.

She holds a BA in Humanities from Duquesne University, an MA and Ph.D. in Classics (Ancient Greek and Latin) from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Certificate of Proficiency in Hellenic Studies from Knubly University in Athens, Greece. She also attended the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management.

She says she is looking forward to being a very hardworking and active member.

Mark Stuart, Jim Hughes and Chris Sichel were here sponsors.

Youth Organization – First Gen Scholars

Jonathan Burgos is Founder and Executive Director of First Gen Scholars, a 501(c) 3 whose mission is to provide superior support to underserved first-generation high school students in San Diego by navigating them through the college application process and mentor them throughout college towards a prosperous career.

Jonathan founded First Gen Scholars in 2019 with 26 students in South San Diego, expanding city-wide in 2020 to serve 78 students from 13 high schools and 11 different ethnicities.  In addition, he spent 15 years (primarily in City Heights through Cardinals Interact) creating a college essay-writing curriculum that helps applicants share their authentic stories.  Jonathan has helped hundreds of students get into some of the most elite colleges in the United States, with most students graduating with zero to little debt.

He attended UCSD and graduated with a degree in Sociology. It was there where he met his wife of 20 years, Laurie. They have two children, 13 year old Theo (a black belt) and 10 year old Penelope (a Girl Scout cookie selling machine!)  Jonathan considers his family his “why” as he does First Gen Scholars.  He was a first generation student himself and almost did not graduate college without the help and support from others.  This is what motivated him to start his own non-profit.

He says a personal health scare in 2015 and the current pandemic has taught him two things: to be appreciate everyday of his loved ones, and that “it is not about what I have, but what I have to give in terms of my heart, my time and my energy.”

Mia Harenski, Massey Pitts and David Oates were his sponsors.