photo courtesy of CCCC District
Contra Costa College (CCC) held a ceremonial ribbon cutting to commemorate the grand opening of their new Veteran Resource Center (VRC) located in the Student and Administration Building. Over 100 people attended the event including community leaders, elected officials, veteran’s organizations, and District and college employees. The Sentinels of Freedom, a national non-profit organization assisting veteran’s transition back to civilian life, collaborated with CCC and its veterans club to create a space on campus for veterans to receive support, study and network with other veterans.
“It was important for CCC to create the VRC for a couple of reasons,” said dean of Enrollment Services Dennis Franco. “First, to have a private, centralized location that veterans could congregate in. Second, to provide a space that veterans could receive counseling, benefit assistance, and also assistance from outside agencies like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Concord Vet Center, and more.”
Veterans now have a home on campus where they can study, network, and support each other. Veterans will also have access to Admissions and Records staff to guide them through the enrollment process and a certifying official to assist them in using their veteran benefits.
“The joining of two communities, the Veterans and the campus of Contra Costa College, working together, the mission at hand, is to support Active Duty, National Guard, Reservist, spouses, dependents and the veterans, to being successful in obtaining higher education,” said CCC veterans club president Leon Watkins.
Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony completes the goal of establishing veteran centers at all three campuses in the Contra Costa Community District.
Contra Costa College is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District and currently serves almost 11,000 students (unduplicated head county) annually. Since 1948, CCC has provided exemplary educational services to hundreds of thousands of residents from the greater West County area, and is proud of its diverse student body and commitment to individual student success. Excellent programs such as the Center for Science Excellence, The Advocate newspaper, the green Automotive Services program, Middle College High School, the Nursing program, and the Culinary Arts program are known through the state and the nation. A model of excellence, Contra Costa College prides itself on being one of the finest community colleges in the country.
The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi- college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez. For more information visit www.4cd.edu .
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