The recent grand opening of a $58.8 million Health Sciences building and the opening of the new Johnson Student Center in 2021 are impressive additions to the Santa Ana College campus. Yet they are just two among dozens of projects — all in different stages of development — managed by Carri Matsumoto, assistant vice chancellor, facility planning, construction and district support services at Rancho Santiago Community College District. Her department oversees all new construction and modernization improvements, as well as state-scheduled maintenance projects such as roof replacements or fire sa ..read more

  Students from Warner Middle School move disks with a broom at the hockey station during the annual Special Olympics event held at Anderson Elementary School in Garden Grove on Friday, April 26, 2024. Teams comprising of approximately 40 students from across the district took part in events including: hockey, parachute toss, soccer, hopping and jumping jacks. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) Students at Anderson Elementary School in Garden Grove hold signs as they cheer on their fellow classmates during the annual Special Olympics event held on Friday, April ..read more

Taking into account a shared goal of growing relationships within the community, Santiago Canyon College and former NFL quarterback Vince Ferragamo have partnered to establish a flag football league for youngsters, with the games being played at Santiago Canyon College. The Ferragamo Flag Football League, a noncontact football league for boys and girls of all skill levels in grades 1 through 8, kicks off a four-week summer season starting July 19. An eight-week fall season will follow beginning Sept. 6. The mission of the new league is to bring communities together through football in a way wh ..read more

On a sparkling Southern California day last month, about 100 participants and sponsors attended the 22nd Annual Santiago Canyon College Foundation Golf Tournament, held at the Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach. The Santiago Canyon College Foundation supports SCC by increasing public awareness of the college and expanding its volunteer and financial support network. Funds raised by the foundation support students directly through scholarships for fees and books. The foundation also funds campus programs, projects and services important to a vibrant campus life but that the state doesn’t t ..read more

GARDEN GROVE — A 29-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of molesting two girls when he worked at a Boys & Girls Club in Garden Grove a decade ago. Elijah Domminic Barrera is accused of molesting one girl when she was about 7 or 8 and another when she was about 6 in August of 2014, according to police. A police news release said the acts occurred at the club at 9860 Larson. One of the accusers contacted police in March of last year. While investigating her allegations, police got in touch with another girl who also said she was molested by the suspect, police said. Police arrested ..read more

Harbinger Motors celebrated the recent opening of its 165,000-square foot headquarters in Garden Grove. The electric vehicle chassis maker announced last year that it was moving to Orange County from Gardena, signing a lease at 12821 Knott St. with landlord Rexford Industrial. Harbinger said it will produce its medium-duty EV chassis at the facility. “We’re excited to officially celebrate the opening of our new manufacturing facility here in Garden Grove,” said John Harris, CEO of Harbinger. “While we’ve already delivered our first all-electric truck chassis to customers, this ribbon cutting m ..read more

When circumstances caused Janette Solis Martinez and her son Jakob to be students at Santiago Canyon College at the same time, they took the opportunity to help each other get the most out of their education. “My last year was his first year,” said Solis Martinez, 41, who currently works at SCC as executive secretary to the vice president of Student Services. The unusual situation was a result of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis Martinez, a single mom, had been employed at a law firm for 20 years, where she’d worked her way up from file clerk to receptionist, to assistant, to mana ..read more

In celebration of all things science, Santiago Canyon College is hosting its annual Community Science Night from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 19. Open to the public, this free event offers the opportunity for students to explore ways to engage with STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. The on-campus event will feature more than 50 planned exhibits, demonstrations and hands-on activities that incorporate a variety of interactive STEAM concepts. While the activities are primarily geared for elementary and middle school students, SCC’s Community Science Night is open to all ages. “We ..read more

By Larry Urish, contributing writer As a long-time professor of biology at Santiago Canyon College, Denise Foley has spent years working in a microscopic world. It’s been a passion of hers long before she started teaching at SCC in 2006. However, it’s in the macro world, a world inhabited by people we see and influence, where Foley has followed another, more far-reaching passion. “I just love teaching,” Foley said. “As a senior undergrad teaching assistant, I was in charge of a lab section in a freshman lab course, but I really was the instructor. It was fun. I knew I’d be going into teaching ..read more

Merwa Hamid’s parents always impressed upon her and her siblings the importance of education. So, it’s not surprising that she, along with her five brothers and sister all did well in high school and then headed to college. But what is unique is that all seven attended Santiago Canyon College and were so involved in campus clubs and Associated Students Government that the entire family is still well-known throughout the SCC community. Today, Hamid, 23, is a recent biology major graduate of UC Irvine, where she transferred from SCC. Born in Afghanistan, she came to America with her family when ..read more