Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
August 13, 2020
San Diego, CA – Today, San Diego Mesa College announced the renaming of their Humanities Institute to the Dr. Constance M. Carroll Humanities Institute. The Institute, which was originally established in 1990, was generously supported by Dr. Carroll upon her appointment as President of Mesa College in 1993, and has continued to be in the forefront of her work during her tenure with the San Diego Community College District. In the wake of the announcement, donations have been flooding in to support the Institute.
“We wanted to honor Dr. Carroll's vision and commitment to the Humanities, both as our past president and as our Chancellor, so it seemed most fitting to bestow her name permanently upon this program,” stated Dr. Pamela Luster, President of Mesa College.
Since it began as a campus-wide initiative in September of 1990, the Humanities Institute has supported the work of faculty and staff to bring diverse programming and events to Mesa College. The Institute serves as an internal vehicle for cultural, interdisciplinary, and Mesa College community priorities, and activities are intended to increase student engagement, recruitment, and retention. With a goal of enriching the student experience through the humanities, the Institute focuses on and funds activities that promote diverse cultures and perspectives such as a celebration of Black History Month, Cesar Chavez, Chinese Culture, Women's History Month, and Cultural Unity Week. Named in honor of Dr. Constance M. Carroll in 2020, the institute aims to honor her legacy as former President of Mesa College and Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District.
Dr. Constance M. Carroll has had a distinguished career in higher education. In 2004, she was appointed Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, after eleven years of service as President of San Diego Mesa College. Constance Carroll holds a B.A. degree in Humanities from Duquesne University; an M.A. 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. In 2011, Dr. Carroll was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities.
She currently serves on the boards of the University of San Diego, the League for Innovation, the Community College Humanities Association, and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. In 2015, Dr. Carroll was honored with the prestigious “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Human Dignity Award” by the YMCA of San Diego County, and the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary recognized her as one of the 2015 “Women of Dedication.” In 2016, she was given the “Moving San Diego Forward” award by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. In 2017, she was recognized by the national Community College Baccalaureate Association with the “Pioneer Award” for her leadership and work in improving access to baccalaureate level education through community colleges. In 2019, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) honored Dr. Carroll with a “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
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Tags: Chancellor, Constance M. Carroll, Press Release, Humanities Institute, Humanities and Cultural Studies
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego Mesa College will celebrate the grand opening of its newly developed CommUnity Spaces—student-centered support and affinity spaces designed to enhance engagement, learning, and a sense of belonging on campus—on Thursday, April 24, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in Room I4-202.
San Diego April 1, 2025—San Diego Mesa College announced today that it has earned the 2025-2026 Military Friendly ® School designation.
In honor of Mesa College Giving Day, the Newsroom features the accomplishments of several amazing San Diego Mesa College students. The eight students featured here have distinguished themselves, but they represent just a fraction of what Mesa Olympians achieve every day here on campus and in the world. To celebrate them and the future students who will call Mesa home, consider joining us to celebrate #MesaGivingDay. Give now until Saturday May 25, 2024 to double your gift and support Mesa students.
