Celebrated Past. Boundless Future.
Discover the history of Santa Ana College. As we celebrate our centennial, take a journey through our long and storied history.
2011
May 20: After an extensive search for former SAC students eligible for honorary degrees under the California Nisei College Diploma Project, the college presented honorary degrees to 20 individuals at commencement, including 88-year-old Tom Tamio Furukawa, 93-year-old Masao Frank Masuda, and 89-year-old Kazuo Nobuko Sato. Margaret Funakoshi Masuoka, an 89-year-old San Francisco resident, was also honored and received her degree that she had earned, but never received due to the relocation of her family during World War II.
2014
May: Santa Ana College was named the only community college in Orange County to be selected for the Community Colleges Pathway to Law School initiative providing a smoother pathway to six of California’s top law schools.
2015
February 6: Santa Ana College launched its 18-month centennial celebration with the burial of a time capsule. A guest of honor was Tustin resident and Olympic Gold Medal winner 100-year-old SAC alum Evelyn Furtsch Ojeda. Ojeda was a member of the Gold Medal winning 4 x 100 meter relay at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
February 23: SAC’s Global Business and Entrepreneurship Department announced signing an articulation agreement for International Business with the University of Northern Iowa’s College of Business Administration to ease transfer to UNI for completion of a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in International Business.
March 16: The California Community Colleges Board of Governors gave final approval for 12 community colleges to participate in a landmark program allowing them to offer bachelor’s degrees in nine different fields. SAC was selected to offer a baccalaureate degree in occupational studies.
March 17: SAC hosted a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for a renovated Tessmann Planetarium and new Veterans Resource Center. These projects were funded by Measure E, a $337 million general obligation bond passed by voters in 2002.
March 20: The California Department of Finance gave approval to 14 institutions of higher education for funding through the Awards for Innovation in Higher Education. Santa Ana College was selected to receive $5 million to help fund the Santa Ana Partnership. SAC was the only community college in Orange County selected for this award.