President Thayer’s Board Report for June 10, 2025
The following is a report to members of the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
Presented by Cypress College President Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
on June 10, 2025
Class of 2025 Participates in 58th Commencement at Cypress College
Some 650 students, 100 employees, and thousands of guests attended the 58th Commencement at Cypress College on Friday, May 30, 2025. The celebration began in the pond area with the ceremonial crossing of the bridge and took place in Gateway Plaza where the graduates crossed the stage and received diploma covers from NOCCCD Trustees, Dr. Breland, and Dr. Thayer.
During the event, honors were presented to the nine Presidential Scholars of Distinction and the 2025 Outstanding Graduate of the Year, the Cypress College Foundation’s Alumnus of the Year, the Academic Senate’s faculty award recipients, and the Associated Students’ selection for the Orange County Teacher of the Year award process.
The seventh cohort of Presidential Scholars of Distinction are: Bryan Pham, Business/CIS; Esmeralda Alba, CTE; Natalia Mindru, Health Science; Benjamin Alarcon, Kinesiology; Christina Guadarrama, Language Arts; Dominique Waddell, Science, Engineering, and Math; Chase Curnow, Social Sciences; Fernando “Sushi” Lizarraga, Visual and Performing Arts; and Candyce Young, We Journey Together.
The 2025 Outstanding Graduate of the Year is Hannah Kampitan. She is a lead peer tutor in the English Peer Tutoring program, co-editor-in-chief of The Cypress Chronicle, and president of the Honors Club.
The Outstanding Alumnus is Aaron France, city manager of Buena Park and 1994 Cypress College graduate. France’s journey from standout student-athlete to public servant exemplifies the values of leadership, service, and excellence fostered at Cypress College. A pitcher for the 1994 State Champion Cypress College Charger Baseball team, Aaron was drafted three times — by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992, Baltimore Orioles in 1993, and Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994 — and played professionally in the minor leagues until 2001.
Faculty awards were presented by Academic Senate President Kathleen McAlister for: Outstanding Full-Time Faculty to Kendyl Covey, English; Outstanding Adjunct Faculty to Raymond Gibson, Theatre Arts; Charger Award to Jennifer Coopman, Mathematics, along with Francisco Perez, the campus nominee for the OC Teacher of the Year.
The commencement live stream video was viewed in 32 states and and 27 countries, including Peru (78); Mexico (59); Philippines (42); Colombia (36); and other (169 total views).
Additional photographs from commencement are available in a gallery.
Special thanks to our Commencement Planning Committee, chaired by Dr. Paul de Dios, to our Maintenance and Operations unit, Campus Safety, Campus Communications, Charger Experience and Student Ambassadors, Student Life and Leadership, the Student Services Division, the Music Department, Chuck Rogers and Laurel Mura of the Theater, Admissions and Records, and countless additional employees who help make this event successful.
Foundation Presents $500,000 in Scholarships to Students
The Cypress College Foundation presented approximately a half-million dollars in scholarships to students, many who were in attendance at the annual awards event, which was held on Friday, May 23, 2025 adjacent to the pond.
Some 420 students received awards and roughly 600 people attended the event, including recipients, their families, donors, and college and district officials.
In fact, one of the highlights annually is seeing students with the donors who funded scholarships.
The Cypress College Foundation exists to support Cypress College and its students. Multiple giving opportunities are described on the Foundation website.
Celebration Season Highlights Students in Variety of Programs
Cypress College’s event tent arrived at the end of April and the campus community put the space through the paces, hosting events on a daily basis during the final weeks of the semester. The celebrations highlight the work of students in a wide variety of programs — including those designed to build community, belonging, and mattering.
These include the Pride Center, Legacy Program, the Puente Program, APIDA, Associated Students, and the VRC. Events were also held for the Transfer Center, Accounting, EOPS, DSS, and more. Classified Appreciation and the End-of-the-Year Employee Recognition events also took place in this space.
The tent itself provides a focal point — along the pond, nonetheless — for happy gatherings, and eases the burden on staff who set up and clean up the celebrations.
First Group of Mazda Partnership Students Graduate
Last spring, Mazda began a partnership with Cypress College to create a new career track for Automotive Technology students. Those participants in the first group to complete all courses in Mazda Automotive Student Training, or MAST, were honored in a graduation celebration in late May.
Out of the 10 graduates, five currently work at Mazda dealerships and one at Mazda Corporate headquarters in Irvine. Mazda gives graduating students incentives such as bonuses, car purchase and lease discounts, tuition reimbursements, and tool discounts.
“The graduates come out of the program as Mazda Senior Certified Technicians ready to tackle customer and warranty work, including recalls and service campaigns,” MAST lead faculty Enrique Aispuro said. “They continue their training with Mazda to become Specialists and Master Technicians down the road. We expect to grow the cohort numbers next semester by eight to 10 students, a number based on our past semesters.”
MAST is an open-entry open-exit series of courses, and students can take these top-coded classes any time during their academic career. The typical graduation timeframe for new incoming students would be two to two and a half years after meeting the prerequisites; however, students already enrolled in auto tech can use credit for prior coursework.
Graduates can go on to become Mazda Senior Certified Technicians. Through this relationship between dealers and MAST schools, dealers have a dedicated hiring resource and schools have supportive graduate placement opportunities.
Rad Tech Gets Equipment Upgrade to Modernize Popular Program
The Radiologic Technology Program recently installed new equipment in its classrooms, modernizing the previous technology in place for more than 12 years. Now students have, according to Program Director Michael Frianeza, two fully energized X-ray rooms to practice technical skills and apply classroom learning before beginning clinical training.
“The new system plays a critical role in building the skills our students need to succeed,” Frianeza said. “The hands-on experience they gain in our labs gives them a solid foundation to perform real procedures with accuracy and confidence during their clinical rotations. This level of preparation is a major reason our program is so strong. Prospective students actively seek out our program because of its reputation for excellence, and employers consistently hire our graduates knowing they are well-prepared and highly skilled.”
The new GE Discovery XR656 HD digital X-ray unit replaces outdated equipment, which contained parts no longer manufactured, eventually rendered inoperable. Now the lab has reached current industry standards, allowing students to train on the same advanced technology used in clinical practice. Frianeza says it strengthens the ability to prepare job-ready graduates, improve retention and completion rates, and support entry into high-demand careers in medical imaging.
“We serve a diverse group of learners — including many who are non-traditional or face economic challenges — and this upgrade ensures all students have equal access to the equipment and training they need to succeed,” Frianeza says. “By providing a consistent, high-quality learning environment for every student, we help ensure strong academic and professional outcomes across the board.”
Funding for the equipment came from the Strong Workforce Program (SWP). Frianeza also credits support from the Health Science and Career Technical Education divisions, Vice President of Instruction Kathleen Rieland, and Dean Colin Preston.
Buen Cypress! We Take This Journey Together!