By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
COMPTON — A new report cites five years of student success at Compton College.
College President Keith Curry, who has led the college for more than a decade, issued the report July 29, which was mailed to every household in the Compton Community College District, which includes Compton, Lynwood, Paramount and of South Los Angeles, as part of the college’s community outreach plan.
“‘Compton College’s ‘Five Years of Success: Report to the Community’ highlights our deep connection with the community and provides updates on college programs, alumni, and facilities,” Curry said. “This five-year review showcases our efforts to address students’ basic needs, enhance campus infrastructure, remove barriers to degree attainment and offer financial support.
“Additionally, the report emphasizes dual enrollment opportunities and student achievements, featuring success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of our programs on students’ lives.”
The report highlights alumni who share how their time at Compton College prepared them to continue their path towards achieving their educational goals.
“Compton College has been instrumental in my professional journey throughout higher education,” said Compton College alumnus Anthony Onwuegbuzia, who went on to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology at Cal University, Dominguez Hills. “As a proud alumnus, I must continue to pay it forward and encourage others to pursue their educational journey.”
Onwuegbuzia’s story is just one of the many successes highlighted in the report. He now works at the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute at Cal State Dominguez Hills as the administrative coordinator and is a part-time lecturer in the Africana Studies department at the university.
He is most proud of his work with the Dymally Fellows Program, a youth leadership program designed to empower youth to be politically conscious and involved, entrepreneurially competent and productive and to become responsible future political and business leaders.
The accomplishments of other Compton College students are featured in the report, along with important student success indicators, such as increased numbers of students earning degrees and certificates; higher percentages of transfers to four-year colleges and universities; addressing students’ basic needs; and Compton College’s recent reaffirmed accreditation status for seven years.
To help offset the cost of higher education, financial support for students has also expanded. In the past five years, more than 450 Compton College students have received a total of $176,200 in scholarships.
The top transfer destinations for Compton College students include Cal State Long Beach; Cal State Dominguez Hills; and UC Irvine.
A recent graduate secured a full scholarship to UC Irvine, to complete studies in a doctoral program.
“There are not many people of color in the field of physics, and I am working to break that barrier,” said Tre Willingham, a 2021 graduate of Compton College who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics at Cal Poly Pomona, and has completed one year of graduate studies.
Willingham was recently accepted to the Ph.D. program in applied physics at UC Irvine where he will begin the next phase of his studies this fall.
“I’m looking forward to diving into this new academic journey and continuing to pursue my passion for physics,” he said.
The college’s leadership also made investments in the campus’s infrastructure, which also assists in students’ success.
The spring 2023 grand opening of the $25.2 million, 34,000-square-foot Student Services Building was a sign of progress made in construction projects and facility improvements in the past few years. The Student Services Building serves as a one-stop location for enrollment services and includes administration offices, enrollment services, assisted learning spaces, and computer labs to help current and future students apply and register for courses.
Additional projects completed during this period include the opening of Instructional Buildings 1 and 2 replacing the old “row” classroom buildings on campus built more than 60 years ago.
The full report can be accessed at https://www.compton.edu/community/community-relations/docs/2018-2023_COMPTON-Report.pdf.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
