Fullerton College Centennial

03/05/2026

From Centennial Hall of Fame Artist David Mastrejuan: "Last night Deborah and I went to an artist lecture in the beautiful new Cruz Reynoso building on the Fullerton College campus. When you walk in you see my portrait of Cruz in a glass case. That was pretty fun to see.
I’d talked to him when I did the portrait in ‘13, he was born in Brea, raised in La Habra and went on to the California Supreme Court. Seemed like a nice guy."

01/19/2026

Hornet Basketball

State Championships:
1954, 1961, 2006, 2019, 2023,
Runner up:
1953, 1960, 2008, 2017, 2025
Final Fours:
1953, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1969, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025

Hornets Now 17-1, 4-0
Wins over Santa Ana and Cypress

Wednesday:
Hornets 60 Santa Ana 57

By Phil Thurman

January 14, 2026

The Fullerton College Hornets still ranked 2nd in the state and 1st in the south faced a major Orange Empire Conference test Wednesday night at home against No. 11 Santa Ana College and answered the challenge with a gritty 60–57 victory over the Dons.

Both teams entered the matchup sporting identical 15-1 records, but it was Fullerton that emerged on top improving to 16-1 overall and 3-0 in OEC play. The loss marked Santa Ana's second straight defeat after an undefeated non-conference slate, dropping the Dons to 15-2 overall and 1-2 in conference action.

The opening minutes were scoreless as both teams felt each other out, until Donovan Pitts broke the ice with the game's first basket- a three-pointer from beyond the arc.

Santa Ana answered with a pair of buckets of its own setting the tone for a back-and-forth first half that featured four ties. By the break, the Hornets had carved out a slim 27–25 lead.

Yoda Oke opened the second half with a layup and a jump shot to push Fullerton's lead to 31-25. A strong run capped by baskets from Brayden Smith and Bishop Brooks extended the advantage to 35-25. The Hornets later built their largest lead of the night at 12 points, 52–40, following a Brooks three-pointer with 6:53 remaining.

Just when it appeared Fullerton might pull away, Santa Ana surged with a 7–1 run in the final three minutes to make it a one-possession game. Brooks answered once again, drilling a timely three-pointer to halt the momentum and seal the Hornets' 60–55 edge late.

Oke led all scorers with 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for a dominant double-double performance. Brooks, Pitts, and Smith each added 12 points, with Smith also pulling down 12 rebounds for a double-double of his own. Trey Thompson chipped in six points, three assists, and a block.

Friday:
Hornets 69 Cypress 52

January 16, 2026

The Hornets moved to 4-0 in Orange Empire Conference play with a solid 69-52 road win. Fullerton jumped out to a 40-15 lead at the half thanks to excellent defense and hot shooting.

The Hornets are now 17-1 on the season and 4-0 in OEC play. Santiago Canyon is also undefeated in conference play.

Freshman guard Bishop Brooks was the hot hand as he made 6 of 10 3-point shot attempts and finished with 23 points.
Next Up:

Two Games This Week
Home on Friday

Wednesday January 21:
Away vs Santiago Canyon (15-3, 4-0) 6 p.m
Santiago Canyon does not field a woman's basketball team, so they start home games at 6 p.m. (all over OEC games home and away start at 5 p.m. this season)
The Hawks are 0-7 in Fullerton, but at their home court they have been the toughest opponent for the Hornets winning 5 of the 7 games at Santiago Canyon
Expect an uptempo game as both teams like to run the court and Hawks are always a strong shooting team.

Friday January 23:
Home vs. Orange Coast College (1-17, 0-4)
The Pirates have played a tough non conference schedule, and now in the OEC there are no easy nights. But teams can't look past the hustling team from Costa Mesa as they have been close in every game so far.

12/20/2025

AN EXCITING LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Hornet Familia,

I am pleased to share that the NOCCCD Board of Trustees has approved Dr. Lisa Nashua as the new Executive Director of the Friends of Fullerton College Foundation, effective December 18.
Dr. Nashua is an experienced higher education and development professional with more than 25 years of experience, including over 11 years championing community college students. Throughout her career, she has advocated for student access, success and pathways to higher education.

She joins Fullerton College with a distinguished record of leadership. At the Chaffey College Foundation, Dr. Nashua worked with workforce development leaders, regional business partners and state legislators to secure over $4.1 million for paid internships and a new welding facility. These efforts expanded employability for students pursuing advanced manufacturing. As the leader of the $55 million endowed Los Angeles Community College Foundation, Dr. Nashua and her team worked closely with college leadership to obtain federal community grants and individual gifts totaling over $2 million. These funds were in support of basic needs, paid arts internships and the development of an apprenticeship model for nursing and radiologic (rad) tech students to complete their certification and activate allied health careers. This work continued with the submission of a $9 million congressional community grant to build a new Rad Tech facility on campus.

Dr. Nashua specializes in serving as a community liaison to build partnerships with philanthropy, business, non-profit organizations, academic leadership and faculty to develop or enhance student support programs. She holds a Ph.D. in education from Claremont Graduate University, a Master’s degree in leadership and management from the University of La Verne, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Claremont McKenna College. She is passionate about equity, and the cultural capital diverse students bring to their lives and educational experience.

Outside of work, she is an avid world traveler and takes an annual international or out-of-state trip with her husband Loy. They are the proud parents of a long-haired mini dachshund named Aston.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lisa Nashua to our college.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Olivo, Ph.D.
President

11/17/2025

Darrell Kitchell, former Communications Professor at Fullerton College passed away yesterday, November 16, 2025. Born in 1945, he taught broadcast writing and screen writing at Fullerton College from 1976-2008. He formerly worked in professional radio and television broadcasting. He studied Theatre Arts at Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach and UCLA.

10/28/2025

So appreciative of Carl Sweet and the Hornet Nation for raising $ 50K for the Al Feola Scholarship, and, thereby, earning naming privileges for the Fullerton College FieldHouse Locker Room. Here is the notice of the dedication event:

"Please find attached below the invitation to the Al Feola Locker Room Dedication Ceremony. Also, here are more details for the day:
- The ceremony will take place at halftime of the Fullerton-Golden West game. Game time is 12 noon at Sherbeck Field on Saturday, November 8th.
- Parking is free, wherever you can find it on campus. Admission is also free, but you must pass through the gate that is marked "HORNET ALUMNI" and identify yourself as a Hornet alum.The gate will open at 10:30 and you are to make your way upstairs, either by the stairs or by the elevator, for the pre-game reception. Complimentary refreshments (hot dogs, soft drinks and water) will be available. You will be able to watch the first half upstairs while socializing with fellow former Hornets and staff.
- At the 2-minute mark of the second quarter, we will all gather near the fence on the home side (southwest corner). After the teams leave the field at halftime, we will gather at the 50-yard line for the ceremony to take place.
- Following the ceremony, you can return upstairs or go into the stands for the 2nd half.
- Following the game, the celebration will continue at Brian's Original Sports Bar, for a no-host event. Brian's address is 1944 N Placentia Avenue in Fullerton.
We are looking forward to a GREAT day, celebrating Coach Al Feola's career as a Hornet coach and mentor and renewing friendships with former Hornet players, staff and supporters.
Many thanks to Hornet Athletic Director Scott Giles and Sports Information Director Phil Thurman for their tireless work and support that went into making this project possible.
Respectfully,
Carl Sweet
FJC Hornet 1967-68"

09/23/2025

Nixson Borah was a much respected and much loved artist/teacher at Fullerton College, and his influence on his students and colleagues is legendary. He also showed great kindness to his colleagues, and we always felt lifted by Nixson after every communication and every personal encounter. Nixson Borah was a Fullerton College treasure.

Among his many accomplishments, he taught the first Honors Creative Arts class with Jim Henderson (Theatre) and Darwin Frederickson (Music).
He designed masks for the Fullerton College Theatre production of Oedipus Rex, and his classes produced them.

Here is what was written about him during the Fullerton College Centennial https://fullertoncollegecentennial.com/staff-stories/nixson-borah.html

His obituary
Nixson Lee Borah
March 21, 1938 — September 4, 2025
Nixson Borah, 87, passed away in San Diego, California on September 4, 2025. Nixson was an accomplished artist, educator, and poet.

Nixson grew up in San Luis Obispo, California and earned degrees at UC Santa Barbara (B.A.), University of Washington (M.F.A.), and Claremont Graduate University (Ph.D.). In 1959, he married Esther J. Gonzales and they moved to Fullerton, California and raised two children, Farfalla and Vincent. Following their divorce, Nixson moved to Los Angeles and then retired to Atascadero, California in 2003. During that time, Nixson had a loving 35 year relationship with Edward Smink and they married in 2022 before moving to San Diego, California.

Nixson enjoyed a career as an exhibiting Southern California artist and Professor of Art at Fullerton College. He retired from teaching in 2003 and moved to the Central Coast where he continued to make art and pursued a passion for poetry.

The range of art that Nixson has produced and exhibited covers a wide spectrum of media that includes drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and photography. His work has been shown in numerous galleries and museums and is included in private collections on both coasts. His most recent solo exhibition was at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, and his work is currently featured in a permanent collection exhibition at the Fullerton College Art Gallery.

Nixson taught a variety of studio art courses for the Fullerton College Art Department from 1962-2003. He also helped create the Fine Arts Honors Program and founded the printmaking program in the 1970s. He is fondly remembered by many former students and colleagues at the College.
As a poet, he has been a featured reader at several Central Coast poetry venues during the past 15 years, including periodic readings at the annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival. Nixson published a collection of his poetry entitled Time Zones, Penciled In, in 2019.

Nixson is survived by his husband, Edward, daughter, Farfalla, brother, William, grandchild, Roz, and William’s daughter, Shelli, two granddaughters, and great-grandchildren. Nixson was preceded in death by his son, Vincent, and nephew, William.

07/19/2025

https://www.rishermortuary.com/obituaries/jeffrey-mahlstede?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawLof_9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFUMEwxNXNjRFFwSE1Ob3FHAR7ISq0okLJk0dX4B2jAjdiV6MJl22Ml-5v0WR8O2WSHjl9ASzXLKcQxT-W3XQ_aem_yipW6I3yh5WEQCjQ95vwYQ

View JEFFREY LEE MAHLSTEDE's obituary, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

12/04/2024

James Lowell Armstrong 1932-2024

James Lowell Armstrong, affectionately known as “Lucky Jim,” passed away on October 22, 2024, following a fall while returning to his cherished home, Hope Springs, in Placentia.
He was a man of enduring optimism, boundless curiosity, and unshakable humor.

Born in Colo, Iowa, on October 22, 1932 and raised in Minnesota, Jim moved to California in 1964 to join the English Department at Fullerton Junior College, where he taught for 32 years, retiring in 1996.

A gifted teacher and storyteller, Jim was known for his quick wit, profound insights, and ability to inspire students to think beyond the surface. Whether sharing the power of a perfectly crafted sentence or delighting in a well-timed pun, Jim’s impact on his students and colleagues was immeasurable.

Jim approached life with gratitude and a belief in the good in people. To honor his spirit, his family encourages a moment of kind- ness—whether through a donation, a shared story, or simply giving a dog a friendly pat.

A champion of the natural world, Jim valued the preservation of public lands and equal access to green spaces.

Jim is survived by his four children: Rebecca Stanwyck, Susan Armstrong, Patty Armstrong, and Tom Armstrong—his four stepchildren, 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wives: Lynette Corson Armstrong, Jane Roy Armstrong, and Ruth Gross Armstrong.

Following his wishes, Jim will be cremated, and his ashes scattered in the ocean, the cradle of life he so revered.

A celebration of his life will be held in spring 2025, with details to follow.
I
n lieu of flowers his family asks that donations be made to The Trust for Public Land (www.tpl.org), honoring his lifelong passion for nature.

During the Fullerton College Centennial, Jim wrote an essay which included his Semester Abroad experiences and witnessing streaking on the Fullerotn College campus. Please see: https://fullertoncollegecentennial.com/staff-stories/jim-armstrong.html

My memories of teaching English at Fullerton (Junior) College for thirty-two years (1964-96) are so rich and varied they'd need a book to do them justice. My students and my colleagues and I anguished over the Watts riots, the Vietnam war and stateside protests, the Kent State massacre, and the like...

11/22/2024

What date did this film night take place in the old Student Center, sponsored by Associated Students of Fullerton College?

11/04/2024

Please join us

10/04/2024

Are you a Fullerton College Alumnus 🎓
Then you willl definitely want to check out Legends and Legacies: Over 100 Years of Fullerton College! This NEW beautiful hardcover book is packed with 156 pages of full-color stories and photos that capture the incredible history of our college. 📚
Pre-Order Your copy today at: https://fullertonlegends.com
And don’t forget to join our Fullerton College Alumni group on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1654377/
Let’s celebrate our shared legacy