SRJC Foundation - Santa Rosa Junior College

05/27/2026

We are proud to celebrate Betsy Fischer and the incredible impact she has had on generations of SRJC Culinary Arts students.

This wonderful feature highlights Betsy’s passion for teaching, mentorship, and creating meaningful hands-on learning experiences for students pursuing careers in the culinary industry. Her dedication reflects the heart of Santa Rosa Junior College; transforming lives through education, creativity, and community.

Thank you, Betsy, for inspiring students and helping build one of the region’s outstanding culinary programs.

Read the article here:

Betsy Fischer has worked in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Culinary Arts Program for 26 years. As she prepares to depart, she dispenses lasting advice for students.

05/21/2026

As we celebrate graduation this weekend, we are proud to share stories that reflect the incredible impact of donor support at Santa Rosa Junior College. From scholarships and student success to Shone Farm and Athletics, this quarter’s newsletter highlights the many ways our community is helping students achieve their goals and build brighter futures.

Read the latest newsletter here https://conta.cc/4v1KUfs

Email from Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation You don't want to miss this. Quarterly Newsletter June 2026 Shone Farm | Athletics | Scholarships | Give Dear Friends, This Saturday, Santa Rosa Junior

05/20/2026

Join us for Superintendent/President Dr. Angélica Garcia's annual President's Address to the Community, presented by Exchange Bank.

At this event, Dr. Garcia will share important information about our college and community, as well as honor the 2026 President's Medallion Recipient, the Welfare League.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

| 2 pm Reception | 3:30 pm Address |

Burbank Auditorium - Santa Rosa campus

TICKETS & SPONSORSHIPS info here: https://give.santarosa.edu/event/2026-presidents-address/e775501

05/15/2026

Congratulations to Santa Rosa Junior College’s Architecture Studio Club for winning the Best Construction Award at Cal Poly’s annual Design Village competition in San Luis Obispo! This exciting achievement highlights the momentum of SRJC’s revitalized architecture program, which relaunched studios in Fall 2025 and will fully restore the degree program in Fall 2026. Thank you to our donors for their support that made this relaunch possible!

05/13/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Del Monte Lecture featuring Dr. Marlene Orozco, nationally recognized researcher, sociologist, and thought leader on Latino entrepreneurship.

Dr. Orozco’s presentation, Immigrant Pathways to Economic Mobility: The Role of Education, Workforce Development, and Entrepreneurship, offered powerful insights into the vital role education and workforce development play in strengthening our communities and local economy.

We are deeply grateful to Dede and David Del Monte for their continued support of this meaningful lecture series and to all who attended and engaged in the conversation.

05/04/2026

Congratulations Luana Stathopoulos! And thank you to the Foundation donors who provided the seed funding for SRJC Women's Wrestling!

Student Luana Stathopoulos was crowned the first-ever SRJC Women’s Wrestling State Champion, while the Bear Cubs finished in the 7th place as a team at the 3C2A State Championship
As coach Fred Duerr writes, "the Bear Cubs traveled to Fresno City College on 5/2 to take on the best in the state at the 3C2A State Championships. The team delivered their best performance of the year, finishing #7 overall in the state. SRJC ended with four individual medalists, including one All-American and State Champion. Freshman Charlie Devlin (124) was awarded the 7th place medal with a 3-2 record, freshman Rawni Self (235) was awarded the 6th place medal after battling to the the semi finals, sophomore Jasmine Vo (145) earned the 6th place medal in one of the toughest brackets in the state, and sophomore Luana Stathopoulos (138) was crowned first ever state champion for Santa Rosa Junior College Women’s Wrestling with a perfect 4-0 record after defeating Cerritos College’s Dalia Preciado by decision 5-2 in the finals. Leila Palacios (117), Mia Aquino (207) & Lilyalicia Marrufo (207) made it to the “blood round” but ultimately came up just short for the medal. Jimena Cano (117) & Savannah Nelson (160) rounded out SRJC’s state qualifiers. The team looks to improve on their performance in 2027!"

04/30/2026

We are proud to amplify this exciting announcement from Santa Rosa Junior College as we look ahead to Commencement 2026! 🎓💙

The 2026 SRJC Commencement speaker will be Karissa Kruse, the CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers.
A marketer and storyteller, Karissa has expanded Sonoma County’s reach through partnerships with Landry's, Lettuce Entertain You, the San Francisco Giants, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bears, Coachella Valley Firebirds, Food & Wine, and GuildSomm.
Before joining SCW, she built a successful career in brand strategy with General Mills, Universal Studios, and Dairy Management Inc., experiences that shaped her innovative approach to connecting people, purpose, and place.
Karissa has been named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Most Innovative Women in Food & Drink,” a Wine Enthusiast “Green Leader,” and CAWG’s Leader of the Year, and was honored as Congressman Mike Thompson’s Woman of the Year.
With a B.S. in Economics and an MBA from The Wharton School, Karissa leads with vision at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and community.

04/30/2026

We’re excited to share some great news! 🎉

Pending approval by the Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees on May 12, the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation is thrilled to welcome Tracey Tuyen as our new Grants Manager a position fully funded by the Foundation.

Tracey brings more than 20 years of experience in grant strategy, proposal development, and program management across global and national organizations. Most recently at University of California, San Francisco, she led cross-functional grant initiatives that secured significant funding for sustainability programs. Her work reflects a powerful combination of strategic insight, compliance expertise, and a proven ability to turn complex funding opportunities into meaningful impact.

Her career has also taken her around the world, working with organizations such as The Asia Foundation, the International Rescue Committee, and Population Services International leading multimillion-dollar proposals and advancing work in education, public health, environmental protection, human rights, and more. Having lived, worked, and traveled to over 110 countries, Tracey brings a truly global perspective to SRJC.

Outside of work, Tracey is a proud mom to her energetic four-year-old daughter and a self-proclaimed foodie - now equally skilled at finding the best playgrounds as she is discovering hidden culinary gems.

We are so excited to have Tracey join the SRJC community and help grow philanthropic support for our students and programs. 💙

Please join us in welcoming Tracey to the SRJC Foundation!

04/29/2026

We had such a wonderful time bringing our President’s Circle members together for a hands-on culinary experience at the Santa Rosa Junior College Culinary Center!

Our donors joined SRJC President Dr. Angelica Garcia in the kitchen to learn the art of making galettes: rolling dough, adding fresh seasonal ingredients, and, of course, enjoying the delicious results. More than just a cooking class, it was an opportunity to connect, learn about our programs and student stories, laugh, and celebrate the community that makes student success possible.

A huge thank you to our Culinary team for putting this event together: Chefs Shelly Kaldunski and Joni Davis, department chair Betsy Fischer and dean Benjamin Goldstein!

03/09/2026

Big thanks to KRCB, Sonoma County’s NPR station for featuring SRJC's incredible Fire Academy program and new fire tower at the Public Safety Training Center! Ken Sebastiani, SRJC's Director of the Fire Technology Program, and State Senator Mike McGuire spoke about the importance of having a trained and motivated fire workforce in our community. Take a listen!

Northern California Public Media