Glendale Community College
Home MenuFall 2025 Issue 2 | Staying Connected
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Message from Superintendent/President Dr. Ryan Cornner
The Thanksgiving holiday and the final weeks of the fall semester are quickly approaching. This season offers an important moment to pause, reflect, and express gratitude—and I am deeply grateful for our faculty, staff, and students who are committed to fostering an inclusive and caring environment where opportunity thrives and futures are transformed. Throughout the fall, GCC hosted a full lineup of events that showcased our academic, athletic, and artistic strengths, cultural diversity, and campus pride.
This year, the holiday season arrives at a challenging time for many. Understandably, a lot of people are concerned about how shifting national priorities may affect their lives in both the near and long term. Most recently, the government shutdown and suspension of SNAP benefits left countless individuals nationwide—including approximately 2,700 GCC students who rely on CalFresh/SNAP for their daily meals—facing significant uncertainty.
In the face of these challenges, our campus community has once again demonstrated what it means to show up for one another. GCC Cares, the Associated Students of GCC, and the Glendale College Foundation have partnered to collect food and financial donations to support our students and community. While we cannot predict what lies ahead at the federal level, we can continue to strengthen the connections we build locally and provide the services that help ease the anxiety and strain so many are feeling.
As the fall semester comes to a close, I want to extend my appreciation to our dedicated faculty and staff for your hard work, professionalism, and dedication to our students and to each other. Your efforts contribute to the success of the college and help our students reach their full potential. And to our students, I wish you the very best as you prepare for your final exams—you’ve worked hard this semester, and we are proud of all you have accomplished.
I hope you enjoy a safe, joyful, and restorative Thanksgiving holiday with family, friends, and loved ones.
With gratitude,
Dr. Ryan Cornner
Superintendent/President
Glendale Community College
Honoring Service and Supporting Success: Inside GCC’s Veterans Resource Center
As we recognize and honor our Veterans this November, GCC is proud to shine a spotlight on the Veterans Resource Center (VRC)—a dedicated space where military-connected students and their families find support, guidance, and a strong sense of community.
Located in Tongva (TG) 1 and 2, the VRC serves as a central hub for U.S. military veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, and dependents as they transition to college and civilian life. The center offers academic counseling, tutoring, benefits assistance, outreach, and a welcoming environment designed to help students thrive. Many VRC students pursue high-demand fields such as nursing, aviation, fire science, and technical trades.
Leading the center is Veterans Resource Center Coordinator and School Certifying Official Leo Perez, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has served GCC for more than a decade. Leo understands firsthand the challenges veterans face when returning to the classroom.
“My military experience has shaped my leadership style around integrity, accountability, and teamwork,” he says. “The camaraderie reminds me to lead with empathy and respect for everyone’s unique journey.” He sums up the military-connected experience at GCC in three words: growth, support, and community.
GCC also celebrates the achievements of students whose stories reflect the resilience and determination found across the VRC.
Lori Hernández, a U.S. Navy veteran, is pursuing Welding Technology with the goal of becoming a certified structural welder. She says the VRC helped her stay focused during challenging moments. Her advice to fellow veterans: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions for help, use the veteran resources, stay organized, and remember that your discipline from the military gives you a strong advantage.”
Joseph Cruz, who served five years in the Navy, is working toward a degree in Geology with hopes of conducting soil research or becoming a meteorologist. He credits the VRC with helping him adjust to the pace and structure of college life. “It’s a new and unique environment,” he says. “It takes time to adjust, but we’ve been through worse.”
As we honor Veterans Day, GCC proudly recognizes the courage, service, and dedication of its military-connected students. Their commitment to education, leadership, and personal growth continues to inspire our entire campus.
On October 9, GCC alumni, friends, family, and community members gathered to celebrate the dedication of the stadium at Sartoris Field in honor of Coach John Cicuto. Coach Cicuto began his GCC career in 1975 as football defensive coordinator under GCC legend Jim Sartoris, for whom the field is named. Together, their coaching leadership propelled the Vaqueros to seven bowl games and 10 conference championships. Their partnership will now be forever memorialized as games are played at “John Cicuto Stadium at Sartoris Field.”
Coach Cicuto became GCC’s head football coach in 1988 and later served as athletic director from 2007 to 2017. After more than 50 years of dedicated service, he continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member in Kinesiology. Over his career, he has coached thousands of athletes and made a lasting impact on their lives both on and off the field. Inducted into the GCC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014, Coach Cicuto remains a steadfast presence on campus and a tireless advocate for student athletes.
Connect to Family
Getting to Know Cristina & Cinco
Glendale Community College has shaped thousands of students over the years, but few connections to the campus are quite like the one shared by alumna Cristina Havel, her son, and Cinco, the college’s live mascot.
Cristina first came to GCC in the mid-90s because she loved the campus—its hills, its open spaces, and the way people genuinely seemed happy to be there. “The instructors really cared about teaching and connecting with students,” she says.
Cristina credits her GCC professors with introducing her to new ideas about history, culture, politics, and philosophy, and exposing her to deeper experiences with literature, theater, and art that helped her better understand herself.
Now she gets to experience GCC from a new perspective—as a parent. Her son is currently taking classes at the same place she once did as a high school dual-enrollment student. While the campus has grown, Cristina says GCC has held on to what makes it special.
“Change is good. GCC is a great example of an institution that has evolved to address the complex times we are living in now while remaining grounded in connection and community.”
That sense of connection plays a huge role in her work with Cinco, her Palomino Paint mare. A retired barrel racer, Cinco is now a calm, steady presence at football games and campus events. “She’s smart, courageous, and beautiful,” Cristina says. “I’m really proud of her work at the college."
Cinco’s role as mascot started with a spark of inspiration at a USC football game. Cristina was watching Traveler, USC’s horse, run the field when she said suddenly everything clicked. “My son had just started his first class as a concurrent enrollment student. All at once, I made a connection between the Vaqueros, the Spanish Revival architectural theme at GCC, and my horse, Cinco.”
She sent the college an email pitching the idea of a live mascot, fully expecting no response. Instead, GCC Superintendent/President Dr. Ryan Cornner replied within minutes and invited her to meet. This season marks Cristina’s and Cinco’s third with the Vaqueros.
One of Cristina’s favorite memories is Cinco’s first touchdown run. As she got ready, President Cornner pointed to the stands where students were holding a sign that read, “WE ❤️ CINCO.”
“That sign was evidence, more than anything else, that the dream was real,” she said. “That an idea becomes reality when you believe in yourself, take risks, and work hard.”
Returning to GCC as both a parent and mascot trainer has been meaningful for her. “Life is full of surprises,” she says. Sometimes she imagines talking to her younger self on campus, telling her that someday she’ll be back—with her son and riding her horse at football games.
To Cristina and her family, GCC represents beginnings. “There is a direct connection for us between GCC and fulfilling our potential,” she says. Cristina credits GCC with helping her graduate from USC as a transfer student and giving her son a competitive advantage on his college applications.
Her advice for new Vaqueros is simple: “Be yourself! If you don’t know exactly what you are doing, don’t worry about it — every single person on this planet has experienced that feeling. Continue to show up, trust the process, and remember…Cinco loves you!”
Archive Issues: Fall 2025