President's Update

COVERING MAY 2025

A Message from Superintendent/
President Shannon

Dear Chaffey College and Community Members,

All of the work we do year-round at Chaffey College culminates in May with the most exciting time of year: Commencement season.

It is a time for caps, gowns, tassels, families and friends. The unmistakable melody of “Pomp and Circumstance” fills our hearts with pride.

I enjoy this time of year because when we see our graduates celebrating what they have achieved with their classmates, professors and families, we know that we have fulfilled our mission.

This month we have hosted many gatherings, both big and small. We heard inspirational words about identity, culture and perseverance from our keynote speakers at our cultural celebrations, and at the 108th graduation ceremony at Toyota Arena. We enjoyed great food and music, and cheered our students for finishing what they started.

I had the honor of joining my colleagues from the Chaffey College Governing Board and the Executive Team to shake the hands of many of our Panthers as they crossed the stage to get their degrees and certificates in Ontario.

At the California Institution for Men, 35 new Panthers put on caps and gowns to show their families they achieved what some thought impossible from inside a prison: completing a college education. And at Montclair High School, we honored 160 students - the largest graduating class in Chaffey history for the Montclair to College program.

No matter where our students celebrated their graduations, I am confident these Panthers will take the knowledge and lessons they have learned to make their world around them a better place.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the dedication of our awesome faculty and staff, and I am grateful to everyone who helped our students reach their goals. Thank you!

I hope you have a restful summer.

Sincerely,

Henry D. Shannon, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President