San Jac Honored with Education Champion Award
PASADENA, Texas – San Jacinto College has been awarded the Education Champion Award as a part of the 41st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards. This award honors the College’s commitment to service learning and its impactful community service initiatives that provide students with hands-on experiences while benefiting the local community. The volunteer awards are presented by OneStar Foundation in partnership with the Office of the Texas Governor.
Service learning is integrated into the San Jacinto College curriculum by addressing community needs while offering students opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. One of the College’s most impactful initiatives is the See to Succeed eye care clinic, a collaborative effort with the Houston Health Department that provides vision care for students in Pasadena Independent School District. Each year, students from San Jacinto College’s Eye Care Technology department assist with exams, guide children in selecting eyeglass frames, and help process prescriptions. Each year, more than 1,000 students received comprehensive eye exams, with hundreds of eyeglass prescriptions filled.
“Service learning is transforming both our students’ educational experiences and the lives of those in our community,” said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, Chancellor of San Jacinto College. “Through projects like See to Succeed and many others, our students gain valuable hands-on skills while making a real difference. We are honored to receive the Education Champion Award and remain committed to fostering civic engagement and academic excellence.”
Since 2013, San Jacinto College has embedded service learning into various academic programs, offering students opportunities to participate in projects that range from environmental conservation efforts with the biology department to historical oral history projects conducted by the history department. The English department’s writing project, launched in 2022, has engaged students in addressing social isolation among seniors by creating and distributing nearly 8,000 greeting cards to adult-living facilities across Texas.
The Governor’s Volunteer Awards, hosted by Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to their communities through volunteerism and service. San Jacinto College’s selection as the Education Champion Award recipient highlights its dedication to fostering student engagement, civic responsibility, and workforce readiness.
San Jacinto College eye care technology students continued their tradition of service in February 2025, when they returned to volunteer at the See to Succeed clinic, further demonstrating their commitment to education, healthcare, and community impact.
For more information about San Jacinto College’s service-learning initiatives, visit sanjac.edu. To learn more about the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, visit OneStar Foundation’s website.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. The College is a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, serving approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s.
