Rudy Salas gives KCCD Trustee Nan remarks at the event Gomez Heitzeberg gives remarks at the event
Sept. 27, 2022
By Gene Garaygordobil, Editor, DelanoNow
On Monday, Bakersfield College celebrated the 50th anniversary of its campus in Delano with a luncheon that featured guest speakers and a presentation of the college’s history in the north Kern community.
The Delano College Center, as it was known at the time, welcomed its first classes of students in September 1972 in an unused building owned by the high school district. At the time, there were just 400 students enrolled in 24 courses.
By the late 1970s, the Randolph Campus was constructed and served thousands of students over the next several decades. In the early 2000s, with enrollment of more than 2,000 students annually, the Delano campus moved again to its current location on Timmons Avenue. Earlier this year, the college broke ground on a second building at the current location to accommodate even more growth over the past two decades, with enrollment now around 4,500 students.
“As we observe this anniversary, we must give credit to Delano’s pioneers for understanding the value of education, and the critical role it could play in the life of residents and the future growth of the city,” said Romeo Agbalog, who represents Delano and other rural north Kern communities on the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees and is the board president. “Today, our rural communities rely on this critical resource more than ever to provide access to college and career options that can lead to good jobs and bright futures.”
“I know firsthand the value of this campus because I was a student there myself. I learned from educators who not only challenged me to focus on my future but gave me the skills and the confidence to dream big and dare to achieve goals that I otherwise would never have believed could be possible,” Agbalog said.
For more information about the Delano Campus history, Group photo of guest speakers and invited please visit: www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/delano/50th-anniversary
Group photo of generations of leadership at BC’s Delano campus with Rudy Sala – L-R: Zav Dadabhoy, Rich McCrow, Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg, Rudy Salas, Abel Guzman, Jaime Lopez.
Sonya Christian gives remarks at the event.
Group Photos
Bakersfield College provides opportunities for students from diverse economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds to attain Associate and Baccalaureate degrees and certificates, workplace skills, and preparation for transfer. Our rigorous and supportive learning environment fosters students’ abilities to think critically, communicate effectively, and demonstrate competencies and skills in order to engage productively in their communities and the world.
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