De Anza College: Notable Alumni and Contributions
De Anza College, a public community college located in Cupertino, California, is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. Besides its academic offerings, the college is known for its various programs, facilities, and alumni who have made significant contributions in diverse fields.
Academic and Support Programs
De Anza College provides a range of programs designed to support student success. One such program is the Puente Project, which aims to help underserved students transfer to four-year institutions. "Puente," meaning "bridge" in Spanish, symbolizes the program's goal of bridging students to higher education through three key components: English instruction, individualized counseling, and individual mentoring.
Campus Facilities and Features
De Anza College boasts several notable facilities that enhance the educational experience and serve the broader community.
Flint Center
The Flint Center is De Anza's main theater, capable of seating approximately 2,400 people. It has hosted a variety of events, including concerts, Broadway shows, dance performances, and speaking engagements. Over the years, De Anza has invited numerous celebrities and dignitaries to speak at the Flint Center. Construction of the Flint Center began in 1968, and the building was dedicated in 1971 as the Calvin C. However, the Foothill DeAnza Board has voted to close the Flint Center and tear it down.
Euphrat Museum of Art
The Euphrat Museum of Art opened in 1977, thanks to a bequest by E. F. Euphrat in memory of his wife, Helen. The gallery's diverse interests are reflected in past exhibitions such as "Commercial Artists: Their Art," "1981 International Year of Disabled Persons," "Men and Children," "The Workplace/The Refuge," "Realism in Painting and Color," "Survey of Bay Area Sculpture," "It's Electric," "Art that Rolls and Flies," and the "Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection." Rita Felciano noted that the Euphrat Gallery has distinguished itself as an outstanding community center for visual arts. The changing exhibitions attain national and international stature. The gallery maintains a high professional identity and fulfills its educational mission.
Read also: Accessing De Anza Resources
Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies
The Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies is home to over 100 environmental classes. It serves as a hub for environmental education and sustainability initiatives on campus.
Fujitsu Planetarium
The Fujitsu Planetarium features a 50-foot dome and seating for 139 people. It provides educational programs for De Anza students, field trip groups, and the public. The planetarium also offers an evening musical laser light show on its Saturday public schedule from September to April.
Environmental Study Area
The Environmental Study Area is a 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) natural garden containing approximately 400 species of plants representing 12 California natural communities. It offers students and visitors the opportunity to learn about California's natural heritage and observe plants and animals in person.
Student Governance and Activities
The Associated Students of De Anza College (DASB) is the student body association, required by law to encourage students to participate in the governance of the college. The DASB participates in meetings sponsored by the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, a statewide community college student organization. The student body association also operates The De Anza Flea Market, held on the first Saturday of each month. The flea market began as a small effort by De Anza College students to raise money for the student body over 30 years ago. It has grown into an established community event attracting vendors and patrons from throughout the state. The De Anza Flea Market contains about 825 vendor stalls and usually sells out very quickly.
Campus Safety
De Anza College has its own district police department with armed officers.
Read also: Essential Resources at De Anza
Notable Alumni
De Anza College has produced a diverse array of successful alumni who have made their mark in various fields. Here are some of the most notable:
Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. Born in Palo Alto, California, on December 8, 1964, she is known for her roles as Lois Lane in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and as Susan Mayer in the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives. Hatcher has also authored Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life and created the web series Hatching Change.
Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak, born on August 11, 1950, is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer, philanthropist, and technology entrepreneur. In 1975, Wozniak started developing the Apple I into the computer that launched Apple when he and Jobs first began marketing it the following year. He primarily designed the Apple II in 1977, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputers. With computer scientist Jef Raskin, Wozniak had major influence over the initial development of the original Apple Macintosh concepts from 1979 to 1981. After permanently leaving Apple in 1985, Wozniak founded CL 9 and created the first programmable universal remote, released in 1987.
Jhonen C. Vasquez
Jhonen C. Vasquez, born on September 1, 1974, is an American comic book writer, cartoonist, and music video director. He is best known for creating the comic book Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, its spin-off comics Squee! and I Feel Sick, and the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim.
Len Wiseman
Len Wiseman is a television director, television producer, film producer, screenwriter, and film director. He is known for his work on the Underworld film series, where vampires battle werewolves.
Read also: Community College Spotlight
Mona Lisa Moon
Mona Lisa Moon is an actress and model.
Jeffrey Evan Sevy
Jeffrey Evan Sevy, born on October 24, 1950, was a lineman for six years in the NFL. He played at Homestead High School, then went to De Anza College before transferring to Cal. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round of the 1974 NFL draft. He played for the Bears for four seasons before ending his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks in 1979 and 1980.
Other Notable Figures
- Mae Lee: Chair of Asian American and Asian Studies, holding two master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology.
- Shelly Michael: Former DASB president, a political science major, and an advocate for student needs.
- Anisa Chaudhry: Winner of the A. Robert DeHart Memorial Scholarship and the keynote speaker for De Anza's 2018 commencement ceremony.
- Titus Kaphar: A De Anza alum and a 2018 MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner.
- Brian Romaine: Helped develop the Kirsch Center community garden while co-president of Latinx Empowerment at De Anza (LEAD).
Steve Jobs
While not explicitly an alumnus in the traditional sense, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ ties to De Anza College ran deep. His adoptive parents lived in Mountain View, and Jobs spent his free time at Hewlett-Packard, where he befriended Steve Wozniak.
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