Gavilan College is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

Santa Clara County, California Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...

History

The college was established in 1919 as the San Benito County Junior College. It operated as such until 1963, when a new community college district was drawn that included both

San Benito County San Benito County (; ''San Benito'', Spanish for " St. Benedict"), officially the County of San Benito, is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,209. The co ...

and southern

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together f ...

. The college moved to its present main campus in 1968.

Campus

The main campus is in

Gilroy, California Gilroy is a city in Northern California's Santa Clara County, south of Morgan Hill and north of San Benito County. Gilroy is the southernmost city in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a population of 56,766 as of the 2019 U.S. Census Projectio ...

. In 1997, satellite sites were added in Hollister and

Morgan Hill Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Morgan Hill is an affluent residential community, the seat of several high-tech companies, and a dining, entertainmen ...

to augment offerings on the main campus. In 2008, land was purchased in Coyote Valley and

for the future development of additional campuses. In 2017, Phase 1 of the Coyote Valley Center was completed, becoming Gavilan's newest instructional site and the home for South Bay Public Safety Training Consortium police and fire academies.

Academics

Gavilan College offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, and certificates in a variety of career fields. Gavilan College is also the only community college in northern California offering degree and certificate programs in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

Gilroy Early College Academy

Gavilan College hosts an early college high school, Dr. TJ Owens

Gilroy Early College Academy Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (known as GECA) is a prestigious early college high school located in unincorporated Santa Clara County, California, near Gilroy, at the southern edge of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. A ...

(GECA), ranked as one of the best high schools in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and the United States as a whole. Founded in 2007, GECA students are able to complete two years of college in their four years of high school by taking advanced placement and honors classes, as well as Gavilan College courses alongside Gavilan students, and can graduate with up to 60 transferable units.

Student life

Fine and performing arts opportunities include theater, children's theater, gallery art, mural art, ceramics, Folklorico dance, choir, instrumental ensemble, symphony, and vocal ensemble.

Sports

Athletics teams include men's football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, and women's basketball, softball, volleyball and beach volleyball. The Gavilan College mascot are the rams.

Student diversity

*African American: 3% *Asian American: 7% *Hispanic: 43% *International: 0% *Native American: 1% *White: 36% *Unknown: 9%

Notable alumni

Athletes

Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-Sta ...

, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49'ers *

Frank LaCorte Frank Joseph LaCorte ( ; born October 13, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1975–1984 for the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and California Angels. A right-hander, he st ...

, former pitcher for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

and the Houston Astros * Louis A. Mackey, former linebacker for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

Bob Kampa Robert Eugene Kampa (born April 26, 1951 in San Francisco, California) was an American lineman for two years in the NFL. In his amateur years, he played at Gilroy High School then attended Gavilan College before transferring to University of Cal ...

, former lineman for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

* Josh Wallwork, former quarterback for the

Wyoming Cowboys The Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls are the athletic teams that represent the University of Wyoming, located in Laramie. Wyoming is a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 17 NCAA-sanctioned sports ...

Politicians

Luis Alejo Luis Angel Alejo (born March 27, 1974) is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly representing the California's 30th State Assembly district, 30th Assembly District, encompassing the Pajaro Valley, Pajaro and Salinas Val ...

, former California State Assemblyman and Mayor of

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control California Community Colleges Educational institutions established in 1919 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Universities and colleges in Santa Clara County, California Gilroy, California Two-year colleges in the United States 1919 establishments in California