Saddleback College (Saddleback) 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 ...

in Mission Viejo, California. It is part of the California Community College system and awards over 300 associate degrees,

academic certificate An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests. In many countries, a certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, stu ...

s, and occupational skills awards in 190 programs. Established in 1968, Saddleback is the oldest and southernmost institution governed by the

South Orange County Community College District South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) is a public community college district in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1967 and has three separate campuses: Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, Irvine Valley Col ...

. Saddleback College is named for the

saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...

between the twin peaks of Santiago Peak and Modjeska Peak in the Cleveland National Forest.

Academics

Saddleback College is the largest member of the South Orange County Community College District. The college awards associate degrees ( A.A., A.S) and academic certificates in over 100 areas of study. Not-for-credit Community Education classes are also available through Saddleback College. Saddleback College provides a Veterans Education Transition Services (VETS) Center. The program is devoted to helping veterans transition from combat to the classroom. VETS supports transitioning combat veterans through an extensive network of care givers in the civilian community, government, and non-profit organizations.

Accreditation

Saddleback College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. Th ...

nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the paramedic program is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Emergency Medical Services Programs.

Campus and surroundings

Saddleback College is located in Mission Viejo,

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...

. A notable site on the campus is the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial, which was officially completed in 2010. A dedication ceremony was held on April 29, 2010, and was attended by representatives for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, lawmakers, active and former members of the armed services, college students and staff. This memorial stands as a symbol of sacrifice, freedom and honor on the Saddleback Campus. An on-campus bus terminal/transfer point for the Orange County Transportation Authority 85, 91, and MV Shuttle 182 is located on the north end of campus.

Student life

The campus is populated with many student clubs and organizations. The Associated Student Government (ASG) plans, organizes, promotes, sponsors and finances a comprehensive program of activities and services for all Saddleback College students. ASG is made up of three branches which are Inter-Club Council, the Associated Student Senate, Events Cabinet. The Inter-Club Council manages various college clubs that have included the Model United Nations, the Chicano Latino Studies Student Association, College Democrats, College Republicans, Class Action, Students for a Free Tibet, Wilderness Adventure Club, and the Anime Club.

Athletics

Saddleback College is home to 19 intercollegiate athletic teams. *Men's intercollegiate teams **

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

** Cross Country ** Football **

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

** Swimming & Diving **

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

Track and Field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

Water Polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with t ...

*Women's intercollegiate teams **

** Beach Volleyball ** Cross Country **

**Fastpitch

Softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

** Swimming and Diving **

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

** Soccer **

Cheerleading Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

Media

*The ''Lariat'': Since opening in 1968, Saddleback College has had a student-run

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...

, the ''Lariat''. It is distributed most Wednesdays of the regular school year. It is printed at the

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, facility of the '' Orange County Register'', where 5,000 copies are made. During the fall 2005 semester, the ''Lariat'' chose to change its masthead to include Saddleback's sister college in Irvine, Irvine Valley College, to appeal to a broader reader base and increase circulation. The change was met with opposition from members of Saddleback's administration as well as from the Associated Student Government since Irvine Valley College did not contribute funds to the Lariat. Irvine Valley College now gives an allotted sum and the masthead continues to include both colleges. The Lariat was a National Newspaper Pacemaker winner in 1994 and a finalist in 1993, 1997, 2005, and 2006. * KSBR ''Saddleback Radio'': KSBR is a commercial-free jazz radio station broadcast throughout the LA area on the HD2 secondary channel of 88.5fm. This is done via a partnership with KCSN whose audio appears on 88.5's primary channel. KSBR's format is contemporary jazz but it also has weekend specialty shows featuring other musical styles like reggae, folk, ragtime, rock, Latin jazz, blues, and hip-hop. :In addition to training Saddleback College's Communication Arts students, KSBR has received the Associated Press "Instant News" citation, AP's Certificate of Excellence for overall coverage, and is the only California station to be a four-time winner of the American Heart Association's C. Everett Koop, M.D. award. *''Saddleback College Television'': Cox Communications Cable Television - Saddleback College - Channel 39 - Mission Viejo :Saddleback College Cable Television serves cable subscribers with educational and school based programming from all of Saddleback's public and private educational institutions.

Notable people

Alumni

Heather C. Allen Heather Cecile Allen (born 1960) is a research chemist, who leads the Allen Group at Ohio State University. Allen's research focuses on interfacial phenomena, particularly those involving water and air. Her work has broad application ranging f ...

, research chemist * Colt Brennan,

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

quarterback * Mike Bullock, writer *

Anthony Carter Anthony or Tony Carter may refer to: Sports American football *Anthony Carter (American football) (born 1960), wide receiver * Tony Carter (running back) (born 1972), American football player * Tony Carter (cornerback) (born 1986), American footba ...

, Denver Nuggets point guard * Richard Crawford, NFL player, drafted by

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

2012 * Deborah Driggs,

Playboy Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

of the Month for March 1990, once married to gymnast

Mitch Gaylord Mitchell Jay Gaylord (born March 10, 1961) is an American gymnast, actor, and Olympic gold medalist. Early life Gaylord was born in Van Nuys, California, the son of Fred and Linda Gaylord, and is Jewish. Gaylord graduated from Grant High Schoo ...

* Barbara Edwards, Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 1983 and

of the Year for 1984 * Kevin Fagan, creator of

Drabble A drabble is a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length."Winners ...

comic strip * Cade Gaspar,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

pitcher *

Mark Grace Mark Eugene Grace (born June 28, 1964) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who spent 12 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League (NL). He was a member of the 2001 W ...

, Major League Baseball

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the major ...

* Brandon Hammond, actor *

Yolanda Hughes-Heying Yolanda R. Hughes-Heying (born October 30, 1963) is an American professional female bodybuilder from the United States. Biography Yolanda Hughes-Heying (born Yolanda Hughes) was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on October 30, 1963. She was rai ...

, IFBB professional bodybuilder * Bill Kenney, former football player and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

* Kyle Long, football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. Formerly with the Chicago Bears * Kevin Magee (1959–2003), basketball player * Ben Maller, sports radio personality and Internet sports columnist * Stephone Paige, former NFL wide receiver * Chris Parker, American football player * Kasey Peters, American football player *

Mike Piel Michael Lloyd Piel (born September 21, 1965) is a former professional American football player who played defensive end for four seasons for the Los Angeles Rams. Played football at the University of Illinois, Urbana The University of Illi ...

, played for the University of Illinois, and in the NFL for the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...

from 1989 to 1992. *

Nick Punto Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, a ...

, Major League Baseball

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

Chris Sulages Chris Sulages (born January 25, 1973) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Lewis & Clark College from 2006 until 2015. Sulages revived the Lewis & Clark Pioneers football, Pioneers football program fro ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

coach *

Bob Thornton Robert George Thornton (born July 10, 1962) is an American basketball coach and former player who played nine seasons in the NBA. He last served as the lead assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats in the Australian NBL. Thornton played college ba ...

, forward for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...

and current assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves *

Ashley Wagner Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2016 World silver medalist, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, the 2012 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalis ...

(born 1991), figure skater * Menelik Watson, Offensive Tackle for the

* Tim Wallach,

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

* Victor Webster, Canadian actor *

Gregory Widen Gregory Widen is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the creator of the ''Highlander'' film and television franchise, and the writer-director of the cult horror film ''The Prophecy''. Biography A native of Laguna Beach, Califor ...

, screenwriter and director *

Sandun Wijemanne Nissanka Sandun Wijemanne Nissanka (born 6 May 1998: si, සඳුන් විජේමාන්න) is a Sri Lankan-American record industry executive, label executive and entrepreneur. He is the CEO and founder of Serandip Music Group, Serandip Reco ...

, Music & Tech Entrepreneur. Current Group CEO of the music distribution franchise, Bonfire Distribution Inc.

Faculty

* Jonelle Allen, Actress-(Generations - Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), Singer, Dancer, Director *

Amy Sterling Casil Amy Sterling Casil (born 1962) is a science fiction writer from Los Angeles, California, now living in Florida. Her writing has often included Southern California themes. Her mother, Sterling Sturtevant, was an Academy Award-winning art directo ...

(born 1962), science fiction writer *

John Cederquist John Carl Cederquist (born August 7, 1946) is an American sculptor in wood and builder of studio furniture who was born in Altadena, California. He graduated from Long Beach State College with a BA in 1969 and an MA in 1971. Cederquist is best ...

(born 1946), American sculptor *

Simon Arkell Simon Graham Arkell (born 1 July 1966) is an Olympic pole vaulter from Australia, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, ...

(born 1966), Olympic pole vaulter / entrepreneur * Helen Feyler-Switz (1925–2006), artist, sculptor

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Orange County, California California Community Colleges Educational institutions established in 1968 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Mission Viejo, California Two-year colleges in the United States