MISSION VIEJO : Saddleback College President Honored

Saddleback College President Constance M. Carroll received an award Sunday from the American Assn. of Women in Community and Junior Colleges as Outstanding President of the Year.

The association, part of the 1,250-member American Assn. of Community Colleges, presents the annual award to a community college president who has made significant contributions to the advancement of women in community college education.

“Constance Carroll exemplifies the spirit of the person we seek to honor with this award,” said Sharon Yaap, an administrator from Rio Hondo College in Whittier who nominated Carroll for the award.

“She was relentless in her pursuit of having the statewide community college establishment recognize the special needs of minorities and women in our community college,” Yaap added.

The award was announced during a recent faculty and staff tea attended by more than 100 of the college’s women faculty members and staff. Carroll was presented with the award at the association’s annual conference in Phoenix.

“I am overwhelmed,” Carroll said. “There is no greater honor in a person’s professional life than having one’s own colleagues express their respect and affection in such a spontaneous manner.”

Carroll, 46, has been president of Saddleback College since 1983.

“As president of the college, I have worked very hard to support the advancement of both men and women so that ours would be a balanced institution,” Carroll said. “Because I care so much about these wonderful people, their tribute to me was both wonderful and humbling.”