Saddleback College Professor Honored : Education: Counselor Peter Espinosa will receive Excellence Award from national outreach group. It is his second recent major recognition.

Saddleback College professor Peter Espinosa has been chosen to receive the Excellence Award medallion by the Institute for Staff and Organizational Development.

Espinosa, a counselor in the college’s Division of Counseling Services and Special Programs, will receive the medallion at a special awards ceremony during the institute’s International Conference on Teaching Excellence on May 27.

Saddleback College President Constance M. Carroll called the award fitting, saying of Espinosa:

“He is a remarkable man who combines excellent counseling and teaching skills with a passionate commitment to ensuring opportunities for all students, especially those who have experienced difficulties due to economic or cultural disadvantages.”

“He is respected throughout the state’s community college system and I am very, very pleased to see that his many contributions have been recognized with this award,” Carroll said.

The institute is the outreach organization of the Community College Leadership Program, which is based at the University of Texas at Austin and has a membership of more than 600 colleges throughout the United States and Canada.

“I appreciate this award,” Espinosa said. “It’s good to be recognized for one’s work in the classroom.”

Espinosa was nominated for the award by Richard Sneed, chancellor of the Saddleback Community College District, which consists of Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges.

Espinosa “deserves this award,” Sneed said. “He is an ambassador to the community and an agent of change who is working hard to guarantee that all students have the educational opportunities that they are entitled to.”

In addition to his most recent award, Espinosa was also named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Irvine chapter of the League of the United Latin American Cities last fall.