HUNTINGTON BEACH : Golden West College to Honor 4 Alumni

Golden West College has announced the selection of four distinguished alumni for inclusion in the community college’s Alumni Pillar of Achievement.

The annual recognition, which was launched last year, honors former Golden West students who have made significant accomplishments in their professions. Honorees have their names inscribed on a pillar at an area of the college called the Courtyard of Fame. The selected alumni are also honored at a ceremony, which this year will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Courtyard of Fame.

The new alumni to have their names inscribed on the Pillar of Achievement are celebrity chef Martin Yan, financial expert Douglas Fabian, former pro-football player Randy Vataha and Hollywood music composer Mark Mancina.

Yan now lives in Foster City, where he founded the Yan Can Cook International Cooking School. He graduated from Golden West in 1967. He is the author of five cookbooks and was the host of a Canadian syndicated television show on cooking. He has an international reputation for skill and innovation in Chinese cooking.

Fabian, who graduated from Golden West in 1976, is the editor and president of Telephone Switch Newsletter, a mutual fund investment publication. He has lectured around the country on mutual fund investing and is a regular guest on the Cable News Broadcast Co.’s “Smart Money” show. While at Golden West, he played on the college’s water polo team. He lives in Costa Mesa.

Vataha played football at Golden West and, after his graduation in 1968, for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. He later was a founding member of the United States Football League and part owner and president of the Boston Breakers franchise. He is now a senior partner in a firm that represents professional athletes. He lives in Lincoln, Mass.

Mancina, who graduated from Golden West in 1976, still lives in Huntington Beach. He gained fame in the music industry by scoring sound tracks on motion pictures, including 18 documentaries. Feature films he has worked on include “Look Who’s Talking” and “Jetsons: The Movie.” He has earned three gold records and is co-author of the hit song “Crazy.”