Colleges / Campus scene : Johnson Receives State Honor
Cypress College President Christine Johnson has been inducted into the State Center Community College District’s Wall of Honor at the African-American Museum in Fresno.
The first African American woman to receive the State District’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 1991, Johnson is also Cypress College’s first African American president.
She was recognized by the district for her pioneering work, including having developed a program for recruiting and keeping underrepresented students in higher education while she was dean of students at Kings River College in Reedley.
That program was adopted by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office as the model for the state.
“I believe that education, particularly at the community college level, is a passport for our young people to better things,” Johnson said. “It certainly allowed me to get my start in my education. . . . If you work hard, a lot of things are possible.”
A graduate of Fresno City College and Fresno State University, Johnson, 50, holds a doctorate from USC. She became president of Cypress College in 1995.
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