Fresno City College belongs on McEwen’s top 10 list

Bill McEwen’s piece (April 16) on the lovable qualities of Fresno is good but it would have been even better had it acknowledged Fresno City College, as well as California State University, Fresno.

Fresno City College, at 107 years old and counting, is the oldest community college in California, has some of the most beautiful and historic buildings on any California community college campus, and prepares thousands of local students every year for entry into high-paying professions and transfer to four-year institutions. It boasts outstanding faculty, one of whom is the current poet laureate of Fresno, award-winning arts and music programs, consistently excellent athletic teams, and first-class career and technical educational programs.

Despite its low level of state and private source funding compared to CSUs and UCs, it continues to offer high quality educational programs to tens of thousands of primarily low-income students who would not otherwise be able to afford a college education.

It should not be forgotten in any catalog of the top 10 reasons to live and raise a family in Fresno.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Fresno City College belongs on McEwen’s top 10 list."