Cerritos College to Host 52nd Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 16

Featured Speaker is US Olympian Brenda Villa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2009

Media Contact:Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; (562) 860-2451 ext. 2287

Event Contact:Holly Bogdanovich, Student Activities; (562) 860-2451 ext. 2471

WHAT: Cerritos College will hold its 52nd annual commencement ceremony to honor its graduating students on Saturday, May 16 at 5 p.m. in Falcon Stadium. Cerritos College’s Board of Trustees will present degrees and certificates earned during the 2008-2009 academic year.

This year’s commencement speaker is Ms. Brenda Villa, Olympic medalist and Cerritos College assistant women’s water polo coach. Villa, who grew up in Commerce, California, has played on the United States Water Polo team in the last three summer Olympics and has won two silver medals and one bronze medal. Brenda Villa has served as the US women’s water polo team captain for the last four years.

In March of 2007, Villa led the USA Women's National Water Polo Team in Melbourne Australia at the 2007 FINA World Water Polo Championships. Villa scored a total of 11 goals throughout the whole tournament helping Team USA achieve first place naming them the 2007 FINA World Champions. She also helped lead the team to the 2007 Pan Am Games that qualified them for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

As an attacker in international competition, Villa also helped lead the Team USA to 1st Place in the Holiday Cup, Pan American Games and FINA World Championships in 2003. Villa led the team with 10 goals at the 2003 Pan American Games, including two in the gold medal win over Canada, which qualified them for the Athens Olympics. Additionally, she was named to the Media All-World Team at the 2002 World Cup and was a member of the 2000 Sydney Olympic team that won a silver medal and the 2004 Athens Olympic team that won a bronze medal.

While at Stanford University from 1999 to 2003, she led her team to the NCAA championship in 2002, was a three-time All-American and earned the NCAA Women's Water Polo Player of the Year twice (2001, 2002). Villa graduated in 2003 with a degree in political science.

WHEN: Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 5 p.m.

WHERE: Cerritos College
Falcon Stadium
11110 Alondra Blvd.
Norwalk, CA 90650

A map of the campus is available at www.cerritos.edu/guide

CONTACT: For more information about Cerritos College’s 51st Annual Commencement, please contact the Student Activities Office at (562) 860-2451, ext. 2471 or visit www.cerritos.edu/commencement.

COST: Commencement is free and open to the public.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently surpasses 26,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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