Guam Community College will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a yearlong series of events beginning in January 2027, college officials announced during a kickoff gathering at the college’s Learning Resource Center.
“This milestone belongs to the people of Guam,” Board of Trustees Chairman Carlo Leon Guerrero said. He noted that the island established the college in 1977 to strengthen career and technical education and give residents more opportunities to learn a profession, earn a credential and build a career.
Leon Guerrero also announced that GCC will unveil a new mascot in January 2027 as part of the anniversary kickoff. He said the mascot has been in development for three years, with input from students, faculty, staff and community partners.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Pilar Williams highlighted the important role scholarships play in supporting students and thanked donors, volunteers and community partners for helping students stay in school and complete their programs.
“When alumni talk about their time at GCC, they often remember someone who helped them take the next step. It might have been an instructor who encouraged them to apply for a job, an employer who gave them their first chance, or a donor whose scholarship helped them afford the supplies they needed for a class,” she said. “Those acts of support are part of the college's history, and they're the part the foundation is here to carry forward.”
Williams asked alumni of GCC and its predecessor, the Vocational-Technical High School, or VoTECH, to share old class photos and stories about people who helped them find their direction. She also invited alumni to return to campus and speak with current students about their careers.
“If you can come back and talk with our students about your career, you can help someone picture a future they might never have considered,” Williams said.
The foundation is also seeking to expand scholarship support. Williams invited businesses, organizations, alumni and friends to contribute and help graduates stay connected to the college.
Interim President Virginia Tudela said the college is still developing its anniversary plans. Throughout the year, GCC wants to recognize the people who built the college, showcase what students are learning today and hear from employers, families and alumni about how to prepare students for the region’s future workforce, she said.
Tudela said the celebration also will include a community service component, with students, faculty and staff sharing their skills where community partners need them. The class of 2027 will be recognized along with the families, instructors and mentors who supported them.
“Our students, faculty, and staff have skills they can share. And we'd like to hear from community partners where those skills can make a difference,” she said.
Tudela described GCC graduates as part of everyday life on the island, from health care workers and auto technicians to bookkeepers for small businesses. Industry partners help make that possible by informing the college about changes in the workplace and opening their facilities to apprentices and interns, she said.
“There’s a place for everyone in this celebration,” Tudela said, encouraging employees, students and graduates to share their GCC stories. She asked attendees to think of one person they would like to bring back to campus and one story they would like the college to tell.