California college leader honored

Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the incoming chancellor of the California Community College system, was honored Friday at the White House for creating a Long Beach City College program that paves a pathway to college and for efforts to establish a similar program throughout the state community college system. Oakley was named a “Champion of Change for College Opportunity,” one of 11 people honored. He created the Long Beach College Promise program that guarantees qualifying high school students a tuition-free year at Long Beach City College and preferred admission status to California State University, Long Beach after completing transfer requirements. President Barack Obama modeled his America’s College Promise, an initiative introduced last year, in part on the Long Beach College Promise. Oakley will become chancellor overseeing California’s system of 119 community colleges on Dec. 19.