With support
from:
Community is Essential to Our Identity
By Los Angeles Mission College President, Armida Ornelas, Ph.D.
It might seem a little obvious, but as a community college, it’s important to be community-centered. For us, it’s important to build community when we are here, to have students feel like they belong—this is your “home away from home.” We are here to serve the students. We are committed to taking the college to the community.
We are very proud to be in every high school in our service area, offering dual enrollment courses. We are in almost every elementary school in our service area, offering adult education courses to parents. We have a satellite campus in Pacoima where instruction is free, and it’s primarily adult education there. So “community” is essential to our identity: building community here at Mission, taking the college to the community, ensuring people feel that access is important.
It’s important for us to adapt to what students need today. In a post-pandemic environment, so many careers have evolved. Some careers became obsolete. Our “traditional” students might be those who are older and coming back to “upskill” or reskill themselves. They’re saying, “Do you have something I can learn in six weeks, in six months, that’s going to get me a job so I can pay the
bills and survive?”
We’ve had to adapt and recognize that the community is looking to us to ramp up and deliver workforce development that’s going to prepare them and get them ready to join the workforce. For our faculty and student services, this isn’t just a job; it’s a calling. People love what they do.
Latino students make up approximately 80% of our students. Our students—for a variety of reasons—stay local. A lot of it is socio-economic, but they stay local.
We need to be sure we provide the necessary support
systems to ensure they finish or continue; that they get what they need from Mission College.
In our award-winning culinary program, we have a
couple of signature events, including our fall Fiesta del Valle and our spring Food & Wine Festival.
These events allow students to experience how you ramp up to host 700 people. Not only what’s on the menu, but what the presentation is like, and everything in between.
We’re proud to offer a baccalaureate in biotechnology, so students can come away with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomanufacturing. It’s one of the leading and emerging areas for jobs. We are starting in high school with dual enrollment courses and working with the industry to upskill its employees. You can train and build the skill set in the San Fernando Valley. You can get a certificate that will get you into a biotech lab in five months to get an industry job starting between $50,000 and $60,000. You can continue to get multiple certificates or work toward an associate degree in biotech or continue toward a baccalaureate degree.
Another popular field of study is healthcare. There are several short-term certificates: medical assistant,
phlebotomy, in-home healthcare, CNA, LVN. Again, post-pandemic, there is a lot of need in healthcare. Most certificate training programs can be completed between six and 12 months and students can receive this training for free.
We have also expanded what we call “adult education.” When we expanded into Pacoima, our “traditional students” there are señoras in the community—anywhere in age from 35 to 55. They’re coming to us saying, “We’ve raised our kids, we’ve dropped off our kids at college, and now it’s my turn; I want to learn how to use a computer, or pick a skill, or learn English.” The ganas that our students have to get ahead and develop the skills to be self-sufficient is beautiful to see.
We offer sports—baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, track and field, and volleyball. We have a gym
for basketball and volleyball. And, thanks to our voters who passed a bond a couple of years ago, we are getting our own outdoor fields. In two years, we should have Phase One completed for our soccer and softball fields.
We know parents want to send their children to a safe environment. It’s all about transforming lives and
communities. That is our cause.
Los Angeles Mission College
13356 Eldridge Ave.
Sylmar CA 91342
Phone:
(818) 364-7600
Admissions and Records Office
Location:
Student Service and Administration Building
In-Person Hours
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Phone: 818-833-3322
Email: admissions@lamission.edu
Financial Aid
Location:
Lobby of Student Services
In-Person Hours
Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Phone: 818-364-7648
Phone: 818-364-7649
Email: lamcfinaid@lamission.edu
Popular and Distinctive Programs
Mission’s most popular academic fields of study include:
- Liberal Arts and Sciences • Business Administration • Psychology
- Sociology
- Biological and Physical Sciences • Child Development
- Culinary Arts
Popular career education offerings include:
- Culinary arts, professional baking and restaurant management
- Biotechnology and biomanufacturing
- Child development and early childhood education
- Administration of justice
- Business, accounting and entrepreneurship
- Computer applications, information technology and cloud computing
- Healthcare-related programs, including community health worker and medical office administration
- Multimedia, digital media and commercial photography
Mission’s most distinctive offerings include its Bachelor of Science in Biomanufacturing, its stackable biotechnology pathway and the Culinary Arts Institute.
These programs provide hands- on, career-focused instruction and connections to employment in industries that are important to the Los Angeles regional economy.
Overall, Mission offers 100+ degrees and certificates across six Career and Academic Pathways.
There Is No Single Correct Path to Success
Ignacio Joaquin, 32, had earned an AA degree in biotechnology at Mission in 2022, but when the college created a four-year degree in the field, he returned to complete his baccalaureate coursework. He graduated this summer with a bachelor’s degree and currently works for the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center as a biomedical technician.
When I graduated from San Fernando High School in 2012, my original goal was to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology from a four-year university and then attend medical school to become a doctor. I was accepted to Humboldt State University, but things did not go as planned, and I was unable to complete my degree. I returned home, began looking for work, and enrolled at Los Angeles Mission College to pursue an associate degree in multimedia. After a few semesters, however, I realized that multimedia was not the right path for me.
By the fall of 2019, I felt that I needed to make a meaningful change in my life. I began searching online for careers related to medicine and science. During my search, something caught my attention — biotechnology. It combines biology, engineering, and technology to improve areas such as medicine, agriculture, and the environment.
I searched for nearby college offering biotechnology courses and found that Los Angeles Mission College offered an associate degree program. I applied, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made. Dr. Chander Arora, the biotech program director, was our main professor and instructor. Despite the challenges and uncertainty caused by [the pandemic] she gave us the best possible opportunity to learn and understand what we could accomplish.
I graduated with my associate degree in biotechnology in 2022 while working full-time throughout the program. I was able to find several opportunities in the biotechnology industry with companies such as Grifols, Thermo Fisher Scientific and, currently, Cedars- Sinai. Later, I heard that Dr. Arora was establishing a bachelor’s degree program in biomanufacturing. I received an email from her asking whether I was interested in joining the program. I said yes without hesitation. Since completing my bachelor’s degree, my career has continued to grow. My responsibilities include cell seeding, cell culture expansion and harvesting.
I want future community college students to know that there is no single correct path to success. Community college can provide valuable hands-on training, professional connections, and opportunities that may not seem possible when you first begin. Progress may not always happen as quickly as expected, but each experience can help prepare you for the next opportunity.
Words of Wisdom
Community college doesn’t have to be your end goal, but it can be a stepping stone towards the future you want to build. If it wasn’t for Dr. Arora pushing me to get a bachelor’s degree at Mission, I probably would have looked elsewhere to further my education.
And don’t be afraid to fail. I failed in many things, but through those failures I learned and that’s what matters. Some opportunities may feel and seem scary or make you doubt yourself. But it might be the thing you were meant to do.
– Ignacio Joaquin
Popular and Distinctive Programs
Mission’s most popular academic fields of study include:
- Liberal Arts and Sciences • Business Administration • Psychology
- Sociology
- Biological and Physical Sciences • Child Development
- Culinary Arts
Popular career education offerings include:
- Culinary arts, professional baking and restaurant management
- Biotechnology and biomanufacturing
- Child development and early childhood education
- Administration of justice
- Business, accounting and entrepreneurship
- Computer applications, information technology and cloud computing
- Healthcare-related programs, including community health worker and medical office administration
- Multimedia, digital media and commercial photography
Mission’s most distinctive offerings include its Bachelor of Science in Biomanufacturing, its stackable biotechnology pathway and the Culinary Arts Institute.
These programs provide hands- on, career-focused instruction and connections to employment in industries that are important to the Los Angeles regional economy.
Overall, Mission offers 100+ degrees and certificates across six Career and Academic Pathways.
Straight to Work Programs
Mission offers a variety of short-term credit and tuition-free noncredit programs that can generally be completed within three to twelve months, depending on course availability and the number of classes a student takes.
Examples include:
Biotechnology:
Entry-level laboratory assistant, manufacturing support and quality-related positions. This program is designed to prepare students for employment in the field of biotechnology
Culinary Specialist and Baking Specialist:
Entry-level positions in restaurants, bakeries, hotels, catering operations and institutional food service. This program prepares students for careers in the food service and hospitality industries through hands-on training in culinary techniques, kitchen management and restaurant operations
Medical Office Administrative Assistant:
Prepares students for entry-level administrative roles in healthcare offices and facilities. Students develop skills in patient communication, appointment scheduling, record keeping, customer billing and electronic health records
Accounting and Business Certificates:
Bookkeeping, accounting clerk, payroll support and administrative positions, the Business Department offers a variety of degrees and certificates designed to prepare students for careers in business, marketing, accounting, finance, management and law
Many of these certificates are designed to be stackable, allowing students to enter the workforce quickly and later apply their completed coursework toward a more advanced certificate or degree
Ready for the Workforce
Mission works with employers and community organizations to connect students with internships, externships, career preparation and employment opportunities.
In biotechnology, the college’s students have received employment and internship offers from Grifols Biologicals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Lief Labs and Cedars-Sinai. Mission also works with regional life-science organizations, including Biocom California Institute and BioscienceLA.
In the culinary field, the Culinary Arts Institute maintains externship relationships with restaurants, hospitals, hotels and hospitality organizations. Examples include Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Universal Studios, Wolfgang Puck Catering, Lawry’s, Granville, Sodexo Culinary Services, Lazy Dog and The Huntington Library Tea Room. These placements allow students to gain supervised, hands-on experience in professional settings.
Beyond these industries, Mission has partnered with California State University, Northridge’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to provide IRS certification training and practical experience preparing tax returns for the community. The college’s Career Center and WorkSource Center connect students with local employers through job fairs, recruitment events, internships, online job postings and employment-preparation workshops.
Other workforce partners have included Hire LA Youth, Goodwill Southern California and local public agencies, healthcare providers, schools, community-based organizations and employers representing finance, information technology, manufacturing, hospitality, education, retail and public service.