News

When Ben Mendez walked the halls of Houston City College’s Southeast Campus in the late 1980s, he couldn’t have imagined the cultural legacy he would one day help build for the city of Houston. Today, as executive director of the Mariachi Festival in Houston, Mendez credits HCC with providing both the academic foundation and the community network that shaped his journey.

After spending more than 20 years in the transportation industry, John Russell Spear, Jr., decided it was time for a new direction. John enrolled at HCC Northeast where, in May 2025, he earned an Associate of Applied Science in Instrumentation and Controls Engineering Technology.

Two alumni of the HCC Veterans Entrepreneurship Program have been named among the top five finalists for the inaugural National Entrepreneur of the Year award from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.

Kinzah Ali is a proud graduate of the Houston City College Northwest College, where in 2020, she earned an Associate of Science Degree before completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Texas at Tyler.

From student to professor: Meet Dr. Roderick Dunn, Pharmacy Technician professor at HCC Coleman College!

From college to career!: Tearriyona Tynes, Respiratory Therapy, Class of 2025, is starting career as a respiratory therapist with Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center.

It had been eight years since Clariza Reyes fully finished a semester in college, and after one semester at HCC, the 28-year-old Interior Design student is now a Gucci Changemaker. While taking part in HCC’s Interior Design program over the Spring 2025 semester, Reyes applied for the renowned fashion designer company’s Gucci Changemakers Scholarship and was selected as one of just 10 scholarship recipients – the only Gucci Changemaker from a community college.

The HCC team is excited about a new development that affords HCC graduates and former students the opportunity to maintain existing and foster new connections.

HCC Interior Design student Clariza Reyes was announced as one of Gucci’s 2025 Changemakers by the renowned luxury fashion brand.

From Medical Laboratory Technician to Medical Laboratory Scientist: Meet Maria Angel, Class of 2019, and find out how HCC Coleman College placed her on a career path to success!