September 14, 1964 marks the day West Valley College held its first classes. Sixty years later, West Valley has transformed into a renowned institution, boasting an overall enrollment of 9,198 students. Moreover, West Valley is ranked as a top 2 transfer institution in Silicon Valley and 8th overall statewide. In order to commemorate the college’s 60th anniversary, staff and administration put together a series of events. Notable highlights include the West Valley 60th Anniversary Gala on September 14 and the Spooky 60th Halloween event on October 31.
As mentioned, a series of events were planned to commemorate this milestone. Since the gala was the most large-scale of these events, it was strategically planned on the exact day West Valley’s first classes began: September 14. The event was hosted at the Byington Vineyard, located in the Santa Cruz mountains. In attendance were Board of Trustees members, including Board President Anne Kepner, Chancellor Bradley Davis, donors, and various faculty, staff, and administrators from the college.
Perhaps most notably, the college also invited students to attend this event. Students from various groups were present, including student government members, Student Needs Ambassadors, TRiO and EOPS students, and MESA scholarship recipients. The gala was emceed by President Jennifer Taylor Mendoza and featured speeches from many college officials, including student government member Oscar Santos, who serves as the Director of Club Relations. As one of the students at the gala, I can personally testify to how wonderful the event was. It was an evening filled with mirth, lively conversation, and dancing.
The second notable event was the Spooky 60th. As a nod to the year of West Valley’s conception, the theme of the Spooky 60th was “Dress Like It’s 1964.” The event featured a Halloween costume contest judged by Chancellor Bradley Davis, President Jennifer Taylor Menodoza, and students Liam Visser, Harita Sukara, and Troy Vahabi. I spoke to Troy Vahabi about his experience judging the contest. Troy is highly involved on campus, notably in student government, LEAF club, AGS, and The Helm. When asked about his experience judging the panel, he said the following: “We saw some really amazing costumes, I was really glad to be a part of this experience. It was wonderful to see students’ creativity come alive on stage.”
West Valley is a truly dynamic and vibrant campus, and I experience this sense of community every day. When I am rushing to my morning class or spending a late night in the Cilker building, I am greeted by a knowing glance of solidarity from my peers. Walking through the Campus Center, I see students, professors, and staff members munching on West Valley’s famous burritos, engaged in meaningful conversations. Moments like these make me proud to be a student of West Valley and part of this community. It has been a pleasure to celebrate 60 years of excellence, and I look forward to many more.