Crafton Hills College Recognizes Alumnus

REDLANDS>> Crafton Hills College held a gold rush, beach blanket, redwood, and surfin’-themed party to support its students on Saturday, March 18, an event where alumni Troy Mondragon will receive recognition. Mondragon overcame serious obstacles in his educational journey to reach his dreams, stated Donna Hoffmann, director of marketing and public relations. With a diagnoses of bipolar disorder in high school, Mondragon struggled to succeed academically. Pursuing his goals of obtaining a higher education, he began taking classes at Crafton in spring 2000. Mondragon spent countless hours in the math lab and at the library studying to pass the several semesters of remedial classes he needed in both English and math. Hoffmann said one of the best experiences in Mondragon’s life was his participation in the study abroad program at Crafton. "The first in his family to travel outside of the country, this life-changing experience with diversity and culture opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities and sparked his interest to major in sociology," Hoffman said. Understanding that college students are at a high risk for mental health issues, Mondragon soon became an advocate for mental health services on college campuses. Transferring to California State University, San Bernardino in 2008, Mondragon was the first in his family to graduate from a university earning a bachelor’s of arts degree in sociology in 2010. He went on to graduate from the San Bernardino Community College District Entrepreneurship Institute in 2013, and after receiving a fellowship from Catholic Charities, earned a masters in social work from CSUSB in 2015. Mondragon serves on the San Bernardino County Behavioral Health Commission representing Supervisor James Ramos and the Third District. In 2014, he was presented with the Outstanding Youth Advocate award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Currently, Mondragon is completing his hours to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and will soon begin teaching at National University. Throughout the gala evening, guests had an opportunity to help Crafton Hills College raise funds for its new Veterans Center, the Study Abroad Program and various student support programs.