News

As a woman of Mexican descent, Tanya Roche always felt drawn to the esteemed artist Frida Kahlo, known for her self-portraits of pain, passion and vibrant colors. Roche, a 47-year-old HCC Fashion Design student, originally from Queens, New York, used to buy clothing and dress like the famous artist in different phases of her life.

Upon arriving in Dallas to compete in the Pierre Cardin Young Designers Award (PCYDA) competition, Houston City College Fashion Design Student Matthew Simbajon was a nervous wreck.

The Houston City College Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, in partnership with the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce (HRVCC), wrapped up its 2025 cycle last month with a pitch competition that awarded $7,500 in seed funding to four veteran-led ventures.

The HCC law enforcement training program has built a reputation for transforming motivated students into capable, ethical peace officers — and doing so with remarkable consistency. 

HCC Karen Fortune, Ph.D., obtained at $8,000 grant from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Gates Foundation to support faculty in designing courseware (called Real Chem) to improve student success and decrease DFWs in General Chemistry.

Congrats to HCC EMS Instructor Capt. Fred Chambers on receiving the HFD Legacy Honor Award. Captain Fred Chambers has devoted his life to serving others - on the front lines of emergency response, in support of fellow first responders, and in the classroom shaping the next generation of Houston Firefighters. For 32 dedicated years, he served the citizens of Houston with professionalism, courage, and compassion, ultimately rising to the rank of Communication Captain before his retirement in 2011.

HCC has been named one of eight award recipients in the Community College Civic Info Challenge, a national initiative developed by Journalism + Design at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School in New York.

HCC Emergency Medical Services program has been recognized as the top EMS education program in Texas, according to a comprehensive analysis of 2024 National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Four students from HCC Coleman College set a precedent as the first students from a two-year institution to attend the National School of Tropical Medicine (NSTM) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Summer Institute June 9-20, 2025.

Maren Jensen, Dental Hygiene student at Houston Community College – Coleman College for Health Sciences, received the Omega Seminars Jan Smith Memorial Scholarship for $500 at the Texas Dental Hygiene Association conference on March 1.