​(Santa Ana) Santa Ana College (SAC) student veteran Jose Marin was recently recognized by the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees for his service to the United States and commitment to pursing his educational goals.

Marin, who spent 12 years as a fire support sergeant with the United States Marine Corps followed by a career as a surgical assistant with the United States Air Force, received the Presidential Unit Citation, multiple Armed Forces Reserve medals, a Combat Action Ribbon and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.

Since transitioning to civilian life, Marin has been an active participant in SAC’s Veteran Student Support Services program, maintained a 3.1 transfer grade point average and is on the verge of obtaining his associate degree in history.

Recently, Marin was accepted into UCLA’s Community College to Ph.D. program. As only one of 25 students selected to participate and the only student veteran in his cohort, Marin will conduct research on the military experiences of Hispanic veterans of the Vietnam War and Global War on Terror.

Marin hopes to transfer to UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton or CSU Los Angeles to continue his education. He plans on eventually earning a Ph.D. at UCLA.

About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

###