News

After winning 124 awards thus far this season, the IVC Speech Team faced their hardest challenge yet: competing at the 36th Annual International Forensics Association (IFA) Speech and Debate Championships and the CCCFA State Championships. With the tournaments overlapping, IVC Speech had to split their talent to attend both tournaments.  

After graduating from high school, Irvine Valley College (IVC) graduate Teanna Gonsalves set out to fulfill a lifelong dream – to serve her country. At just 18, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, with her first station in Minot, North Dakota – a post she describes as “known for its below-freezing temperatures and wind speeds strong enough to break your car door.”

On March 16, IVC’s award-winning Model United Nations team attended the IECMUN conference at Riverside City College and won 12 awards, more than any other college and surpassing our previous best. Awards included FIVE Outstanding Delegate awards (first-place), one Distinguished Delegate awards (2nd place), four Honorable Mention awards (3rd place) and two Best Delegate awards (peer-award).

IVC has been recognized for its commitment to supporting military-connected students, earning the 2026–2027 Military Friendly® Schools designation with a Silver-level distinction, as well as the Military Spouse Friendly® School designation.

On March 5, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced that IVC student Chanali Henagama is a semifinalist for the highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The prestigious scholarship recognizes the nation’s top community college students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college or university. Henagama was selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants nationwide.

Irvine Valley College student Ofelia (Lia) Veisalov has earned national recognition after being selected for three prestigious Phi Theta Kappa academic honors that recognize outstanding community college students for their academic achievement, leadership, and campus engagement.

Returning to Irvine Valley College (IVC) as an ELEVATE counselor is “a full-circle experience” for CatCat Hua, who says supporting first-generation students “reminds me why I’m so passionate about this work.”

When Brianna Joslyn first stepped onto the Irvine Valley College (IVC) campus, she was a young single mother rebuilding her life after leaving an abusive marriage. Balancing the responsibilities of parenthood with the challenges of being a first-generation college student, Brianna found hope and belonging through the supportive community at IVC, especially in the EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs programs, which provide academic, financial, and personal support for students facing economic or family-related challenges.

The Irvine Valley College (IVC) Foundation has received a $50,000 gift from Irvine Company in support of the college’s Teacher Preparation Pathway (TPP), a collaborative initiative designed to create a clear, supportive route from community college to the teaching profession.