Hancock Cuts Ribbon on New Pride Center

OCTOBER 30, 2024-- Allan Hancock College celebrated the grand opening of its new Pride Center on October 30. The Pride Center functions as a dedicated, inclusive space for LGBTQ students and allies on the college's Santa Maria campus.

“As we open the doors of our new Pride Center, we reaffirm our commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all students,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D. “Our goal is to foster a community that not only embraces diversity but actively ensures that every student feels safe and valued.”   

Hancock’s Pride Center is a 500-square-foot space attached to the college’s student center, providing students with a safe and supportive place to gather, connect, and access essential resources, including mental health counseling, basic needs support, and educational presentations and workshops.

In addition, the Pride Center also houses a collection of books on LGBTQ-related topics donated by the estate of the late Professor Kate Adams.

“This Pride Center represents our mission to ensure that students are connected, directed, engaged, focused, nurtured, and valued,” said Hancock Board of Trustees President Greg Pensa. “Today’s grand opening marks an important step forward in ensuring that all students have a space where they can feel a sense of belonging.” 

For Noelle Rubalcava, a Hancock student and member of the college’s Pride Alliance Club, the center exemplifies the college’s commitment to ensuring all students feel welcomed and valued.

“With every challenge, the lovely people at the Pride Alliance Club have been there, providing me and my peers with a space to be our whole selves,” said Rubalcava. “This Pride Center is just the beginning of creating a better community for future queer students.”

The opening of the center also represented a positive step forward for Roger DeLaurier, a retired Hancock faculty member and one of the founding members of the college’s first LGBTQ club in 1989.

“We have definitely come a long way, and this Pride Center will support our community in the distance forward we still have yet to go,” DeLaurier said. “I hope no queer student will ever again feel that they and their community are invisible or unsafe on campus; that at Allan Hancock College they will feel the welcome and support that this center represents.”

The Pride Center is one of two new facilities the college will celebrate opening before the new year. Hancock will also host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Student Health Center on Nov. 19.