Sacramento State President Luke Wood signed an official memorandum with the President of Compton Community College, Keith Curry, on Thursday, Dec. 12 in Sacramento Hall.

The memorandum establishes a direct handoff for eligible students from Compton College to attend Sac State and priority admittance into the Black Honors College Wood said after the ceremony. It also strengthens the partnership between the two colleges by promising to establish a framework for future supportive programs.

“We’re creating a seamless pathway so that when students complete their time at Compton college, they can transition here,” Wood said. “We also want to make sure that our other minoritized communities are also having catered academic experiences. So we see that Black Honors College is the first, and certainly not the last.”

The ceremony included speeches from both presidents and Boatamo Ati Mosupyoe, dean of students and head of the Black Honors College. Students from both colleges also spoke. Wood and Curry swapped letterman jackets at the end to represent the new partnership.

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Earlier this year, Sac State was designated as the state’s first Black-serving institution. Wood said the reason for choosing Compton College was because of its history as a proclaimed Black-serving institution with a focus on diverse values that align with Sac State’s.

“[Compton College] is an institution that has been unapologetically bold and proclaiming itself to be a Black-serving institution,” Wood said. “It’s a kind of environment where we know that Compton College students will feel at home here.”

Curry said that the signing was hugely impactful to African American students to have a college that serves their needs rather than focusing solely on admissions. Curry also said that there needs to be an emphasis on serving the needs of the African American community on a systemic level.

“Students who are interested in higher education will see that there are institutions that are built for them, that are there to support them, to see them be successful and they know that they can do it within the state of California,” Curry said.

For first generation students like Skyy Sorrell, a senior psychology and sociology major at Compton College, she said the programs at both colleges have given her the hope and support to graduate college. She said she hopes students who have never left Los Angeles County will have an opportunity to grow at Sac State.

“I am a first generation, not only high school graduate, but soon to be college graduate. When I came to campus I was hit with the imposter syndrome,” Sorrell said. “BSI has been like home for me. It’s not just a program. When you walk on campus, you just feel it everywhere.”