Any time I'm asked to talk about my life, I always make it a point to give a massive shout-out to Orange Coast College, where I attended school from the fall of 1997 to the summer of 1999. I credit OCC for putting me on a path that led to all the success in my career–Chapman, UCLA, OC Weekly, ¡Ask a Mexican!, Taco USA, Bordertown blah blah blah.
So imagine my surprise when the school let me know that I was being inducted into the OCC Alumni Hall of Fame, and would I be interested in accepting the honor? HELL YA!!!
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It's the second big honor a community college has given me for this spring semester–as I announced last week, Fullerton College asked me to give their commencement speech this year as well (take THAT, Irvine Valley College!). And nothing against FJC, but the OCC award is the greatest honor I've ever received in my life–no joke. I'll be joining a list of people that span the world of success, from novelists Clive Cussler and T. Jefferson Parker to legendary, late reliever Dan Quisenberry to entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors and more. In fact, the only true scoundrel I could find that was in the OCC Alumni Hall of Fame was former OC Sheriff Brad Gates–we can't all be perfect, you know?
This isn't one of those pay-for-play things: I haven't given OCC any money for this, although I'm now motivated to donate the $38 in my tomato-can savings account to establish a scholarship or something. They named me to the Hall of Fame of their own free will–CRAZY. I'll be accepting the honor during OCC's commencement ceremony May 21 at the Pacific Amphitheater–see you there!
Email: ga*******@oc******.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.
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