Anthony Hopkins was six years out of high school and hadn’t been able to make college “stick.”
He gave part-time and full-time jobs a try, leading to dead ends. So he was 24 years old when he returned to Sacramento City College (SCC) to give it one last shot. He had his sights set on learning and needed a confidence boost to make it happen.
“SCC is a campus that felt welcoming to me and welcoming to people of color. It had professors who looked like me, spoke like me and wanted to know and support me. That was life-changing.” — Anthony Hopkins
At SCC, Anthony found support at RISE (Respect, Integrity, Self-determination and Education), an organization that welcomes students with holistic support services. Through RISE, Anthony found the confidence he sought through supportive staff, faculty and students.
Fast-forward several years and Anthony is now working at RISE with several degrees tucked under his belt, including a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from NYU. However, it all started with his associate’s degree from SCC.
After a decade of schooling, Anthony found his calling, using his education and community at one of the Los Rios Colleges as his lift-off moment.
Anthony has dedicated his career to studying social systems to solve racial disparities in education. SCC gave him his start and now he’s helping others find that same sense of belonging that he did at 24.
The Los Rios Colleges are home to thousands of students like Anthony, eager to make a difference in the world. Our four student-centered colleges — American River College, Cosumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College — offer many academic opportunities for students, including direct-to-career degrees that are industry-recognized and respected.
As we continue to serve the Greater Sacramento region, we are also eager to make a difference in our students’ lives. To learn more about our life-changing culture, career-focused degree programs and enrollment opportunities, visit losrios.edu/apply.
