Santa Ana, Calif. – The Santa Ana College (SAC) Foundation is excited to announce the appointment of Ramiro Ochoa to its board of directors. Ochoa, a Santa Ana resident and Santa Ana College alumnus, graduated from SAC in 2013, effectively making him the youngest appointee in the history of the board of directors.

Ochoa is a portfolio manager at Westport Properties, Inc. in Irvine, where he handles a diverse commercial real estate portfolio. His responsibilities include helping clients with portfolio strategy, implementation and management, acquisition underwriting, and asset management. Previously, he worked as a litigation assistant for Sorkin Law Group, a firm that focuses on personal injury cases, accidents, and civil litigation – also located in Irvine.

Ochoa has long been committed to empowering youth through educational opportunities and mentorship, citing the tremendous opportunities he’s had in his own life throughout his formal education – especially at SAC. “It’s an honor to serve on the board and give back to my alma mater,” Ochoa says noting that “SAC has had a profound impact on my life and I’m excited to work with the [SAC] Foundation and the college to advance scholarship opportunities and partnerships within the community.”

Ochoa, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Santa Ana, grew up within the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). He places much personal importance on contributing to the community in which he was raised. Ochoa says that from his very first semester at SAC while pursuing his economics degree, he felt “very lucky to be a student at this great institution,” noting the devotion of instructors and staff and their dedication toward student achievement. He went on to earn two associate degrees from SAC, one in economics, the other in business administration.

During his time at SAC, Ochoa also volunteered as an economics tutor, effectively helping his fellow students. After moving on to the University of Southern California (USC) to further his studies, he continued to invest his time and energy as a tutor at SAC while completing his bachelor’s degree in economics at USC.

Over the last few years, he has been actively involved in several philanthropic projects, generously donating his time to help others. Ochoa has worked with the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office assisting with criminal cases for members of the Latino community who cannot afford legal assistance, and has also volunteered with the USC Joint Educational Project, in which USC students provide mentorship and tutoring to K-12 schools in underprivileged areas of Los Angeles. In addition, he currently mentors young people through Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Orange County.

Additionally, Ochoa has also lent his tutoring skills to “Think Together”, a community organization that increases the odds of success for local students through further education. He has also served as a speaker on behalf of the Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund, and for the Santa Ana College Foundation, prior to his nomination and official appointment to the SAC Foundation Board of Directors.

Christina Romero, executive director of the SAC Foundation board says “We are pleased to welcome Ramiro Ochoa as our newest member to the SAC Foundation Board of Directors. His passion for seeing students succeed and philanthropic work in the educational sector align perfectly with our mission, and we are thrilled to have him on board.”

The Santa Ana College Foundation is committed to ensuring that no student is denied educational opportunities due to financial constraints. The SAC Foundation strives to maintain, expand and enhance the educational opportunities at Santa Ana College and link together community resources including: organizations, businesses, private partners and other funding sources, as well as alumni and staff - affirmatively preserving its long-standing tradition of: “A History of Success, A Future of Promise.” For more information about the SAC Foundation or for sponsorship opportunities, please call (714) 564-6091, or email Foundation@sac.edu.

Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.

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