College honored by state for dual enrollment partnership

Citrus College, in partnership with Azusa High School, was recently recognized by the California Department of Education as a 2025-2026 California Exemplary Dual Enrollment Award recipient. Marivel Ortiz-Sanchez, director of dual enrollment, said the partnership with Azusa High School is a special one.

Currently, Azusa High School students can work toward obtaining an associate degree in sociology, completing the Cal-GETC pathway or taking entry-level courses in business and STEM fields, such as computer science, engineering and information technology.

"What truly makes this partnership unique is the strong, aligned support from both the college and the high school at all levels, including site and district leadership," Ortiz-Sanchez said. "We maintain ongoing communication with our district partners to explore new opportunities and identify the resources needed to best support students."

Additionally, the partnership prioritizes student engagement by bringing high school students to Citrus College to obtain their student photo IDs, participate in a campus tour and build familiarity with the campus.

Ortiz-Sanchez said the college is working with the Azusa Unified School District to explore new pathways and opportunities that align with student interests and regional workforce needs, while also strengthening and expanding the pathways already in place.

"There is much more ahead, and we are excited about the continued growth of this partnership, along with the opportunities we are building in collaboration with our other district partners," Ortiz-Sanchez said.

---

This article originally appeared in the May 2026 edition of the Citrus View.