NOTABLE CERRITOS COLLEGE ALUMNI
YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY!
Leslie Kim Kim Ye-seul-i (Han Ye-seul)
Leslie attended Cerritos High School and graduated from Cerritos College with an associate degree in Computer Graphics. She made her acting debut in the sitcom Nonstop 4 (2003), and has since played leading roles in television dramas such as Couple or Trouble (2006), Tazza (2008), and Birth of a Beauty (2014), as well as the films Miss Gold Digger (2007) and Penny Pinchers.
John Corbett
Cerritos College alumnus John Corbett is well-known for playing Aidan Shaw in Sex & the City, Max Gregson in United States of Tara, and Chris Stevens in Northern Exposure, for which he won an Emmy Award. And, of course, he starred in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies (2002 & 2016), as well as Raising Helen (2004). After graduating high school in 1979, he moved to Bellflower, California and worked for nearby Kaiser Steel. After a back injury, he enrolled in hairdressing classes at Cerritos College, as well as acting classes. Corbett has said, "I went to hair school by day and studied theater at night." He was a licensed hairstylist before landing a Samsung commercial that changed his life.
Touraj "T. J." Houshmandzadeh Jr.
The former NFL wide receiver was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 7th round of the 2001 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Oakland Raiders. He now works as a wide receiver coach at Long Beach Poly High School. After dropping out of Barstow High School, he later enrolled at Cerritos College, playing for the Falcons in 1998 and 1999 as a two-time First-Team Mission Conference selection, wide receiver, and kickoff returner. He finished his Falcons career with 1,152 receiving yards on 65 receptions, two 103-yard kickoff returns and a 92-yard punt return before transferring to Oregon State.
John Harold Force
The American NHRA drag racer was born in Bell Gardens, California, and is a 16-time Funny Car champion driver and 20-time champion car owner who owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 144 career victories. He graduated from Bell Gardens High School and briefly attended Cerritos College to play football. His son-in-law Robert Hight, and daughters Brittany and Courtney, drive with him. They are collectively known as "The First Family of Drag Racing."
Graciela Flores "Grace" Napolitano
The U.S. Representative for California's 32nd congressional district has served in Congress since 1999. A member of the Democratic party, she previously served in the California State Assembly and the Norwalk City Council. Grace was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. She moved to California with her husband after high school. The mother of five attended Cerritos College and then Texas Southmost College before working for the Ford Motor Company for 22 years. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Caroline Zhang
The famous figure skater is a two-time Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2007 World Junior Champion, the 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a three-time U.S. national medalist. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts to immigrant parents from Wuhan, China. The Chinese media refer to her by her Chinese given name, Yuanyuan. She moved to California at a young age. She is proficient at the piano, was concert master in her middle school's orchestra on violin, and was a ballet dancer before switching to figure skating. She began attending Cerritos College in 2017.
Anthony Rendon, PhD
The Speaker of the California State Assembly represents the 63rd Assembly District. He graduated from high school in 1986 and has admitted he was a "terrible student." Hitting his stride at Cerritos College, he later earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree from California State University, Fullerton. After receiving a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, he earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Riverside with post-doctoral studies completed at Boston University. He has also served as executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and interim executive director of the California League of Conservation Voters.
Rodrigo Richard "Rod" Barajas
The Mexican American former professional baseball catcher played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for Mexico's national baseball team. Currently he is the acting manager for the El Paso Chihuahuas AAA baseball team and previously managed the Arizona League Padres. He lived in Norwalk, California for most of his life and attended Santa Fe High School and Cerritos College.
Bisi Ezerioha a.k.a. Ndubisi Ezerioha
The Bisimoto Engineering CEO and Chief Engineer is also a professional racecar driver, Engine Builder. He pilots a 2006 Honda Insight in the Pro Stock ranks of IDRA (Battle of the Imports), IDRC and CMI series. Bisi has built and driven the fastest carbureted front wheel drive vehicle in the world. He attended the Anambra State University of Technology at the age of 15 to study Petrochemical Engineering then transferred to Cerritos College and graduated with honors in Applied and Natural Science associate degrees, finally obtaining a Chemical Engineering bachelor's and Engineering Management degrees from California State University, Long Beach.
Robert John Apodaca
The former Major League Baseball pitcher is currently an assistant to Colorado Rockies General Manager Jeff Bridich. He played third base in high school, but converted to a pitcher at Cerritos College. After transferring to California State University, Los Angeles (where he was the Golden Eagles' MVP as a senior), he signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent. He spent three seasons in their farm system before winning a place in the Mets' bullpen in 1974.
Jeffrey Raye Tedford
The American football coach is currently the head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Mountain West Conference. He is best known as the former coach of the California Golden Bears, where he was twice named Pac-10 Coach of the Year and holds Cal records for most wins, games coached, and bowl game victories. Jeffrey attended Warren High School in Downey, lettering in football. He enrolled at Cerritos College in 1979, becoming the first member of his family to attend college. He played quarterback for Cerritos College for two years followed by another two at Fresno State where he established several passing records.
Travele Jones
The American professional basketball player for Saigon Heat of the ASEAN Basketball League previously played with the Arkadikos B.C. of Greece, Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, Sendai 89ers of Japan, Verviers-Pepinster of Belgium, and SAM Basket Massagno of Switzerland. He attended Cerritos College for two years, playing on the basketball team, before transferring to Texas Southern University. Jones was named the SWAC Player of the Year and an received an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.
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