Last September, CECS was recognized by Excelencia in Education in Washington, D.C., receiving an honorable mention in the baccalaureate category at the 2014 CelebraciĆ³n de Excelencia for its AIMS2 program. Excelencia in Education is a data-driven organization that looks at what colleges, universities and community-based organizations are doing to improve success for Hispanic students. Just 29 programs were honored out of 217 nominations; CECS was one of ten institutions nationwide to receive an honorable mention. District 29 Representative Tony Cardenas, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and an electrical engineer who represents the San Fernando Valley, welcomed the attendees and singled out CECS and AIMS2 in his remarks. (See https://www.youtube. … 75UJl4s3UHBK&index=3 for a video.) Representing the college at the September 30 event were Dean S. K. Ramesh, PI of the U.S. Department of Education HSI-STEM grant that supports the AIMS2 program; faculty mentors in the program; and Richard Cortes, articulation and STEM counselor at Glendale Community College, one of the two colleges that collaborate with CSUN on this important endeavor.