Congratulations to our 2019 Alumnus of the Year and scholarship donor, Jocelyn Yow for being sworn in as Mayor for the City of Eastvale. Yow, 25, is the youngest woman of color to be appointed to serve in this capacity in the history of California.

“I am proud to see Jocelyn break barriers and come full circle, from alumna, donor, councilmember, and mother,” said Norco College President, Monica Green. “This is what community colleges do. We provide opportunities for students to follow their dreams and create a bright future. I look forward to working with Mayor Yow and our newly elected and current officials in our community.” 

Yow was elected to the Eastvale city council in 2018 and served as Mayor pro tem for the past year. She graduated from Norco College in 2014 with an associate degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences before transferring to UC Berkeley. While at Norco College, she became the youngest student body president and joined the Honors Program where she became a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma.

Mayor Yow grew up in a working-class family, where she learned the value and importance of giving back. In fact, the Yow family established a scholarship to provide financial support for high achieving Norco College students with financial need. Yow, credits part of her success to Norco College and established a scholarship that would highlight her and her family’s deep commitment to community service.  

Yow is currently the policy manager for IGNITE, a national nonprofit to elect more women to positions of power, and has previously worked as a district representative in the California State Senate and an aide for the U.S. House of Representatives. 

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the mayor of Eastvale, the city I am proud to call home. Being a new mom to a six-month-old further fuels my passion to serve my community,” Yow said. “Local government makes decisions that affect our daily lives and is where we can directly see democracy in action. I am serving the city to ensure a better future for my son and the next generation of Eastvale residents.”​