One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
San Bernardino shooting victim Aurora Godoy set to receive posthumous degree
Aurora Godoy, a victim of the San Bernardino shooting, with husband James and son Alexander.
(
Courtesy friend Karina Kenney
)
Los Angeles Harbor College was set to award a posthumous degree to Aurora Godoy, the youngest of the victims of the San Bernardino shooting that took place last December, at a board of trustees meeting Wednesday.
Scott Svonkin, Los Angeles Community College district president, told KPCC that it's rare for the board to give this type of degree. This is the second time in five years that a posthumous degree has been awarded.
“In this case, we’re doing it because we want to make sure that her family knows that her hard work on her studies and her hard work as a public servant is important to the Los Angeles Community College family,” he said.
Although they had yet to vote to award the degree, Svonkin told KPCC he expected the vote to be unanimous.
“My hope is that this degree will bring comfort to her family and inspiration to every student in our district,” he said.
The 26-year-old worked for the county of San Bernardino and simultaneously went to school. She was just two classes away from getting her associate degree in liberal arts and sciences, her husband James Godoy said.
After a couple months off work, he said he also plans to pursue his education and become a math teacher.
Sponsored message
Her husband and their 2-year-old son were set to accept the degree on her behalf.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
