When it comes to its alumni, Fresno City College can boast of some outstanding women. FCC’s impressive list includes Margaret Mims, Fresno County Sheriff; Dr. Jannett Jackson, president, College of Alameda; Susan B. Anderson, Fresno County Supervisor, District 2, and Stefani Booroojian, news anchorwoman, KSEE 24.
The college is highlighting these women as part of the Women’s History Month celebration.
Sheriff Margaret Mims Fresno County Sheriff
Sheriff Mims began her career in law enforcement in the City of Kerman in 1980 as the first female officer. She became a deputy sheriff in 1983 and has continued to climb the ranks since then.
She was the first female sergeant to supervise field patrol units and the first female to achieve the ranks of lieutenant, captain and assistant sheriff in the 154 year history of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. In 2006, Sheriff Mims finally shattered the last “glass ceiling” when she was elected the first female sheriff of Fresno County.
Sheriff Mims graduated from Fresno City College’s Police Academy as well as Reedley College and Fresno Pacific University. After 30 years of breaking barriers, Sheriff Margaret Mims has proved everyone wrong. She once said, “When a man starts in this profession everyone assumes he can do the job; when a woman starts in this profession, everyone assumes she can’t.”
Dr. Jannett Jackson
President, College of Alameda
A retired colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard, Dr. Jannett Jackson spent nearly 20 years with the State Center Community College District as a faculty member, classified professional and administrator. Jackson was dean of the Learning Resources Division at Fresno City College before her position at the College of Alameda.
Besides her academic career, Dr. Jackson served as a colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard. She led troops in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and at the time of her last deployment, she was the only African-American brigade commander in the California National Guard and the highest-ranking African-American woman.
Dr. Jackson was recognized in 2005 as Fresno City College’s Distinguished Alumna.
Susan B. Anderson
Fresno County Supervisor
Supervisor Susan B. Anderson attended FCC on a part-time basis between 1973 and 1982 and then went on to attend the San Joaquin Law School.
Ms. Anderson was the first woman elected to the seat of County Clerk/Registrar of Voters in Fresno County. She served in this position for 10 years and successfully implemented a system-wide overhaul that increased efficiency and responsiveness in her department.
In 2002, Ms. Anderson was elected to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, District 2. She says she is dedicated to improving the lives of children and has been instrumental in constructing a new state-of-the-art juvenile hall in Fresno County. She has also led the effort to develop Focus Forward, a non-profit organization to provide mentoring, tutoring and enrichment classes to children in the county system.
Stefani Booroojian
KSEE 24
News Anchorwoman
After nearly 30 years with the KSEE 24 News Team, Stefani Booroojian is one of the most recognizable women in the Central Valley. Ms. Booroojian has received many awards, including two Emmy Awards, a distinguished media service award from Fresno State and a Fresno City College Distinguished Alumna award in 2001.
Ms. Booroojian attended FCC after graduation from Fresno High School. She lived near FCC and because it was affordable. While she did not have a success plan, Booroojian knew she was expected to obtain a college degree.
After obtaining her degree in broadcasting from Fresno State, Ms. Booroojian spent time building her career first in radio and then in television, first as a behind-the-scenes producer and later, a reporter. She says it took a lot of hard work to move beyond that.
“It was important to me to prove that I was a legitimate journalist,” says Ms. Booroojian. She was a 22-year-old woman. She said, “I had to do a lot of learning, fast.”
Attitudes towards women in broadcasting have changed considerably since Ms. Booroojian began her career. Broadcasting and journalism was, and still is, a significantly male dominated industry in which a woman must prove her mettle in order to succeed.
“When I first started on the anchor desk, I wasn’t allowed to participate in election coverage,” says Ms. Booroojian. “The news director at the time told me he didn’t want to ‘take any chances’ by having me participate in the coverage. Now it’s expected that women are a part of all coverage.”
Women in journalism have come a long way from covering light-hearted lady’s issues and fashion. “We are not token women anymore,” says Ms. Booroojian. “We don’t just cover the “fluffy” stories; we’re capable of doing anything and everything.”
