Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
Since 1955, the Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees has been awarding Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees to outstanding individuals. Awardees have achieved distinction, made extraordinary contributions to their professional fields and made a meaningful impact in their communities and/or to higher education.
Luz Maria Escamilla
Utah State Senator
Senator Luz Escamilla’s deep appreciation for education stems from her parents, who worked hard to provide opportunities for themselves and their children. Both her mother and father attended college in Mexico and earned PhDs in chemical engineering. “Education was always part of our lives,” she says.
Before her election as Utah’s first Latina and immigrant state senator in 2008, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah.
Now in her fifth term in the Utah Senate, Senator Escamilla serves on the Senate leadership team as the Senate Minority Leader. She is also the co-chair of Utah’s Women in the Economy Commission and a managing partner at ESCATEC Solutions.
Senator Escamilla believes that SLCC, an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution, plays an essential role in Utah’s economy. “Our emerging communities are providing the highest fertility rates—they are literally our future workforce,” she says. “When you have individuals get the degree or certificate and get in the workforce, we all win.”
John and Joanne Parrish
John M. Parrish Foundation
Mention “SLCC” to John Parrish, and you can expect a long and passionate conversation. "I could talk about SLCC all day!" he says. Utah natives, John and his wife, Joanne, are adamant about “changing the lives of students” at SLCC. "It is an amazing place that does wonderful things for our community,” says John.
John and Joanne believe deeply in the power of education. The John & Joanne Parrish Endowed Scholarship has positively impacted dozens of SLCC students." Seeing how our dollars are changing lives is inspiring and humbling,” he says.
Retired, John and Joanne spend their time investing in Utah’s community. In 2008 they started the John M. Parrish Foundation, where they develop partnerships with local groups devoted to improving access to mental health services and aiding in addiction recovery.
John Parrish's 45-year career saw him run and eventually own Midwest Floor Coverings, where Joanne also worked as a Director of Travel. With an inside perspective on Utah's economy, the Parrish’s see SLCC's students as the key to what businesses need. "SLCC sends out employable and job-ready students, and we are so happy to be a part of that legacy.”