Dr. Claudia Habib

Dr. Claudia Habib served as the president of Porterville College from July 2019 to July 2024.

​

She holds two degrees from Fresno State: a bachelor's degree in Interior Design and an Ed.D. in education and leadership. Additionally, she has studied at National University where she earned a master’s degree in instructional technology. Before coming to Porterville College in 2019, she served as the vice president of Madera and Oakhurst Community College Centers in Madera.

A July 2019 story from the Bakersfield Californian, entitled Porterville College president happy to be in Central Valley where she achieved her American dream--as well as an October 2019 article by the Porterville Recorder--reveal more about Dr. Habib's amazing journey. The articles reveal how Dr. Habib came to the United States in the late 1980s to escape the violence in Colombia and supported herself however she could, including delivering pizzas and cleaning homes and offices while attending adult school. She learned English while enrolled at a community college in the Central Valley, and then worked hard to gain multiple degrees in higher education and succeed in her career goals.

Her determination and vision for success continues at Porterville College. As she explains in the article: "We’re always looking at ways to better our students...we’ll tackle that with our talented faculty and staff. My job is to support those efforts and advocate for those students." Her own experiences as an immigrant has given her a special perspective for PC students who have similar backgrounds. "Sometimes we forget that for immigrants, they’re leaving behind their country, family, friends and part of their heart. It’s a difficult decision," she said. "I am respectful of the practices that need to take place, but we need to approach our work with passion and humanity."

Dr. Habib's resilience has served the college well during the pandemic. In a June 2020 article by the Porterville Recorder, Dr. Habib reflected on the COVID-19 crisis: “It has been inspiring to watch everyone in our PC family come together to address the crisis caused by the pandemic with resiliency, and adapting to these unforeseen and unpredictable circumstances....We have PC Spirit and together we will see this crisis through.”