Staff members at De Anza College were recently presented with the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for their dedication to students and overall involvement with the college.

Randy Bryant, department head of the automotive tech program at De Anza, was one of three teachers given the award that is handed out once a year and granted especially to community college staff. Bryant is also the vice president of the academic senate on campus and teaches classes.

Motivated by student success, one of his many roles is competently teaching the students so they can be ready to join the work force and become employed.

“The natural progression for a journeyman is to teach the apprentice,” Bryant said.
Before working at De Anza, Bryant was an application engineer at Line Tech for 27 years. He worked at a couple mechanic shops and even owns a few shops as well.

But Bryant felt like it was time for a change.

Lorna Maynard has worked on the business staff in the auto tech program for 17 years and throughout her time there most department heads have held the position for typically two years.

Randy Bryant is at five years and counting.

She credits the length of his tenure to his passion for student equity and thinks he could be department head for years to come.
“People have been told they can’t do it and I prove them wrong,” Bryant said.

Bryant leads by example and his fellow colleagues and students take notice and follow suit.

Bryant looks to continue the progression and improvement of the auto tech program.

In the future, Bryant hopes that De Anza’s auto tech program will be able to provide a bachelor’s degree in this area of expertise for students.