“Kelly and Michelle: You are our heroes,” Larry Bloom, president of the classified senate, said last Wednesday at a celebration, honoring the two Longs Drugs employees.

Kelly Bennett, 18, a first year student at San Jose State University and Michelle Houde, 19, a De Anza student were working together at the Longs on Berryessa when they came across photographs of Al DeGuzman posing with an arsenal of weapons and bombs on Monday, Jan. 29. Bennett dialed 911 and detained DeGuzman when he returned to pick up the photos.

“It was the least we could do, as people,” Houde said. “It’s been crazy. Thank you.”

Wednesday afternoon, De Anza President Martha Kanter presented Bennett and Houde with gold pins and plaques. “[The] gold pin symbolizes their commitment to our community,” Kanter said.

The plaques signify educational scholarships for Bennett to finish her education at San Jose State University.

Houde’s scholarship will pay for the rest of her schooling at De Anza and for continuing her education at SJSU.

Kanter said she was happy to give them the scholarships because “of the fact we know [they] will finish [their] education,” she said.

Kanter said that without the heroism of Bennett and Houde, the help of security, the De Anza emergency response team and the police, the evacuation would not have been completed within one hour.

“To clear the campus to bring us to safety, we will be forever grateful,” Kanter said.

Kanter also thanked the leadership of Cupertino Sheriff Laurie Smith and the services the Counseling Department offered after the scare.

“All these people helped along the way,” she said.

Cupertino Mayor Sandra James said she came “representing 55,000 residents, many of whom called to extend their thanks [to Bennett and Houde].” She personally thanked them because her son attends De Anza.

In closing, Kanter said, “the clapping expresses how we feel.” She said that she looks forward to signing Houde up for spring quarter.