By Mary Valterria

Jan Schall, retired Riverside City College personnel and director of RCC’s Study Abroad Program, has died. Schall was 75 years old when she died July 2.

Schall was a driving force in the schools Study Abroad program and played a major role in the success of many RCC students over the course of her tenure, which spanned over forty years.

According to an email sent out from RCC Media Technician Armando Castro, Schall’s ties with RCC began in the late 1950’s when she was Janice O’Dell – a student at the college.

Schall retired in 2011 after being a professor at RCC for over forty years. She was the twelfth professor to achieve this feat.

Although retired, Schall continued to contribute to RCC endeavors by coordinating the “Study Abroad” program.

Schall’s passion for helping students from all walks of life experiences and education came to fruition in May of 2012, when the “Jan Schall Legacy Scholarship for Study Abroad” was established.

The program survived and thrived under Schall’s direction. In a 2015 Viewpoints article, Schall was quoted saying, “Less than two percent of community colleges in California don’t have their study abroad programs and we’re very fortunate that our Board of Trustees, college presidents and administrators have supported this program for over 25 years.”

A Celebration of Life for Jan Schall is scheduled to take place in the fall at RCC.