Cafetorium to be named for Dr. Tom Rivera
The Colton native, who passed away in March, leaves behind an impressive legacy that impacted generations of Colton residents.
CHS students are welcomed to lunch at the newly named Dr. Tom Rivera Multi-Purpose Room. The temporary sign was hung on the MPR at lunch by CJUSD facilities. An official naming ceremony will happen in late October.
Colton, CA–The Cafetorium is getting an official name.
Today at lunch, members of the Colton Joint Unified School District facilities department put up a temporary sign on the Cafetorium, naming it after Dr. Tom Rivera.
“The board took action in honoring Dr. Tom Rivera,” said Owen Chang, Facilities Director for CJUSD. “Rivera was a pivotal member of the community and we wanted to recognize his contribution.”
The decision to rename the multi-purpose room was made by the school board at the July 21 board meeting. According to Chang, CJUSD will officially hold a naming ceremony for the multi-purpose room in late October.
“Dr. Rivera’s legacy is unmatched in the city of Colton,” said CJUSD board member Patt Haro.
Dr. Tom Rivera was indeed a vital part of the Colton community. He was raised in Colton, and graduated as part of Colton Union High’s class of 1958. He attended San Bernardino Valley College and received his Bachelor’s degree at Cal State Los Angeles and his Masters at UCLA. He served in education for 47 years, founded the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program as well as a free medical clinic for low-income families in San Bernardino. His list of achievements is long and impressive. Rivera also served as a member of the CJUSD school board from 1977-1979.
Dr. Rivera struggled for a large part of his life with Guillain Barre syndrome, but it never kept him from achieving his goals to positively impact his community. He passed away after a battle with cancer in March 2022.
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