The 50th annual LBCC Hall of Fame award ceremony on Sept. 22 honored the accomplishments of the school’s alumni.
The ceremony acknowledged three alumni with awards who went on to pursue careers in military, medicine, and communal advocacy following their time spent at the college.
During their acceptance speeches, each alumni emphasized that the support they had from the school’s faculty and resources was essential to their success.
There is no doubt that these recipients have made great achievements in their fields, but the path to success has not always been so straightforward.
Blas Villalobos, a chief executive officer for veteran affairs, revealed that he considered dropping out of college after his history professor assigned a complicated homework assignment.
Villalobos served in the military before becoming a student at LBCC, so transitioning to college life had not been effortless for him. Fortunately he was connected with the veteran program on campus, and a counselor convinced him to stay in school.
“I felt that every time I asked for help there was somebody to point me in the right direction,” Villalobos said. “They helped me get to the resources I needed, from financial aid to helping me translate my military skills to credits. Every step of the way I felt that there was someone that could help me in some way.”
Villalobos was aware of his passion for veteran services from the start, but not all college students know what their path is right away.
Amy Valenzuela-Mier, another award recipient who now focuses on public health, touched on this matter when she took the stage for her speech.
Valenzuela-Mier expressed that the school had the power to steer students in the right direction and help them find their passions.
She stated professors helped set students on the right path by, “being available, keeping office hours, and being willing to have those one-on-one conversations, even if the student really doesn’t have an idea as to what their ultimate thing is.”
Professors and faculty at the school continue to prove to do more for students than just offer academic help.
Making connections with the college’s staff had also helped the alumni in the personal aspects of their lives to ensure their overall success.
“One of the most rewarding things is having those one-on-one conversations and really getting to know what students are dealing with because it just makes the classroom teaching all the more relevant.” Valenzuela-Mier said.
With the help of the resources offered by LBCC, the alumni were able to take the set of skills they learned in school and convert them into tools to make valuable contributions to their communities.