In 81 degree heat, with the sun beating down almost directly overhead, international student Shamonique Harris stood proudly, wearing a soccer jersey of her home country of Jamaica and fleece leggings, barely breaking a sweat.
“It’s cold here, a lot colder than back home,” Harris said.
As an international student, Harris found herself unemployed for eight months, resigning from her job as a childcare provider at a military base to abide by international student visa regulations.
“It was hard, because I’m not a child, I’m an adult, so I needed to find some way to sustain myself once I got here,” Harris said.
So Harris did what she knew best and put her best foot forward.
“My mother taught me not to wear my struggles on my face,” Harris said.
Harris has to follow certain guidelines on when and what she can do for work. Her work must in some way be part of her course curriculum and for her first year in the U.S., she can only work on campus.
This rule led her to apply to several different departments on campus as a student assistant, including the financial aid department, counseling center and the welcome center.
Harris began attending LBCC in the spring of 2022 and since then, has completely enmeshed herself with the campus, taking up various roles in different school programs as she works toward getting her associates degree in social work.
One of those programs includes the Sankofa Adjustments with Great Expectations (SAGE) program, a mentorship group aimed to help African and Black students find success in higher education through creating a culture of acceptance and support.
With SAGE, Harris works as a mentor, providing one-on-one support as well as conducting presentations for the entire group and connecting mentees with potentially suitable internships, jobs or support programs as needed.
“It feels a little weird sometimes standing there telling students that go here how to use these programs that I can’t use myself, but I think it’s important that they know (these programs) are there for them,” Harris said. “I always talk to the students about how important it is to be punctual, to dress professionally and act professional when needed. I always emphasize that those skills are what are going to help you get what you want in life.”
As her involvement with the school grew, Harris heard about the President’s Ambassador program, a cohort of students hand selected to be the face of LBCC’s student population and what they have to offer.
The President’s Ambassadors cohort is a scholarship program funded by the LBCC Foundation focused on giving back to the community, volunteer work, leadership training and student outreach, Harris knew she wanted in.
When she got the notification that she had been accepted into the program, she was elated.
President’s ambassadors go through a rigorous application process, often selected due to their high academic achievement and pre-existing campus involvement.
With her involvement in SAGE, her role as an international student program ambassador, as well as her high academic standing as an honors student, made Harris a perfect fit for the program.
When Harris shared the news with her former English 1 professor, Lisa Fitzgerald, the look of pride was clear on both women’s faces.
Fitzgerald was the professor to recommend Harris for the honors program, recognizing Harris’ hunger to learn and passion to be the best student she could be.
“She just stood out from the first day, sitting right up front. She would always ask questions and be generally inquisitive when it came to class material,” Fitzgerald said.
As an honors program professor, Fitzgerald recognized that Harris had the drive to succeed in an honors classroom and approached her about it.
“One of the things honors students display is a level of maturity and desire to be the best student they can be. I wanted (Harris) to be in an environment where she could be challenged in a way that entertained her curiosity,” Fitzgerald said. “She was always desirous to hear more and wasn’t okay with just getting by. She wanted to be the best she could be.”
Harris was referred to LBCC by a family member who was an alumni of the school. She had applied to other schools in the U.S., but ultimately decided on LBCC.
LBCC’s international student program was extremely helpful when it came to preparing for the application and interview, Harris said. The school sent her a packet on what to bring and what not to bring to her interview, and was able to secure her visa to attend school.
“I was extremely lucky to get the visa, it’s not something that everyone gets,” Harris said.
Once her visa was approved and her application to LBCC was processed, Harris moved to live with family in Long Beach.