Lab tech by day, DJ by night

Hundreds of students walk through the M building at the LAC campus each semester, yet not many know that the gallery surrounding every inch of the second floor is actually a creation by somebody just down the hall.

Most students may know Rene Hoyo as the friendly face behind the Computer and Office Studies computer lab, but what they don’t know is the triple lifestyle he truly lives.

“My daily duties here are making sure all the classrooms and computers are running and updated, making sure everything is in working condition for the classes and instructors,” said Hoyo, his work on campus widely recognized after he was named Classified Employee of the Year by California Community Colleges in 2025.

After his days in the office, by night, Hoyo is known by his artistic names “DJ Ho” and “HoWorld”. 

Hoyo spends his nights either practicing and performing house music DJ sets or editing photos after his various photography sessions. He described that both his artistic and professional lifestyle are all connected by teamwork and understanding people.

“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned was learning how to read people,” Hoyo said. “When I’m on campus, not everyone learns the same way. When I’m DJing, not everyone reacts the same way to a song, in photography, not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera. Learning how to read people is one of the most rewarding lessons I’ve ever learned.”

^{Rene Hoyo, who manages the LBCC computer labs, stands in front of his framed photographs and holds his award placards on May 20. Hoyo was named 2025 Classified Employee of the Year. (Alejandro Diaz Lopez)}

For student Diana Sandoval, that ability is exactly what makes Hoyo such a memorable presence on campus.

“He’s always here when we get stuck on our COS homework, and he always reminds us to pay attention and follow directions clearly. It’s always enjoyable to be here with him,” said Sandoval.

Hoyo’s colleague Ana Rivera, who first worked under him as a student worker, had similar sentiments and described the growing bond between them.

“This is the first time that I felt like a coworker was like a family member to me,” Rivera said. “In other jobs it’s always been more strict, but in this case we treat each other like brother and sister. We’re always in sync, we’re always very like-minded and we always have each other’s backs.”

Something Hoyo believes played a major role in his recent recognition as Classified Employee of the Year was that sense of teamwork.

“You could take several steps and be successful at something, but if you gather everyone together and take the same steps, you can be even more successful. We’re here for the students, we’re here for the department, we work together to provide that success for the students.”

Ironically, Hoyo never planned on working in education.

With hopes to build an aviation career, he originally trained as an aircraft technician. However, finding a job at 19 years old wasn’t the simplest thing to do, so when he accepted an opportunity to work part-time at LBCC in the computer lab, that decision led to a career spanning decades on campus.

Yet, his career path changed unexpectedly, another passion had already taken root years earlier.

“When I was just 10 years old, my sister took me to a party and I touched my first pair of turntables,” Hoyo said. “It’s kind of one of those pivotal moments where I saw myself on stage.”

Just a few years later, Hoyo started practicing DJing, starting with old-school funk and Latino music until eventually discovering his passion in the genre house music.

“There’s just something so inspiring and so soothing about it that aligns with me the most,” Hoyo said.

Nowadays, Hoyo performs monthly through Know Love Sessions, an online radio show featuring a variety of DJs. Although he has spent years performing in clubs and crowds, he says he has never been interested in chasing fame.

“I’m not looking for fame,” Hoyo said. “I’ve had my name on the marquee before, and yes, it feels great, but I feel that the same fame that builds you will be the same fame that destroys you.”

Photography similarly entered his life through the same music scene that inspired his DJ career.

While performing at clubs, Hoyo noticed that the bigger DJs often had photographers, while smaller DJs did not. Looking for a way to capture his own performances, he purchased a camera and had his friend do him a favor by shooting a few photos while he performed. 

Afterwards, his other friends began to ask him to do the same favor.

^{Rene Hoyo, who manages the LBCC computer labs, holds his award placards on May 20. Hoyo was named 2025 Classified Employee of the Year. (Alejandro Diaz Lopez)}

“Little by little, I taught myself everything,” Hoyo said. “I never took a photography class. I just had a good mentor who helped me along the way.”

Over time, his photography evolved from a quick favor to a creative passion. Hoyo is now photographing everything from vibrant sunsets and aviation subjects to weddings and graduation portraits.

“I learned that in order to become good at photography, all you had to do was pick up the camera and start shooting,” Hoyo said. “I learned to never underestimate your worst picture because your worst image could be the greatest thing in the world to somebody else.”

Today, Hoyo’s photographs cover much of the second floor of the M Building, including inside the classrooms. 

“When we first moved into this building, everything was so lifeless. It just looked like a prison cell with nothing.” Hoyo said.

His goal was not simply decoration. He wanted students to see themselves reflected in the spaces around them.

“I hate when I see photos in colleges with stock images where the model is just pretending to be a student,” Hoyo said. “Students are not stock images. I try my best to give students something they can connect with, something where they can walk by and recognize things in the photo.”

Whether he is helping students in the lab, reading a crowd from behind a DJ booth, or creating images that make people feel comfortable and welcomed, Hoyo sees each role as an opportunity to connect with others.

Regardless of his setting, Hoyo has built a life centered on people, and that’s a role he has no plans of stepping away from.