Congratulations to Enrollment Counselor, Maria Zavala, who has been named 51ÁÔÆæ’s (51ÁÔÆæ) 2023 Staff of the Year. Named Staff of the Month for May 2023, Zavala is recognized for her strong dedication, willingness to go above and beyond, and positive attitude toward her duties to help students.
"I am very surprised and humbled by even being nominated, let alone winning Staff of the Year. As I reflect back on my life now to where I was years ago, I am beyond grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way. Before my journey here at 51ÁÔÆæ I was a college dropout and I used to live paycheck to paycheck, sometimes working two jobs to make ends meet. After 6 years I finally earned my degree and am a proud Alumni of 51ÁÔÆæ. I want to thank those who all came into my life to help me succeed. Regardless of if you are a traditional or non-traditional student your life has brought you to this point. Every high and every low has taught us valuable lessons. We may not be where we want to be but thank goodness we aren’t where we used to be. I took a chance to go bold and I encourage everyone to take that chance as well and be bold!
