Lone Star College-Kingwood recently welcomed a new president, Dr. Melissa N. Gonzalez, who shared her inspiring personal story embodying the transformative power of education at the July 6 monthly luncheon of the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce.
Gonzalez spoke about how she and her brother were taught by their parents that education can open the door to opportunity.
“My parents decided to attend GED classes in the same elementary school that my brother and I attended, and it changed our lives. It changed the trajectory of our family,” Gonzalez said. “If it wasn’t for that decision, I wouldn’t be standing here.”
If they had not earned their GEDs, her parents would have been limited on their opportunities and Gonzalez’s father would not have been able to become a supervisor at a manufacturing plant, which allowed the family to buy a home and have stability.
Growing up in the little town of Alamo, Texas, located in a county that borders Mexico, Gonzalez said she saw a lot of her peers take different paths that led them away from education. Some got pregnant or eloped and started families, while others quit school before graduation.
“I am happy to say that the cycle was broken for my brother and me. He got his degree also. He’s a state trooper in Laredo now. He always motivated me to do better, so again, it’s been a beautiful journey. Tough, hard and difficult, yes, but well worth it. Again, education changes lives,” she said.
It’s a message she hopes will resonate in Lone Star College students.
“My passion has been truly to help people change their lives through the power of education. That’s what I live for,” she said.
Lone Star College-Kingwood, one of eight colleges in the Lone Star College System, has 11,000 to 12,000 students every semester and covers a 600 square-mile service area that services five school districts, including Cleveland ISD, Gonzalez said. Of those, 70 percent are part-time students and 46 percent are Hispanic. The other demographic groups are 30 percent white, 14 percent black and 5 percent Asian.
Lone Star College System, in recent years, expanded its ability to offer the following bachelor degree programs:
- Nursing
- Applied Science in Emergency Management
- Energy, Manufacturing & Trades Management
- Cybersecurity/Technology
In addition to these bachelor degree programs, Lone Star College offers undergraduate degree programs to prepare students before they transition to a four-year university. By attending a junior college for two years and then transferring into a university, students can save a small fortune on their educational costs.
If a four-year degree is not what a student has in mind, there are plenty of vocational and certificate classes in healthcare, technology, administrative services, automotive technology, construction trades, cosmetology, data analytics, electrical technology, fire and law enforcement science, graphic design, heating and cooling, welding and truck driving, among others, that can lead to great careers. Healthcare, in particular, is a field in high demand, Gonzalez said.
“Some students don’t want to do a two-year program or even a one-year program. They just want to start working and say, ‘I need to start working now.’ We have a dental assisting program that, if you only come on Saturdays, it will take you nine months to finish, and you will get a job,” she said.
Lone Star College also recognizes that access to technology is a barrier to higher education for some students, which is enrolled students are allowed to borrow laptops.
“Part of the problems that our students were having is that they did not have computers, so we will let you borrow one of our computers as long as you’re taking a class at our college. So whether you’re an online student, or a hybrid student, or face-to-face student, all you need to do is take one class, even if it’s a continuing education class, a GED class or one of the medical assisting programs. You are still eligible,” Gonzalez said.
For more on Lone Star College, go online to https://www.lonestar.edu/
The next monthly luncheon for the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce will be a Teacher Recognition Luncheon that will celebrate 16 Teachers of the Year from the Cleveland and Tarkington school districts. Each will be presented with a backpack filled with items donated by Chamber members.
If you want to contribute to the swag bags, please contact the Chamber at 281-592-8786. Some suggested items are gift cards, promotional items, dry erase markers and pens.
New Chamber members (all pictured with Camille Landry, Chamber chairman):
