Rachel Sheffield

December 2023: Transferring as a college student to Texas from Michigan to start a new chapter in her life, Rachel Sheffield began the Visual Communication program at LSC-CyFair (now housed at LSC-Westway Park Technology Center) in 2017.

“I realized that I had a natural talent for art and I wanted to channel that talent into a profession that would allow me to create visually appealing designs and make a positive impact through creativity,” she said. “My experience at LSC-CyFair was transformative.”

Rachel said the staff and faculty played a significant role in her academic and personal growth, especially her Visual Communication Professor Anthony Gorrity, who was patient and encouraging when she doubted herself. She also attended numerous Student Life events, enjoyed being social on campus, made amazing friends, had her artwork featured in the Bosque Gallery and even made the President’s List.

Graduating during the pandemic in May 2020 with an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate in Graphic Design, Rachel chose to start her own business, Rachel Designs, a local minority woman-owned company designing custom logos and branding small business.

“It has been a fulfilling journey, helping clients bring their visions to life and contributing to the success of many businesses and individuals,” she said. “What I enjoy most about my job is the creative freedom it offers, the opportunity to work closely with clients, and the satisfaction of transforming their ideas and visions into stunning visual designs.”

In just three years, her entrepreneurial story of success has been shared in Voyage Houston Magazine with one of her top-selling artworks also featured in their Holiday Guide. Her business has also been mentioned in Anna Svetlik De La Rosa's blog, The Platinum Mask and on 97.9 The Box. Committed to giving back to the community, she recently served as Brand Ambassador for Cy-Fest at LSC-CyFair, the college that played a pivotal role in her career and made her feel at home.

“The college provided me with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for a successful career in graphic design,” she said. “The supportive staff and faculty helped shape my confidence and abilities, and the positive learning environment encouraged me to strive for excellence in my field.

Tim Arbeiter

November 2023: Universities are not for everyone as Tim Arbeiter, a Lone Star College-Cypress Center graduate and current machining instructor, can attest to having started college at Texas A&M University before returning to Houston and enrolling first in LSC’s EMT-Basic Program.

When a back injury and surgery ended his goal of becoming a firefighter, Tim said his experience in the EMT program was so good, he looked at what else LSC offered and found that machining piqued his interest. Within the first month of his summer classes, Tim’s machining instructor introduced him to Michael Young, Director of Advanced Manufacturing at LSC-Cypress Center, who offered him a machining lab assistant position.

“That job gave me more opportunity to become familiar with the tools and machines,” he said. “I'll always appreciate and look back on that time fondly, even the times when I was just sweeping the metal shavings off the floor.”  

After earning his Associate of Applied Science in Machining Technology in 2017, Tim was recruited to be the first and only machine programmer at Rampart Products. It was Michael who connected Tim with the man who would be his boss for the next five years. While at Rampart Products, he enjoyed opportunities to train new employees who had no experience at all with machines, take questions from junior employees and teach them how to solve problems.

“That job was challenging, and there was no way I would have succeeded in it without the knowledge and experience I acquired at the college,” Tim said.

In addition to working at Rampart Products on a limited basis and running his own small business, Tim began his teaching career last fall after Michael tapped him to join LSC-Cypress Center’s Machining Technology Department as faculty.

“None of this would have been possible if it weren't for Michael Young and the other instructors in the machining department,” he said. “It's the people that make the program work, not the machines. That's why I wanted to come back, and it is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever experienced - to have a student walk up, shake my hand, and thank me for my help and patient instruction.”

Jordan Lane

October 2023: Most days Jordan Lane, a 2018 Lone Star College-CyFair grad, said he feels like he’s “living the dream” as guitarist and vocalist for the three-piece blues/punk rock band Lucid Illusions.

Jordan sang in the Chamber Choir and Mixed Choir at Cy Woods High School as a Dual Credit student at LSC-CyFair. He began teaching guitar and played in the college’s Jazz Band while earning his Associate of Arts degree at LSC-CyFair followed with a bachelor’s in Finance at Sam Houston State University.

“Lone Star prepared me very well for a state school. At Lone Star, classes were more challenging and most students actually cared about their education,” he said. “At the University, I felt like I could take anything a class threw at me because I was used to being challenged and I continued to care about my education.”

Although his academic and career goals may have changed over the years, music has always been number one and is in his blood.

“My dad convinced me to go into a recording studio and record a song because I had ‘the itch,” Jordan said. “Once I did, it didn't take long for me to form a recording project that quickly turned into a band.”

Lucid Illusions has since been named Best Local Band by the Houston Chronicle in 2022 and 2023. Their single, “Move Along,” received radio play on Houston’s 94.5 The Buzz, their second studio album, "Something New" was released in December 2022 and they have played with national acts such as Papa Roach, Seether, Bush, Warrant and Everclear, just to name a few.

“We may not be the biggest band, but we've seen a lot of growth in our fan base, business practices, professionalism, stage show, musicianship, and have checked off some huge bucket list items by playing with some of our favorite bands,” said Jordan. “Personally, I would love to win a Grammy one day!”

In the meantime, Jordan and the band are returning to LSC-CyFair, where he said Professors Dr. John Wolfskill and Dr. Aaron Alon taught him so much about music and more, to put on a rock show at Cy-Fest Oct. 7. (They will also be playing at Houston’s House of Blues Oct. 22.)

Thomas Jozwiak

20^th Anniversary Spotlight
September 2023: Lone Star College-CyFair (known as Cy-Fair College in the North Harris Montgomery Community College District) was a brand new campus when Thomas Jozwiak enrolled in the Medical Radiologic Technology (MRT) program 20 years ago.

“It was a new campus, very modern, very earthy - focused on Texas vegetation. Some of the finishing design touches were still in progress. Everything was starting from scratch,” he recalls. “Our program was still waiting for teaching aids (phantoms, diagrams, etc.).  The lab was just empty rooms. Slowly, we got the equipment, the x-ray tube, and then the film and processor. It was a slow process, but we grew quickly.”

The MRT program even had its own Radiology Student Association, which Thomas participated in, serving as vice president his first year, then president his second, as well as attending lectures and presentations both in-district and out-of-state.

Now a Radiation Therapist at MD Anderson The Woodlands, Thomas said he is very humbled and proud to be among the inaugural students of LSC-CyFair and the MRT program that has enriched the radiologic community with great technologists and therapists.

Before he decided to pursue a career as an x-ray technologist, Thomas worked at an injection molding factory where, after six years, he became Director of Operations, got married and had a daughter.

“I was on top of the world. I had an illustrious career, great pay and a family. There was only one thing missing - a degree,” he said.

The number one reason in considering a new career in the medical field, he said, was a desire to help people. The field also incorporated his love of technology and science, skills in logistics and the fact that he liked to figure out how to make things run smoothly and efficiently.

His high school diploma didn’t transfer when he moved to the United States at age 18, so he got his GED. Fluent in Polish and Russian, some German, but not English, Thomas enrolled in college, took developmental classes and passed all required classes with A’s before he began the MRT program. He earned an Associate of Applied Science with Honors at LSC-CyFair and then a Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy at UT MD Anderson with Honors - Magna Cum Laude. And now, for more than 15 years, he has provided technical expertise and efficiency as well as emotional support for Radiation Oncology patients.

“The best part is helping frightened patients overcome their fear of receiving a cancer diagnosis with empathy and helping them to get through their treatments with joy and humor,” he said.

Giovanna De Vita Sifontes

August 2023: With an interest in biochemistry, research and making a direct impact in patient care, Giovanna De Vita Sifontes was accepted as an Honors College Chancellor's Fellow at LSC-CyFair in 2017, which financially allowed her to attend college as the first in her family since moving to the U.S. from Venezuela.

Two years later she had earned an Honors Associate of Science and went on to graduate from the University of Houston Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Biochemistry and Biophysics as well as a minor in chemistry. Then she returned to LSC-CyFair to take anatomy and physiology courses specifically for the application to the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions at the Texas Medical Center.

“I knew the education that I was getting (at LSC-CyFair) was going to prepare me for the new journey at MD Anderson, which I can tell you already was worth it times a million,” said Giovanna, who described the professors as the driving force of the college and taught with a passion that made her want to strive for success. “The teaching methods were difficult enough to keep me challenged while still being manageable for me to learn. I had never written a research paper until my first Honors class at LSC-CyFair and now I have a Senior Honors Thesis under my belt.”

While at LSC-CyFair, this Phi Theta Kappa member also volunteered in the Science Olympiad and at The Empowerment Center, participated in a Service Learning chemistry lab project and played volleyball. She went on to say that LSC-CyFair provided her all the resources, tools, faculty and staff support, and opportunities to explore her interests.

One memorable opportunity was the Honors Capstone project in Washington, DC when her research was investigating what criteria was needed to target blood donation campaigns in Hispanic community.

“I got to work on my research while in the Library of Congress and talk with somebody who was conducting research at the National Health Institute, which gave me a glimpse into how life doing research is like. I was also introduced to many other resources that could help me improve my professional outlook,” she said.

Now Giovanna is focused on finishing the CLS program with Honors (in August 2024), passing the certification exam, and starting work right away in a clinical laboratory in Houston.

“I love how far and fast the medical field has evolved, and it excites me what the future holds. Part of the excitement comes from my biochemistry background …The other part comes from my clinical passion,” she said.

Lorinda Hernandez

July 2023: One class can change your life, as Lorinda Hernandez can attest to with both her academic and personal fitness success stories that began at Lone Star College at age 53.

A couple years after she finished homeschooling her children through 12^th grade, Lorinda, who is fluent in Spanish, enrolled in the ASL Interpreting Training Program. She would go on to earn an online bachelor’s in Professional Communication at Siena Heights University and complete her master’s Intercultural Communication, Interpretation and Translation in Public Services at the Universidad de Alcalá.

While pursuing her associate degree at LSC-North Harris, Lorinda took LSC-CyFair Professor Ronnie Nespeca’s online 3-week mini-mester physical education class which became a catalyst taking her from a sedentary life to embarking (this past April) on a 900+-mile coast-to-coast three-month Camino de Santiago from Almería.   

“When I took the class, I hated walking from the parking lot to the store. But the bug got me,” she said. “When I started walking, I just kept walking, increasing the distance.”

Soon she was walking 5ks, 10ks, her first half marathon, La Porte By the Bay (part of the Toughest Bridge Series) and before leaving Spain with her master’s degree, she walked nearly 610 miles from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela .

“This awesome experience took me 60 days to complete and I absolutely loved every single minute of it - blisters and all,” said Lorinda, now retired and spending time between Mexico, Houston and Spain. “The meditation, the solitude, the scenery, the self-reflection, the gratitude, the forgiveness, the getting lost, all this and more is what makes doing a Camino so very worthwhile, to the point of walking another one.”

What advice does this 65-year-old (in June) freelance translator, who enjoys volunteering her services to help others communicate, especially individuals with language barriers, whenever and wherever she travels, have?

“You are never too old to fulfill your dreams!” and “Don't put off another year or another semester what you can start with a mini-mester - and begin crossing off classes taken. Tomorrow is not promised. Start today. Start now. Make that appointment with a student advisor and get moving! You will not regret it.”

NOTE: Due to an unexpected ankle injury the first week of May, Lorinda’s 2023 Camino was put on hold to heal. Having already walked almost 200 miles in unseasonably hot temperatures, she plans “to return in September to continue her journey when it will be a bit cooler, and figs and grapes and almonds will be ripe.”

Charley Fisher

June 2023: After two previous attempts to finish college in the two decades since graduating high school, the third time would be the charm for Charley Fisher. This time, LSC-CyFair accepted the majority of her already earned 70 credits and tuition for classes needed to transfer was more manageable.

“I was a bit intimidated attending LSC-CyFair as a non-traditional student, old enough to be the mother of most students in my classes. After the first week, all those fears were tossed to the side,” Charley said. “The professors were so passionate about teaching in a way I hadn’t experienced at other universities. They encouraged open dialogue and critical thinking. Our classrooms were a safe space to voice our concerns, fears and opinions. I felt very welcomed and accepted by everyone and quickly made friends I still keep up with today.”

Charley graduated LSC-CyFair Magna Cum Laude in 2019. Before completing a bachelor’s degree in English (creative writing) from the University of Houston-Downtown in 2022, she sought an outlet for stress and the uncertainty of life during the COVID pandemic. She founded the Urban Garden Project, a service organization that helped make food accessible to those in food deserts, reestablished abandoned community gardens, created a seed bank and has more exciting projects in the works.

In addition, Charley is using her English degree, translation skills and love of design in her career as a Communications Specialist for a global environmental engineering firm focused on disaster recovery.

“I’ve been a writer and artist my entire life. Unfortunately, without a degree I was never given the opportunity to prove my value to an employer. Obtaining my associate degree from LSC-CyFair was the launching pad I needed to be able to command the salary I deserved,” she said.

Earning his own LSC-CyFair associate of science degree this May was Charley’s son, King Javier. He began in LSC-CyFair’s homeschool Dual Credit program during the pandemic, played the oboe in the orchestra and even had a class with one of his mom’s professors. Now he plans to pursue a bachelor’s in accounting at the University of Houston, get a master’s in finance and become a CPA.

“LSC-CyFair helped both of us come out of our shells and step into leadership roles we would never have had the courage to take otherwise,” she said. “For the first time in my life I have a career, not a job. My son is also on his way to having a meaningful career. We have been forever changed by our experiences at LSC-CyFair.”

Adam Eiler

May 2023: While Adam Eiler has been a biology professor at the Lone Star College-Cypress Center since 2016, he is also a marathon runner, and this year, during spring break, he reached his personal goal of becoming a Seven Continents Club® member upon completion of a marathon run in Antarctica.

“It was worth running 26 miles on a hilly, rocky, muddy course in the cold and gusty winds to finally reach this personal goal,” he said. “It is immensely satisfying to accomplish what so few in the world have done.”

According to the Marathon Tours and Travel site, only 578 men and 305 women have successfully completed a marathon on all 7 continents.

Adam’s passion for teaching began when he was a small animal veterinarian instructing clients about their pet’s health in the examination room. With a background in veterinary medicine, he transitioned to teaching biological sciences, with an emphasis on Anatomy and Physiology as well as Microbiology, for students seeking careers in allied health.

Running began as a fitness goal in which Adam ran the 5k Rockets Run followed with the Houston Marathon, as bucket list item to do before age 40. He went on to complete the Six Star Abbott World Marathon Majors (New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo) as his first personal goal.

“Personally, the impact of running destinations both domestic and abroad, aside from the sense of accomplishment, is experiencing and gaining an appreciation for other cultures and diversity,” he said. “Professionally, this is beneficial in my interactions with a diverse student population in my classroom. Hopefully my students are motivated and inspired by my travels, not necessarily to run marathons but rather to appreciate it's never too late to try something new, to set and achieve goals, and to pursue one's passion.”

What’s next? Perhaps running all 50 U.S. States, he said. In the meantime, he will be in the classroom continuing to serve as a guide for his students on their educational journey, doing his best to present content in ways that relate to their daily lives and to prepare them for future academic and career success.

Yvette Rodriguez

April 2023: Seeking a career in which she could do what she loved – reading, writing and storytelling – became a reality for Yvette Rodriguez after raising three children, working 10 years with Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District and enrolling at LSC-CyFair in the fall of 2018.

“I love that a career in communication is both challenging and rewarding, allows me to be creative, to meet new people and form new relationships, all while remaining interesting and allowing me to do exactly what I love every day,” said Yvette, who works in business development remotely for Gilbert Garcia Group, P.A, a Florida law firm.

As a young single mother, she put college on hold and began working as an elementary school receptionist in CFISD in 2012. This job provided stability and opportunities for growth. A couple years later, she joined the Communication Department’s team where her experiences confirmed her passion for a communications career. Four years later, with encouragement from CFISD leadership and her family, it was time to pursue an education.

LSC-CyFair was a financial and logistical option that enabled her to maintain a full-time job just down the street from her children, which Yvette said gave her peace of mind.

“Had I not had the convenience of LSC-CyFair and the flexibility of taking evening classes, I probably would not be where I am today,” she said. “During my time at Lone Star, I had fantastic, driven peers and met many wonderful and caring professors, who were genuinely invested in my success.”

Yvette took advantage of campus tutoring and resources, study areas, the bookstore, and professors who she added went above and beyond to meet with her before or after class whenever extra help was needed.

“I appreciate the campus’ diversity, culture, leadership, academics, and overall excellence as they’ve significantly contributed to my personal, professional and academic success,” she said.

This LSC-CyFair alum, who graduated Cum Laude with an associate degree in 2022, is currently pursuing a University of Houston Bachelor of Arts degree in Strategic Communication with an Integrated Communication Concentration.

Nicole Smith

March 2023: Going to college, earning multiple degrees, and having a career in education were goals of Nicole Smith since she was in elementary school. Her success in achieving these goals began at LSC-CyFair in 2015 and now eight years later, she has returned to continue impacting the lives of students, serving as a Specialist III in The Honors College at LSC-CyFair.

“As a first-generation college student, the scholarships and opportunities I received during my time in The Honors College opened many doors in my academic and professional careers and helped shape me into the person I am today,” said Nicole, who created meaningful experiences for students of her own as a Katy ISD elementary school teacher for nearly three years. “Looking for a change, I remembered how much of a family I had in The Honors College when I was a student, and I wanted to continue growing that, in a new role. For me, this experience coming full circle is so fulfilling! I feel like l am at home.”

While earning an Honors Associate of Arts degree at LSC-CyFair, she learned many things in The Honors College, such as how to read for research purposes, properly conduct extensive research and put those skills into practice in the classroom and in conference presentations. In addition, these valuable skills culminated in a Capstone research experience to Italy.

Nicole also served as an officer of the Future Professional Educators Club and was a student representative of the Association of Texas Professional Educators and the Young Education Society (YES) Texas! Advisory Council.

Helping fund her LSC-CyFair education, Nicole received the Honors College Chancellor’s Fellows Award, the St. Aidan’s Church Endowment, and the President’s List Award. After graduating in 2017, she transferred to Sam Houston State University, where she was an active member of the Elliot T. Bowers Honors College and received nearly a dozen more scholarships. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2019 and was part of the 4+1 TEACH program (a fully funded Master of Education), which she graduated from in 2020.

“These awards not only allowed me to pursue a college education - something I previously thought, as a first-generation college student, were not possible for me - but they also paved the way to form valuable connections with friends, professors and mentors,” she said. “My advice? Have the courage to follow your heart and take advantage of great opportunities that come your way academically and professionally.”

Luis Diego Zelaya

February 2023: Interested in entering the workforce quickly and a goal of a healthcare career with plenty of opportunities for growth, Luis Diego Zelaya chose to enroll in LSC-CyFair’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.

“There will always be something new to learn in this field,” said this full-time ultrasound technologist. “If you go into healthcare, you won't have to worry about getting ‘stuck’ at your entry level position. There will always be room to reach higher accolades. As long as you put in work, demonstrate leadership qualities, and never become complacent, the sky is the limit.”

He describes diagnostic imaging as a “challenging but very rewarding puzzle.” There are clues, such as a patient’s lab work, history, etc., to help put pieces together and figure out the patient’s ailment, which could be life-threatening so there’s no room for error, he said. Ultrasound techs serve as "the eyes" for the doctor and it’s their responsibility to find out what the patient is suffering from, for example, a ruptured ectopic pregnancy or that deep vein thrombosis.

“The LSC-CyFair experience was a tough, but fulfilling one …. With the training I received from my professors, I feel very ready and capable of taking on any ultrasound case.”

“Now I get to work an important, highly technical and highly specialized job. You never know what case you'll get so you always have to be prepared for whatever walks through that ER door. It's fun, exciting, challenging and rewarding all at the same time,” he continued.

In May 2022, he completed what he set out to do at LSC-CyFair. In addition to being a Feldman Family Scholarship recipient, he graduated with both an associate degree and a certificate in Vascular Technology and the next month he got a job at HCA Northwest (his last clinical site). With plans to keep improving his scanning and pathology recognition skills, he is currently studying to be certified in pediatrics.

Joshua Lopez

January 2023: Describing poetry as a way of engaging the world, LSC-CyFair Adjunct English Faculty Joshua Lopez’s debut collection “We Borrowed Gentleness” was recently published by Alice James Books with a review and additional praises at Poetry Magazine.

“It is such a monumental achievement for any poet, their first collection,” said Joshua, who has previously had some of his poems appear in anthologies as well as published in “The New Yorker”, “Ploughshares” and “The Rumpus” to name a few. “Now that this collection is in the world, I feel both pride - located less in myself, and more so in the poems - and an eagerness to begin something new."

In addition, he hopes readers will take away from his book a favorite poem to share with a friend or beloved.

Since he was a child, Joshua has loved poetry; however, he said he didn’t know about contemporary poetry, or become a serious student and writer of poetry, until his undergraduate years.

“I was drawn to that poetic paradox of communicating something at once new and yet somehow remembered - something that has the urgency of discovery but the resonance of an old truth,” he said.

In 2021, he completed the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, which he said was a phenomenal experience. That fall he began teaching LSC-CyFair students, including Dual Credit students at Cypress Woods High School.

“What I like most about teaching at a community college is the variety of lived experiences of the students. People from all walks of life matriculate through community colleges heading in all kinds of directions. It's wonderful to stand at the intersection of those movements and help all of my students form a deeper understanding of the rhetoric that they use and encounter.”