Rachel Skinner

December 2024: A career in the healthcare field recently became a reality for Rachel Skinner, a 2024 LSC-CyFair graduate, who is now a registered nurse at Texas Health Resources in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I was drawn to the healthcare field because I love being able to support people when they're going through difficult things,” said Rachel, who knew since high school that healthcare was in her future, just not what capacity. “And now I find so much joy in being able to bring a smile to our patients’ faces.”

Rachel’s journey to a dream job began in a Health Promotion Program in Canada. Then when she moved to Houston, she volunteered at an animal shelter prepping instruments for surgeries which sparked a new interest in surgery. This led her to earning degrees first in LSC-Tomball’s Surgical Technology Program and then in LSC-CyFair’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program.

“I chose LSC-CyFair for their nursing program because of the high NCLEX pass rates and I had heard that LSC-CyFair was very rigorous and well regarded,” she said. “Aside from the hands-on nursing skills, I also learned how to advocate for myself and others. I became more confident in myself and trusted my judgement more.”

In addition to modeling the kind of nurse she wanted to be, Rachel said many instructors were kind, compassionate, encouraging and passionate about nursing. They were open to questions and provided guidance as students practiced skills and experienced different nursing specialties. Personal highlights of the program for Rachel included receiving helpful faculty and classmate feedback on her healthcare resume, learning the importance of utilizing self-care and taking time for hobbies; and making life-long friends.

“LSC-CyFair greatly impacted my success,” said Rachel. “The support and advice I received from instructors was invaluable to me.”

Now Rachel is enjoying working in an environment with a strong emphasis on teamwork, in a field that is constantly evolving and technology is top notch; and where she continues learning about how the human body works.

“I love being in the OR because I find surgery amazing. I love getting to see different surgeries and I love being able to comfort patients who are nervous about surgery."

Marco Chacon

November 2024: Focused on a marine biology career since he was an 8-year-old growing up near the ocean in Venezuela, Marco Chacon, a first-generation college graduate, earned his Lone Star College-CyFair Associate of Science Degree in Biology in 2018 and a Texas A&M University at Galveston Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.

For Marco, like so many who had to pivot paths to success, the pandemic lockdown allowed him to explore other options, such as in the home-remodeling industry, and ultimately to find Skyblack Rentals, where he is a Key Account Manager. For the last three years he has helped grow this local company, which provides equipment rental to construction and industrial contractors to successfully complete projects like hospitals, schools, airport expansions, apartment homes, infrastructure work and even conservation projects, he said.

“I quite enjoy creating and nurturing business-to-business relationships through networking, presentations and creative problem solving,” said Marco. “The skills attained through my academic journey help me adapt and expand my knowledge and expertise in sales, business management, team building, financial roles and more.”

In addition, he said he frequently uses public speaking skills and interpersonal relations largely learned and developed during his time in The Honors College at LSC-CyFair. While at LSC-CyFair, he participated in Service Learning as a Chemistry tutor and volunteer at the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition, was involved with Phi Theta Kappa, and presented research projects through The Honors College at several conferences.

A recipient of the Dr. Richard G. Carpenter Endowed Scholarship and several Honors-related scholarships, Marco said the financial support enabled him to focus on coursework and research, and hold multiple leadership roles within The Honors College, such as Executive Officer of Leadership, Delegate at the National Model United Nations and Project Manager at the Leadership Development Program, to name a few.

“My time at LSC-CyFair gave me a much greater sense of cultural awareness,” he said. “And the skills learned there have allowed me to understand and proactively engage in learning new skills for my business career.”

Marco added that LSC-CyFair not only prepared for him for future success, but it's where he also made and furthered unique connections that turned into professional or academic resources and friendships.

In addition, he was able to share this experience with his high-school sweetheart and now wife, Nicole.

Julissa Guajardo

October 2024: An academic path that started at LSC-CyFair in 2018 has led Julissa Guajardo full circle to working as a multimedia coordinator in the campus’s Learning, Engagement and Development (LED) Center and a goal to one day lead the college’s Video and Post-Production program.

Julissa’s passion for videography was discovered in a freshman high school audio/video production class where foundational technical knowledge and video editing skills were gained and used for freelance work, short films and documentaries.

“I've always loved having fun with my visual imagination while reading and writing, so I used video to be able to produce the pictures in my mind and build out meaningful stories,” said this first-generation college student, feminine, person of color. “I am ready, willing and working toward expanding the Houston Film/Media Industry and I couldn't think of a better place for me to have started than at LSC-CyFair.”

While earning the first of two associate degrees, Julissa helped with the family business as a server and a multimedia creator (of logo, signs, a web site, etc.) at the restaurant in addition to working other part-time jobs to pay for school and bills.

Classmates became best friends who collaborate on projects while building their portfolios and gaining confidence in their skills. College professors provided the community, guidance, support and help to define a unique writing style, improve video production skills and get hired in 2022 as a Video Production Technician at LSC-Tomball.

In 2024, Julissa returned to LSC-CyFair in February to work with the LED team and by May, the LSC Associate of Applied Science in Video and Post Production was achieved. Now the pursuit of a bachelor's in communication with a major in Film/Media Studies degree at University of Houston's Valenti School of Communication is underway.

“I took the LSC motto ‘Start Close, Go Far’ pretty seriously, especially when it came to finding a way to jumpstart my career. As a student, I was able to receive such an invigorating experience and I got curious as to how it all comes together, the same reason why I'm a filmmaker,” Julissa said. “Now in LED, I am so grateful that I get to use my unique set of creative skills within a positive, inclusive work environment that invigorates me to be my best self.”

Mialee Wood

September 2024: Proving you can work and earn an associate degree at the same time is 2024 Lone Star College-CyFair graduate Mialee Wood, who is now off to start the next chapter of her success story at Brigham Young University-Idaho in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

“I enjoy writing and telling stories and getting to know people from different backgrounds. I hope to be able share stories that would otherwise be left unwritten to the public,” said this future world-traveling journalist.

Mialee got a head start on her college career as an LSC-CyFair Dual Credit student. Then while working as an assistant aquatics coordinator at the YMCA, this communications major was able to complete her core courses before transferring to a four-year university. In addition to getting a degree while saving money, she said LSC-CyFair provided flexibility with numerous class options (online, evening, and weekend) and small class sizes allowing for one-on-one help with engaging professors.

“I’d lifeguard in the early, early mornings, have two or three hours off, and then be back in the evenings and work late,” she said.  “Having online classes, if I was working all day, I knew I could just log on, work at my own pace and submit it whenever the deadline came up. And when taking evening classes after work, I’d see campus security patrolling, so I felt completely safe walking to my car at night.”

During her LSC-CyFair experience, Mialee said she learned time management and meeting deadlines. She also took advantage of different options to communicate with and get assistance as needed from professors, such as texts, email, phone, web ex and virtual office hours.

“I wouldn't have achieved my academic goals if it wasn't for LSC-CyFair. The faculty and staff truly care about your success and want to help if you are willing to put in the work,” she added. “My professor went above and beyond to help me master concepts I was struggling with in math.”

Mialee also said for her, math and science would need to be taken on campus, but felt confident she could do everything else online. All the flexible options LSC-CyFair offered were helpful to fit school in with whatever work schedule. However, one piece of advice she offers is to “be smart about classes you’re taking and know your strengths and weaknesses.”

Virginia Kelley

August 2024: Proving dreams don’t have limits, Virginia Kelley earned her Lone Star College-CyFair associate degree at the age of 76, and now plans to continue her college journey in pursuit of a liberal arts bachelor’s degree.   

Becoming a college graduate was not easy for Virginia, who was a high school dropout as a 10^th-grader “because I thought I knew it all”, she said. While raising her family in Buffalo, New York, her 7-year-old son questioned why he had to go to school if she had quit, she decided to get her GED and the dream of going to college began. When they moved to Massachusetts, she got a job working in electronics and was able to take four classes at Northeastern University before “life took a left turn on me. I had to drop out. But I never forgot my dream.”

College remained on hold with a move to Texas to help raise her grandchildren until 2013 when she enrolled at LSC-CyFair. Virginia said she had to learn to use a computer and still has a hard time. Between family and work, she could only take one class at a time. She said it wasn’t easy, but persisted with gratitude for her family’s support, including her sister Rose Watson, and all the LSC-CyFair staff and professors who helped her throughout the years.

Then this past May, she walked across the stage to receive her degree as a member of LSC-CyFair’s Class of 2024, the largest in the college’s 20-year history with more than 3,600 graduates.

“It was all I could do not to cry. It took me 11 years, but I finally made it,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience.”

As Virginia prepares to return to the classroom on the path to another degree, she is encouraging her sister, who is 66 years young, to get her GED and her own degree.

In addition, Virginia offers this advice to students of today: “Your education is something no one can take from you. It will be with you for the rest of your life and help you through a lot of bumps in the road you are on. Stay strong. Keep working. It won’t be easy, but you will win.”

Estefania Palacios

July 2024: Excited to begin her career as an attorney, a privilege and a responsibility she said she doesn’t take lightly, is 2016 Lone Star College-CyFair graduate Estefania Palacios, who is now advocating for justice and making a positive impact in the field of employment and labor law, as well as consumer rights.

Born and raised in Ecuador, she moved on her own to Houston after high school to continue her education and found a college that felt like home at LSC-CyFair. She started her college journey in developmental classes, learned resilience and perseverance, made friends who are an enduring source of support and joy and graduated with high honors and a full ride to Cornell University.

While at LSC-CyFair, she was a leader in several student clubs and took advantage of opportunities (to travel, present research, participate in leadership workshops and network) as well as the support, guidance and mentorship of faculty and staff. In addition to working as a Student Ambassador (assisting others with starting their educational journeys), she was a member of the Honors College at LSC-CyFair (which broadened her horizons and deepened her passion for learning) and Phi Theta Kappa (with research and intentional community service opportunities instilled a strong sense of social responsibility).

“LSC-CyFair was a transformative experience filled with incredible opportunities. It challenged me in all the right ways,” said Estefania, who also earned several scholarships, such as the Didwell-Liebling Opportunity Scholarship. “Overall, my time at LSC-CyFair was enriching and full of growth, equipping me with the skills and confidence to pursue my goals.”

After earning her Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School in 2023, she moved to California, passed the bar exam there and is now an associate at Olivier & Schreiber LLP, a boutique civil litigation firm focused on protecting the rights of workers and consumers.

“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Lone Star College. There's no other way to put it. LSC-CyFair gave me a strong academic foundation, the confidence to believe in myself and was instrumental in shaping my future,” she said. “Now, 8 years later, here I am, embarking on my law career with gratitude for the start LSC-CyFair provided me.”

Jingtong Huang

June 2024: Math has been her favorite subject since she was a young child and now Jingtong Huang, an LSC-CyFair 2017 Summa Cum Laude graduate, works in applied mathematics daily as a Research Assistant at Texas A&M University engaged in Modal Analysis.

“I enjoy working with scholars from different fields to solve different cases,” said Jingtong, whose career goal was to work in an academia field. “I wanted to be able to utilize what I have learned in my everyday job. I also enjoy helping others learn and understand math, so that their fear of math can be dissolved.”

The first in her family to attend college, Jingtong became a member of Phi Theta Kapa and The Honors College at LSC-CyFair.  With guidance from her professor Preeti Singh on an Honors Math project to present at conference, she learned how to brainstorm ideas, research different topics and be a better problem solver.

In addition, as a volunteer at the Gulf Coast Regional Science Olympiad for middle- and high-school teams hosted annually at LSC-CyFair, Jingtong served as proctor and grader at the competition and verified final scores.

“I volunteered because I love seeing the creative minds of the students when each group comes up with their own ways to solve the problem,” she said.

Continuing her own passion for math and problem solving, Jingtong earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin along with an Applied Statistical Modeling Certificate, a Scientific Computation and Data Sciences Certificate and The Elements of Computing Certificate in 2020. Two years later she finished her Master of Science in Mathematics with a focus on applied mathematics at Texas A&M University. In addition, she was part of Dr. Goong Chen’s team working on modal analysis that published four papers in the “Journal of Geometric Analysis.”

“LSC-CyFair gave me a strong foundation to build on as I took more advanced courses at UT-Austin and A&M,” she said.  “The faculty has a true passion on what they do at LSC-CyFair, so don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. They will do whatever they can to help you succeed.”

Melisa Mendieta

May 2024: Not only did Melisa Mendieta learn English and earn a second degree at Lone Star College-CyFair, but an internship changed her career focus from marketing to logistics and now she serves as Project Coordinator at UTC Overseas.

Melisa had already earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management in Columbia when she moved to the U.S. and enrolled in LSC-CyFair’s ESOL program (which she completed in December 2022).  By the time she graduated in May 2023, she also had an LSC-CyFair Associate Degree in Marketing with a Business Administration Specialization and Certificate in Business Operations as well as logistics job.

Thanks to a professor’s guidance and colleague connection at UTC Overseas, she began interning as an account assistant in September 2022. Three-months later she accepted the company’s offer for her full-time role, in which she is part of the process of moving and transporting cargo all around the world.

“Logistics was an industry that was out of my comfort zone and way off my radar but ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made,” said Melisa. “My LSC-CyFair course in problem solving and business management has also helped me succeed in my current position.”   

“I really enjoy being able to take part in moving different types and sizes of cargo from one country to another that in the end builds out to an entire facility,” she continued. “It is a sense of mass accomplishment seeing all the pieces come together like a huge puzzle.”

In February 2024, she attended LSC-CyFair’s Project Logistics Road Tour (a full day of networking and gaining insights into the world of logistics directly from industry experts) as a vendor. Her goal was to help students see the many roles and working parts of the logistics industry as well as show there are women in leadership in logistics making a huge impact in this field.

“To return to the college I graduated from was a huge accomplishment for me personally. At this point I noticed a lot of my hard work during school has paid off and I can now spread my knowledge and experience with others interested in this industry. And to be a female in the logistics industry is actually very rewarding.”

Wade Brasher

April 2024: The path to a fulfilling career is not always a straight line as Wade Brasher, now an Interventional Radiologic Technologist can attest to, and who adds, that without LSC-CyFair’s Medical Radiologic Technology (MRT) program, he’s not sure what his future would have looked like.

Wade’s academic path began at Texas State University (TSU) and taking LSC-CyFair summer classes. Unhappy with his biology major, he returned to Houston where he earned an LSC-CyFair associate degree in 2015 and attempted TSU a second time, only to leave again.

Working whatever jobs he could just to get by – food service, cashier, warehousing, even overnight security – he said “I remember one morning, going in for my 6 a.m. warehousing shift here in Houston, and thinking to myself, ‘I don’t want to be doing this when I’m in my 30’s.’”

That night he researched LSC-CyFair’s workforce programs and found radiology. Knowing what his end-goal was post-graduation in a program with a success rate of graduates finding a job, and staying employed, solidified his decision to get his career going at LSC-CyFair. He was accepted in 2020 for the MRT program as an alternate.

The program was challenging with long study nights, homework and textbook reading, stressful exams and clinicals. It was also a great experience, with support of family, tremendous faculty and classmates, who became really good friends and later colleagues.

“The radiology lab on campus was amazing. Being able to simulate different clinical scenarios and get immediate feedback from faculty and peers was instrumental in our success. Rotating to a different hospital or clinic, each with their own unique equipment and protocols and the variance of exams we got to see, was invaluable to growing our skills and knowledge as students.”

After graduating top of his MRT class in 2022 and passing his state exam, Wade was hired at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital where he enjoyed doing diagnostic imaging in the X-ray department. Six months later, he moved to the Interventional Radiology (IR) department working alongside vascular surgeons and neurosurgeons, assisting with dialysis catheter placement and then working to stop an abdominal bleed or stroke.

“Working in IR has been fantastic, much more fulfilling for me. It’s been great to grow and expand my skill set so quickly from graduation.”

Jason Corthell

March 2024: A fourth-generation firefighter and award-winning fire educator, Jason Corthell earned his Lone Star College-CyFair Associate Degree in Fire Science Technology in 2013 and is a graduate of the college’s second Fire Academy class.

He is also a U.S. Marine Corp veteran with more than 15 years of experience in fire services having previously worked with the both the Cypress Creek Fire Department (CCFD) and Pearland Fire Department.

Today, Jason, with a calm and approachable demeanor, serves as CCFD’s Division Chief of Training and one of LSC-CyFair’s Fire Sciences Department Skills Instructor (since 2016). He was also recently honored with the 2024 George M. Hughes Texas Instructor of the Year Award at the Texas Association of Fire Educators Conference.

“(LSC-CyFair’s Fire Academy) gave me the foundation for literally everything I do in the fire service. The training I received at LSC-CyFair has enabled me to replicate the same passion and drive my instructors had to young firefighters I have the opportunity to train.”

Returning to work in the same building he "grew up" in is surreal at times and seeing his class flag hanging in the hall brings up amazing memories that will last a lifetime. He added that he will also cherish forever working alongside those who taught him so many years ago.

“The most impactful aspect of returning as faculty was being able to watch them work as an instructor up close and personal and to learn from them now as a peer instead of a student.”

Jason said the greatest success stories he has are not of his own professionally, but rather those of shaking hands with academy graduates once they are hired, seeing them out on response calls and having the opportunities to talk shop with one another.

Not knowing what each day holds still intrigues Jason. He describes the job as an absolute calling - unlike any other that gives a person pride in serving the people of their community.

“I strive to not only make better students and firefighters, but most of all better people. The ability to contribute to someone's growth in a profession that has so much to offer is second to none and I do not take that lightly.”

Alejandra Torres

February 2024: Looking forward to what is yet to come, Alejandra Torres said she is grateful for the support of her Lone Star College-Westway Park Technology Center professors as well as her classmates in LSC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) Program in Cybersecurity.

“LSC-Westway Park feels like family. Being part of the (BAT Cybersecurity) accelerated cohort means the people in my class will be in the same classes together now till graduation. We will help each other and look out for one another,” she said.

While pursuing her Cybersecurity Associate of Applied Science Degree, which she earned in 2023, Alejandra said being in the classes of Professors Dr. Melinda Wilson, Greg Lindstrom and Dustin Sachs reinforced her decision to pursue a career in the evolving field of cybersecurity.  She said Dr. Wilson’s vast knowledge and experience was insightful and she learned something new every day in her class. She described Cybersecurity Division Chair Professor Lindstrom as passionate about what he does and said his classes were always interesting and full of energy. And she added that Professor Sachs’s class not only challenged her thinking, making her think like a cybersecurity professional, but showed her that everything in the world is connected.

In the last semester of her associate program, Alejandra applied for a summer internship at ABM (that Dr. Wilson shared with her students) and was chosen among more than 100 applications to work with ABM’s Security Operations team. She not only gained new cybersecurity knowledge related to threat detection management platforms as well as remediation and incident response techniques, but “I learned to embrace networking and mentorship for professional growth.”

With her AAS earned in May 2023, the hands-on experience from the two-month internship on her resume and the May 2024 BAT graduation right around the corner, Alejandra said she feels confident and prepared for the next step toward success as a cybersecurity professional.

“Lone Star has changed my life completely and given me so many opportunities that I would not have had otherwise. It has been one the best choices I have made,” said Alejandra, who is currently applying for jobs in the Information Technology field.

Seth Mejia

January 2024: Seth Mejia found his passion for neuroscience and a career path to becoming a physician-scientist through his experience as a student in The Honors College at Lone Star College-CyFair.

He enrolled full-time at LSC-CyFair with the Presidential Scholar Award through The Honors College at LSC after graduating from Cy Woods High School as a Dual Credit student.

“As a student who pays for their own college, it was a blessing to not have to work during my time at LSC and purely focus on being a student and taking care of my mom (who later passed from Leukemia),” said Seth, who became involved in the Honors College Leadership Program as well as the National Model United Nations and Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge teams.

His introduction to research was with an Honors Biology Research Project on the anesthetic gases as potential contributors to global warming. Later a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Rice University in the Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities Lab sparked an interest in neuroscience. Working with those affected by Alzheimer's disease inspired him to learn more about the brain. REU is an opportunity students get through participation in the LSC, San Jacinto College and Rice University Take Flight STEM Pathway.

Graduating in May 2022 with an Associate of Science Degree with High Honors in Research, Seth transferred to the University of Texas at Austin.

“I believe my experience at LSC-CyFair shaped me to be the student I am today. It was an environment I felt nurtured growth through a close-knit community, small class sizes and caring professors, and it's where I honed my work ethic,” he said. “Furthermore, I really enjoyed the mentorship I received from the professors, particularly Dr. Shaunte Hulett (who teaches honors biology) and Director (of The Honors College at LSC-CyFair) Aurora Lugo. They truly cared for their students and pushed us to be ambitious while supporting us.” 

Seth is currently involved in biomedical research focused on sono-optogenetic technologies at the Wang Lab at the UT-Austin and plans to pursue an MD-PhD combining his love for neuroscience with clinical expertise to make a difference in treating neurodegenerative diseases.