Laura Gonzalez earned her associate of arts and sciences degree through Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) in 2023. She chose WVC because online classes allowed her the flexibility to balance motherhood and full-time employment.
“Making the decision to return to college after taking a 12-year gap was nerve racking,” she said. “However, I quickly realized that WVC was the perfect fit for me.”
Another factor in Laura’s decision was learning about the WVC Foundation’s scholarship program.
“I felt so grateful and relieved when I received the email that I had been chosen to be the recipient of some of these scholarships,” she added. “Having this additional financial support allowed me to worry less about making ends meet and focus more on my academics and achieving my goals.”
One of Laura’s fondest memories as a WVC student was taking an in-person class, as it was her first opportunity to be in a classroom since graduating high school in 2009.
“Once I started talking with Professor Dotzauer, any remaining nerves disappeared,” she said. “It quickly became clear that I was going to enjoy the class and learn a lot. Overall, I appreciated the chance to experience college in person in a way I never had before.”
Laura’s favorite class at WVC was a genetics course which was instructed by Dr. Bobby Johnson.
“Going into the course, I expected to learn about genes and inheritance, but I had no idea it would challenge the way I perceived race and identity,” she said. “The class was more rigorous than others I'd taken prior, but Dr. Johnson was always a message away if I had questions or wanted to further discuss the material.”
WVC prepared Laura for her future goals because it gave her a community who wanted her to succeed. She had the opportunity to be a student while being employed by the college simultaneously, which gave her a unique perspective on the institution.
“One of the things I will always take with me is how encouraging every staff member was whenever they found out I was taking classes,” she added. “Between the flexibility of the classes, the supportive staff, and the scholarship opportunities, I quickly built a strong foundation for my future.”
After graduating from WVC, Laura transferred to Central Washington University (CWU) to pursue her bachelor’s degree.
“During this time, I was working at the financial aid office and met Maria Navarrete, the department supervisor,” Laura said. “She asked all the right questions and cared enough to go out of her way to listen and share her transfer experience.”
Laura currently serves as the program coordinator for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) here at WVC. In this role, she assists incoming college students with a migrant background in navigating their first year of college.
“This program has opened my eyes to all the possibilities and potential that education can be for our community and has planted a seed for my ultimate career,” she said.
A piece of advice Laura gives to WVC students is to stay open to change since college is an opportunity to rewrite who you think you are.
“It's completely okay to realize that your feelings and ideas about certain things no longer stand,” she stated. “Expose yourself to different people and experiences, let people in and never be afraid to share your story- because everything you've been through stands its purpose.”