海角直播

Publish Date: Jan. 13, 2025

Rejoice Chavira believes every student has a story, but someone has to stop what they are doing and listen.

As a longtime 海角直播 counselor, department chair, and student advocate, Chavira has been championing success of Roadrunners for more than 20 years, a chapter that will close at the end of the Fall 2024 semester.

鈥淒eciding to retire was a hard decision to make because I really, really love my job,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut my husband has been retired for 10 years now and when the opportunity presented itself and I mentioned it to my husband, he said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 talk about it.鈥欌��

Through that conversation, Chavira continued, the question of 鈥淲hat does the future hold for us?鈥� and soon solidified her decision to spend more time with her husband and growing family. 

Since starting her career in education, Chavira has been the voice of those in need of a hand up by not being afraid to start with the basics when it comes to building relationships. She does this by asking one simple question: 鈥淭ell me about yourself.鈥�

Chavira continued to grow in her field and began developing a strong career footprint in the Inland Empire, first with 海角直播鈥檚 sister college, San Bernardino Valley College, in 1999, before starting at the Yucaipa-based college in January 2002 as a counselor for its EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs department.

Chavira would eventually climb the managerial ladder, but would later transition back into counseling, which she describes as her 鈥渨hy.鈥� 

She credits her success to the strong foundation 海角直播鈥檚 leadership, faculty, and staff have built over the years, all of whom have a similar calling颅鈥攕upporting student success.

 

鈥淚f then-海角直播 President Gloria Macias Harrison hadn鈥檛 seen my potential or my abilities, I wouldn鈥檛 be here today,鈥� said Chavira. 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad that she gave me an opportunity because from there, everyone I鈥檝e worked with 鈥� from Gloria to Dr. Cheryl Marshall to Dr. Kevin Horan and my team 鈥� they all believed in me and my vision, and they all allowed me to pursue that vision.鈥�

鈥淥ur students wouldn鈥檛 be here without the relationships we鈥檝e built with other departments on campus,鈥� she continued. 鈥淓ach of us plays a role in making sure our students are able to graduate and move forward. It takes everybody working together.鈥�

Although this chapter in her story is ending, Chavira hopes to encourage current and future Roadrunners to not let anything stop them from reaching their goals.

鈥淚n life, the more obstacles you can overcome, the stronger you鈥檒l become and the better person you鈥檙e going to be coming out of it,鈥� she said. The 海角直播 community will remember her positive influence on so many.