The First Latina President of San Marcos’ Palomar College Shows How Representation Matters
Perseverance
…Statistics…was one class that I saw it more than once; let’s put it that way. If I had let Statistics beat me…and I promise you now with the privilege of being the superintendent/president, nobody comes up to me and says to me, ‘How many times did you not pass your Statistics class?’ —Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey
Not so long ago, she was a student at a community college; today, she is the president of one.
“I tell everybody I’m a proud product of a community college. I am proof that community colleges work,” Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey, the Superintendent/President of Palomar College, told North County Informador.
Still, like for many of her students today, the path forward wasn’t always smooth. “When you come from a low-income, first-generation background, you have the thought and the idea of the importance of education, but you may not know how to get there,” she said.
Born and raised in Oceanside, Dr. Rivera-Lacey says she is now giving back to the community. The daughter of Salvadoran parents, she feels fortunate that her family valued an education. Her parents took some English classes at Palomar College, so she has photos of herself on campus as a child. Today, as the first Latina president in the 75-year history of Palomar College, she feels she has come full circle.
Community college opened the door for her. “I used to always think that college was expensive.” Then, she learned about programs that offer assistance for students. Today, she has her PhD, thanks to the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), which has helped her and thousands of others with their education. “For a lot of people, going to college is a daunting experience,” she says. Palomar works with these programs to help people overcome these fears.
Dr. Rivera-Lacey says Palomar helps students find a path to the future. “I was so happy that I engaged with the community college previous to a four-year institution because it gave me the ability to explore in a very safe environment,” she told us.
“A livable wage is very, very important to us. We see education as a path out of poverty that opens up opportunities. Most importantly, too, to give back to the community… I’m giving back to my community that I was raised in.”
Bridging the Gaps
One way Palomar backs student success is in seeing beyond the classroom. “It’s all the other wraparound services that are vital to help students, particularly in a community-college setting,” she explained. “We want to make sure that we have a whole robust support system for them to move forward, in addition to financial aid.”
Beyond scholarships, Palomar offers health services, mental health services, food pantries, diaper agencies, and free textbooks.
“I think over the past 10 years, there’s been a shift in understanding of what it is a student needs to be successful,” said the president.
Covid highlighted that shift in understanding. During the pandemic, “We also provided a lot of the support services by providing laptops, WiFi hotspots for students to be able to get onto the Internet, to be able to participate in courses…” Today, Palomar is holding on to what it learned through improved accessibility for all, including offering both face-to-face and hybrid courses.
Another goal is to make sure students have a clear education plan and know what they want to achieve. Palomar helps them stay focused on completion and understand the career outlook for the path they may choose, “so that folks can be as informed as possible as they move forward.”
Dr. Rivera-Lacey believes that it is never too late. “We’ve had experiences where the student came, the son or the daughter came through the process and then, later on, the parent did.” Siblings also share their experience with their families, she told us.
All these programs underscore her commitment to closing equity gaps. “I’m looking at the student population; does it reflect the community population?” she asks. “And, as we know, it does not.” She is fighting for reform in this regard. “How do we remove the barriers to help students be able to be successful?” she asks.
She also holds a special place in her heart for DACA students. “Every time that they go and they contribute to the tax base, when they go to the grocery store, they put money into the system. And most importantly, this is a place where they have space and a right to be here.”
Never Give Up
Dr. Rivera-Lacey reminds students that their quest for education starts with one step. “I think the biggest part would be, do not give up…Although it’s not a straight line, you may have some difficulties, it’s an investment.…One step in front of the other, and I promise you that the investment will pay off.”
She and her team work to make the admissions process as open as possible. “If you show up, if you call us, on our website, we have folks here that will help you go through that process.” Help in Spanish is also available. “We really try to make sure that folks see representation of themselves when they come on to campus…communicate in the language that they’re most comfortable in…”
Representation is paramount for Dr. Rivera-Lacey. At the 2022 Commencement, she gave her introduction in both English and Spanish, with the goal of being inclusive. “Just as a show to our family members and our community out there … we are inclusive. You have a home here. Palomar es su casa.”
She lives her passion outside the school walls as well, at the national, local, and personal level. She will soon be joining the board of the National Community College Hispanic Council, which she says was critical in her becoming a college president.
She also works the grassroots level, reaching out to prospective students from all backgrounds, including migrant students. “I want everybody to have this gift wherever it is that I go, so I will never turn down an opportunity to talk about the difference a community-college education can make,” she said.
Seeing Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey in her position, other Latinas may find a role model, even when she doesn’t necessarily promote that aspect. She teared up with emotion when she told us that, at commencement this year, a Latina student whispered to her, “I’ve never seen a Latina as college president.” She says she realizes at times like that how much representation matters.
Dr. Rivera-Lacey believes that role models can come from all over the community.
“It takes a village. It takes an absolute community because at different points in time, the right person came at the right time… some of my biggest role models were women that haven’t finished sixth grade.” She says her mother was her greatest role model for not letting her give up. “She would always say, ‘just keep going’.”
Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey’s Community College Success Story
[When I was a student], I had to make a decision between going to take my final or running out of gas, and let’s put it this way: I ran out of gas. So, there were real difficult times. … A girlfriend of mine who now has her doctorate degree… we used to … figure out who had the most gas in their car … She had this…green truck that was so old. And when I would sit in the passenger side, if I moved the… floormat, I could literally see the street. And I thought, Ay, Dios mío, I’m going to fall through the seat… That was a moment in time that is not my reality anymore. The only difference between that moment in time and this is that I went to school.
