Lone Star College-CyFair staff, who serve students and support colleagues, are being recognized for their dedication outstanding service with Staff Excellence Awards.
Receiving campus and system-wide recognition this year are five outstanding LSC-CyFair employees including part-time staff Ricardo Bernabe and full-time staff Evelyn Flores, Celia Harper, Syiya Latson and Danielle Trent.
Since June 2022, Bernabe has been assisting in the Nursing Department with calls, immunization questions, data entry, nursing presentations and more.
“I really like the welcoming and positive atmosphere of our college,” he said. “I’m always excited to get to work. I have a direct impact on our students since I am the person they speak to over the phone and/or in person about nursing requirements and information.”
Flores is a founding staff member who has assisted community college students from all walks of life for two decades. She began as a financial aid loan specialist, later worked with ESOL and Veteran students and has been an academic advisor since 2014 focusing on First Time In College (FTIC) students and those who are adopted or in foster care.
“What I enjoy about my job is playing a pivotal role in supporting, guiding, and empowering students to understand the purposes and goals of higher education and its effects on their lives and personal goals,” she said. “I enjoy seeing students succeed in their academic journey and celebrating their achievements.”
Harper’s 18 years of outstanding behind-the-scenes work at LSC-CyFair is evident in all the successful student, employee and community events, including 12 years of the college’s annual Cy-Fest (for which she serves as Event Project Manager.) Her roles since 2006 include Fine Arts Coordinator for the Center for the Arts, Special Events Coordinator and since 2022 Special Events Manager in the Office of Communications, Outreach and Engagement where she was also the college’s Campus COVID Manager for a year.
“I love the sense of belonging to a collective of individuals who are contributing to the success of our students and our community,” said Harper, a 2009 Staff Excellence Award winner. “We can positively shape the lives of those we encounter, or their perception of our institution, with the work that we do. Hearing how much they enjoyed working with us or our support makes everything I do worthwhile.”
Latson, who is LSC-CyFair’s Call Center Lead, began in 2018 in the Admissions Department and has been providing excellent service since.
“Whether it’s just call to talk about their education or get registered for classes, I get to speak with and meet students from different backgrounds and make a difference in their educational journey in some small way,” she said.
Impacting student success as primarily through her support of LSC-CyFair faculty and staff since 2018, Trent works in the Learning, Engagement, and Development (LED) Center, where she provides instructional media support and resources for success as well exceptional professional development and training opportunities for employees.
“I enjoy the connection I cultivate with others,” said Trent, who previously served on the Professional and Support Staff Association Council. “Whether it's students or colleagues, I enjoy being a resource to all and helping empower them as best as I can.”
For information on the college, go to LoneStar.edu/cyfair. It’s not too late to register for spring classes with multiple Next Start options available. For information, go to LoneStar.edu/regcyfair or LoneStar.edu/nextstartcyfair.