This month, we spotlight Cameron Burns, an LSC-North Harris student who has lived in East Texas his whole life. Originally from Fennet, TX, Burns and his family moved to the Houston area when his father was hired for a job.

“My greatest influence was my parents' work ethic,” Burns shared. “My mother is an oncology nurse at MD Anderson who puts all of her passion into bringing care to people who need it the most. My father is the Director of Safety and Risk Assessment for AirGas, whose work keeps the oil and gas industry safe and efficient. Both of my parents' work taught me the value and fragility of human life.”

Growing up in Katy, TX, Burns graduated from Obra D. Tompkins High School in 2022. He made the decision to enroll at LSC-North Harris in the fall semester.

“My Grandfather passed away in 2021 from complications with COVID,” Burns remembered. “He was the primary caretaker for my quadriplegic grandmother. His sudden death meant that my father had to fill his shoes as my grandmother's primary caretaker. For a year, my father had to balance a full-time job with taking care of his mother. I chose LSC North Harris because it is 15 minutes away from my grandmother's house, and it would enable me to continue my education and spend more time with my grandmother and father.”

Due to his interest in forensics, Burns originally enrolled to take his core classes in order to earn his degree in criminal science. That was until he took his second American History class with Professor Maria Donaire-Cirsovius. History, as it turns out, never failed to intrigue him.

“History has an interesting way of contextualizing the world around us,” Burns mused. “I grew exponentially in Professor Donair’s class with her specialized format of teaching. Instead of your normal history class going through history chronologically via PowerPoint presentations, Professor Donair's class was created around discussions and historiography (the different interpretations of historical events). I fell in love with this personalized explanation of history, as well as the community it built with other like-minded individuals. After realizing that history spoke to me like no other study had before, I declared my major as History.”

As a student at LSC-North Harris, Burns is proud to be part of the Big Ideas Crew, which was born out of his disappointment in not being able to continue discussions that originated in class. Burns wanted a way to continue having fruitful dialogues. The Big Ideas Crew is student-driven, meaning the students have full control over what the focus of the club will be. It has grown from three history majors to over 50 active members that include faculty and students.

“This group has been the highlight of my week for the past year and a half,” Burns shared, “and I know when I transfer, I will create something similar there. Building a community has been the most gratifying and fulfilling experience I have ever had.”

Believing that college is supposed to work for the student is one of the reasons Burns says he loves LSC. The faculty in the social science department has been a critical resource for him. Burns credits Professors Donaire-Cirsovius and Jon R. Wilson with helping him become the person he is today.

“Without the Social Science Department's help there would be no Big Ideas Crew, I wouldn’t be a historian, I would be a completely different person,” Burns said. “Lone Star College has irreversibly changed me for the better and put me on a path I can be proud of.”

To his fellow students, Burns shares these words of encouragement.

“Soak up the campus and all that it has to offer,” Burns share. “Find something you love and engage with it every opportunity you get. Join a club and make friends with people who have similar interests to you. Find who you are and don’t make compromises.  Most importantly, understand that there is no right or wrong way to approach college. Everyone's experience is different; make yours memorable by taking pride in your decisions and moving forward with confidence.”