SFCC bond benefits students and enriches community
Ihave had the great fortune to have been associated with Santa Fe Community College for nearly 40 years. As a Santa Fe native, I am sure that my story is not unique, and there are elements of it that I’m sure many Santa Feans can relate to.
It began for me in 1980 when the college went by the name of Santa Fe College and had no permanent campus. As a young student, I was pursuing an education, and I was able to earn an associate degree through the college. I eventually received a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate through the College of Santa Fe and The University of New Mexico. Without the availability of a community college in Santa Fe, I may have never begun this educational path.
I began teaching at Santa Fe Community College in the late 1980s. I became a full-time professor at the College of Santa Fe in 2004 and at SFCC in 2008. With the heartbreaking demise of the College of Santa Fe in 2008, Santa Fe Community College has filled an important gap in the educational opportunities available to Santa Fe residents.
In my 30-plus years of experience teaching at SFCC, I have witnessed many wonderful stories unfold as Santa Feans have pursed their dreams and interests and enriched their lives through their educational pursuits. They span a wide range of demographics and backgrounds, such as teen high school students taking college courses as part of their dual-enrollment programs, adults returning to advance or change careers, or seniors seeking to expand their knowledge or develop their artistic talents.
Santa Fe Community College has been a home to many locals and an oasis of learning for our Santa Fe community. We are now blessed with a beautiful campus, which serves more than 15,000 students per year and enriches our community in many other ways.
This is why I urge all Santa Feans to vote on the upcoming SFCC bond issue to support and sustain the college that means so much to current and future students, as well as Santa Fe residents who seek to grow and enrich their lives while living in our special city.
Santa Fe has always been a place where we have valued the arts, open-mindedness and the belief in diversity and individual growth. This is why I have faith that we will continue to nurture and support the jewel that is Santa Fe Community College.
Andrew Lovato, Ph.D., is an associate professor of speech communication at SFCC.