July 30, 1999
By Ken Pagano
College students don't need to flip coins
or throw darts to explore career options, potential salaries and
family futures. At Southwestern College, Edith Ruvalcaba is there
to introduce students to opportunities inside the Career Center.
"The road to the future is just a tap of the computer mouse
button away," she says. "Nearly seventeen-thousand students
attend this college. That's a lot of mouse-work to help everyone
find the best career path," said Ruvalcaba.
Ruvalcaba is the Southwestern College Outstanding Employee of the Summer Quarter. A SWC employee for more than 11 years, she has helped students overcome challenging coursework assignments in the Tutorial Center. Since 1993, she has served as career center assistant, saying "Tutoring and career planning are one in the same. By taking classes here on campus, I keep myself in touch with my own goals and with the challenges students face. I complete homework assignments, attend class and balance family and work too, so I understand the things students are impacted by and the goals they are looking toward completing." She has her associate degree in secretarial science and recently received certification in Excel. Now she's enrolled in a Windows environment class offered at SWC.
Scott Finn, Career Center coordinator, described Ruvalcaba as enthusiastic, energetic, and service-oriented. "She is an invaluable asset to the center... going well beyond the call of duty every day to assist students find the career path that makes sense for them," he said.
Recently Ruvalcaba devoted her lunch break and several days to personally guide a disabled student through several career path explorations. "She made this student the center of her attention, taking the responsibility herself, insuring his complete satisfaction. They met on three separate occasions to explore career choices and evaluate these assessments."
Gesturing toward a quiet undisturbed computer terminal located across a room stocked with wall-to-wall catalogs, reference books, tables, motivational pictures and posters displaying the most frequently asked questions, "The SWC Career Center is a pot of gold ringing with opportunity," Ruvalcaba said.
"Every student has a particularly unique station, making the learning process for each one just a little bit different, but equally rewarding," she said.
Ruvalcaba guides students through a short mini-series of steps while they feverishly click the mouse pad, devouring facts about different career options.
Suddenly a revelation stretches across the student's face. A smile is all the reward Ruvalcaba needs. "As long as students interact with the resources available to them, to help them plan for their future, whether preparing for university transfer or organizing Technical career strategies, the student is building success, because the student is in control."
"Sometimes all it takes is one step into our center," Ruvalcaba said. "Sometimes it takes two. However many visits it takes a student to realize his or her career goals is why the center is here."
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