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Since launching Caring Campus, LAPC has focused on empowering employees across departments to model caring behaviors and strengthen everyday student interactions. One such strategy is through an Ambassadors Program, made up of approximately 50 staff members who serve as leaders within their departments by modeling Caring Campus behaviors.
“Caring Campus has been an invitation for our employees to engage differently with students,” Aguiar said. “Many employees have realized they can do more within their roles – not just directing students somewhere, but walking alongside them, having conversations, and creating meaningful connections.”
LAPC capitalizes on the Caring Campus momentum by hosting ongoing orientations for both staff and faculty, highlighting campus behaviors and instructional behaviors that foster welcoming and supportive learning environments.
Those efforts are reflected in the experiences of students across campus, including Early Childhood Education major Esbii Pereira Almanza, who is in her third year at LAPC.
“I had so much trouble finding a college where I could enroll, and when I arrived at Pierce, multiple staff members in the International Students Office took the time to help me through every step,” Pereira Almanza said. “That very first moment of welcoming was what attracted me to this college.”
Pereira Almanza said faculty and staff continued to check in throughout her academic journey, offering guidance, encouragement, and reassurance as she navigated college as an international student.
“One day I was running across campus trying to find my classroom and feeling completely overwhelmed,” Pereira Almanza said. “Then someone from the International Students Office called my name and helped me calm down and get where I needed to go. It was such a relief that someone knew me by name and cared about me. Moments like that, along with professors taking the time to motivate and help me, make me feel like I truly belong here.”
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