The classified staff of Rio Hondo College reflect those of all backgrounds and unknown challenges, Laura Verdugo is living proof that dreams do come true and it all started for her at Rio Hondo.

She grew up in So. El Monte and at 17-years-old became a teen mom. For her high school graduation ceremony Verdugo attended with her infant daughter, but while some may not have known is that during that time she was a victim of severe domestic abuse inflicted by her daughter’s father.

Tragically, the father of her daughter was killed by a drive-by shooting – Verdugo is convinced should he had survived she would not be alive today.

As a result, she was left the sole caregiver of her daughter and decided that education was the best gift she can give herself to provide a life her daughter deserved.

Despite being told she was not university material, she earned an associate degree from Rio Hondo College and transferred to USC where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

She began her career at CSULA for a total of 16-years and worked her way to director of the first California Community College MESA program at East Los Angeles College.

She left ELAC with anticipation that she will pursue a master’s degree, and in doing that, she applied to the EOP&S department at Rio Hondo College.

Her intense passion for working with single parents and empowering women of all ages and circumstances has opened Verdugo to the opportunity of joining the Soroptimist International of Whittier – an organization that shares her vision for helping women achieve social and economic empowerment.

Though the challenges were extraordinary as a single parent attending college and receiving cash aid she defied the odds and broke all barriers. She now holds the title, CARE Specialist in the EOP&S department of Rio Hondo College.

Verdugo started her career at Rio Hondo College in 2003. The program is specifically designed for single parents who attend college, many of whom are nontraditional students who experienced domestic abuse, drug addiction, and homelessness, among other challenges that impede them from seeking higher education.

The entire EOP&S / CARE department is just as devoted to assisting single parents.

Verdugo is proud of her colleagues and expressed her gratitude by having this to say “we have an awesome team here at EOP&S / CARE no one can win the game without the whole team.”

Verdugo lifts the spirits of students with words of wisdom and encouragement, students such as, child development major Arlene Lopez, considers her a mentor “she inspires me to be a great leader and to keep working hard towards my education, she always tells me ‘no one can take your education away,’ my life has changed so much since I’ve been in the C.A.R.E. program.”

Verdugo has big plans brewing for the department, “I believe I am in the position that I am supposed to be, this is my life calling. Joining Soroptimist is another avenue to helping women achieve their goals, I’m really excited about being able to be a part of that organization and take this program to another level in terms of support and funding.”