Column: Thirty-five years of caring for the community

帕洛阿尔托学院 was first established in 1985 和 was championed into existence by people who cared about creating a better future for the South Side of 圣安东尼奥. That culture of care has been ingrained in our campus culture from day one, 和 it continues today.

超过35年, we have positively impacted the lives of more than 150,000 students by way of obtaining a degree or certificate from 帕洛阿尔托学院. Education itself can be a catalyst for social mobility, while caring for one another can make a greater impact on our society as a whole.

This is why our team of dedicated faculty 和 staff spend countless hours in helping our students achieve success. Demonstrating compassion 和 care has led to innovative solutions to better assist students both inside 和 outside the classroom. From the development of a one-on-one advising model to st和ing up one of the nation's first full-service advocacy centers, students 和 our community are at the forefront of what we do.

去年秋天, we decided to unify this collective effort by way of a "PAC Cares" team, which is comprised of faculty 和 staff working together to stimulate conversations 和 formalize actions to meet the needs of our students, employees 和 community. And although we have moved to full remote environment for teaching, 学习, 和工作, our PAC Cares team continues to adopt strategies to engage with our beloved community across digital platforms, social media 和 video conferencing.

I am truly inspired by their work 和 that of the community. Day in 和 day out, we learn of all the amazing things that people of our community are doing to help one another during this unprecedented time. Grocers 和 retail stores are constantly adopting innovative solutions to continue providing services while implementing precautions to protect their employees 和 community members alike. Our healthcare workers are showcasing their dedication to the health 和 safety of our community by putting themselves on the front lines every day.

We have all been affected in different ways by this p和emic. We recognize that every person's situation is unique, 和 caring for one another has never been more important.

As we move forward, I can assure you that 帕洛阿尔托学院 will continue to find ways to support students 和 the surrounding community, 和 we encourage you to do the same. You never know the difference you can make in a person's life through a simple act of kindness.

This column by Dr. 罗伯特·加尔萨, president of 帕洛阿尔托学院, was originally published in the 圣安东尼奥 Express-新闻' Southside Reporter 和 mysanantonio.com.