Joshua Lopez, interim Student Housing & Equity director.

Joshua Lopez is thenew interim Student Housing & Equity director for Imperial Valley College, IVC announced recently.

Lopez, a native of Sacramento, moved to the Imperial Valley as a child and attended elementary school in Calipatria. By this time, his parents were no longer in the picture. Lopez was cared for by his grandparents Antonio and Inez Lopez until the age of 9. Shortly after, his uncle and aunt, Gerald and Maria Lopez McGill, welcomed Lopez and his sister into their home and started providing some stability in their life.

Lopez said it truly takes a village to raise a child and he's thankful for his foster parents, Roxanne and Jeffrey Curtis, along with the guidance of school disciplinarians. He started valuing his education while gaining confidence in his abilities to overcome setbacks in life. He credits David Shaw, his high school counselor and football coach for his role in Lopez attending Mayville State University in North Dakota, where he received a football scholarship and earned his bachelor's degree in psychology. With Shaw's encouragement, Lopez pursued his master's degree in education and counseling credential from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Lopez was a case manager for Imperial County Behavioral Health Services before transitioning to the Holtville Unified School District, where he was dean of students and a school counselor for about five years. Most recently he was principal at Imperial County Office of Education, Alternative Education, which he describes as "the most rewarding experience in his life."

When asked what brought him to IVC, Lopez said, "I know it all too well, what a difference having your basic needs met can make in the life of our students." He said IVC's housing program will provide stability and hope to the college's most vulnerable students.

"I was given a second chance at life," he said, "so I will always stand with those willing to fight for theirs."