By VICTOR GARCIA

Associate Editor

Bakersfield College has made an impression on Mildred Lovato.

Lovato was recently hired as BC’s vice-president of student services, and she replaces interim vice-president Bill Cordero.

“I researched the college itself, and I was very interested a lot in the progression and history behind the college,” Lovato said. “I was also very interested in the California Community College system because my doctorate degree is in community college leadership development.”

One of the things that made an impression on Lovato was how nice the faculty, administrators and staff are at BC.

“I find that the faculty, administration, student services and the service providers as a whole are just remarkably nice, caring and quality driven individuals,” she said.

Another thing that attracted her to BC is that BC is “one of the oldest community colleges in the United States, which means it has a wealth of experience and wisdom,” said Lovato. “I really wanted to be involved in an environment of that stature.”

Lovato hopes to accomplish many things while at BC, first of which is getting to know the California Community College system better, “including funding, which is quite complex (and)?responding to the needs of the community in terms of a viable affordable education.”

She is the lead person on the Student Services modernization project, which BC is currently in the planning processes for and will be undertaking next year.

Lovato has worked for public agencies her “entire life.” Lovato was born in Los Angeles and raised in New Mexico.

She received her master’s from the University of New Mexico in 1989.

When asked her age, she said, “I am old enough to have wisdom and young enough to have fun.”