Meet Esther

Happy Accident

A chance trip to Tri-C changed her life

The day started like any other. Esther Velez's cousin asked for a favor. Could she accompany her to the Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) and keep an eye on her son?

Velez said yes. As she was sitting on campus tending to the boy, Sylvia Royle, a coordinator with the College's former Hispanic Council, said hello and offered Velez a smile.

"I saw someone who was just like me, who spoke my language and made me feel OK," Velez said. "It changed everything."

That was in 2008. Today, Velez is a Tri-C graduate and has Royle's old job. She is a coordinator in what is now the College's Al Lopez Academic Alliance.

"Tri-C opened the door for me and continues to do so," she said.

Velez was born in Puerto Rico. She moved to New Jersey in 1999 to live with an uncle after Hurricane George hit the island. Velez, 11 at the time, spoke no English and at first had a "very tough time."

"Even my outfits were not what was 'in,'" she said.

Like many kids, she watched music videos and almost accidentally picked up pieces of the language, fashion and culture. (The video for "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child sticks out in her memory.)

When the cramped quarters and high cost of living in New Jersey became too much, Velez and her mother moved in with another relative in Cleveland.

She enrolled in school, took ESL classes, studied and took part in extracurriculars like theater. She graduated from Lincoln-West High School and, not long after, came her chance visit to Tri-C.

From her first encounter, she felt right at home at the College. When she decided to enroll, help met her at every turn.

"A lot of places just shuffle you in and out, like the BMV. Here, they took their time and helped me out."

After trying on different majors — dental hygiene, theatre — Velez graduated with an Associate of Arts. She was the first in her family to earn a college degree. She completed her bachelor's in organizational leadership at Cleveland State University and is working on her master's in adult higher education there. She hopes to advance her career at Tri-C because she loves what she does now.

"To actually have been through it allows me to be more patient, more empathetic and more understanding," she said. "We have a lot of nontraditional students. It makes me feel good at the end of the day, like I am doing something right and giving something back."

That errand years ago changed the entire trajectory of her life. A successful professional, a multiple-degree holder and fully acclimated to the United States, she has accomplished much — but her greatest achievement, she said, is setting a good example for her daughter.

"Tri-C is where I thrive. This is where I do well. I am surrounded by people who inspire me every day," she said.