A long time employee here at Cerritos walked towards Bill Farmer, acting president/superintendent, at the last Board of Trustees meeting, with smile that said ” thank you.”
“Her intelligence and technical abilities are outstanding, and she is extremely accommodating with the students needs,” said Farmer.
Maricela Pedroza, Senior Application Analyst was awarded the Employee of the Month award for July. She was recognized for the hard work she has put throughout her years here at Cerritos.
“It’s an honor to have been nominated for the award, let alone receiving it.I did not think that I was going to receive the award and when I was informed I had been awarded employee of the month, I felt a great sense of pride.”
Juggling a full time position at work, a family to take care of at home, and being a part-time student doesn’t come easy to many, but she makes it through each and every day feeling “rewarded.”
“I get rewarded every day. I am fortunate to have a job that I look forward too,” she said.
Not only has she been working at Cerritos since March 2002, but she was once a full-time student here as well.
“I earned my AA degree in general studies here at Cerritos, graduated with highest honors and transferred to Cal State Fullerton to major in Computer Science with emphasis in scientific computing.”
With the knowledge of working as a Technical Support Specialist and System Administrator at the JCPenney Distribution Center, she landed her first job here as an hourly Senior Tech. Support Specialist. After two years in that position, she applied for the Senior Application Analyst position and got the job.
Pedrozas job consists of developing and modifying computer programs that are implemented in the Financial Aid Department. These program applications consist of the following:
- Evaluating students’ information to determine their eligibility for aid.
- Processing data in a timely manner to disburse aid to students.
- Developing forms of mass communications with the students to deliver information pertaining to their financial aid status.
- Processing students data to transfer from and to various Federal and State aid programs.
Even though Pedroza doesn’t talk to the students most of the time, she still loves knowing that she is helping them in some way.
” Although I don’t work directly with students, the work that I do has a direct effect on them, and that’s what I wanted all along,” Pedroza explained.
Apart being mother to two young daughters, she is also a senior at Cal State Fullerton.
” I had to put my studies on hold, to start a family, but I am in school again part-time to finish my education,” she explained.
Cerritos has been a great experience for her and she has achieved many of her goals. ” The challenges presented are a great satisfaction when the expected results are achieved, I enjoy what I do and my goal is to continue to grow and learn more every day..”
