Award Recipient

Justin Mendez
Biography:
Justin matriculated through public schooling in K-12, and became the first in his family to attend college by enrolling at Santa Monica College. Being involved in student organizations and working with community non-profits, he developed his passion for social justice and supporting underrepresented and minoritized populations. Justin transferred to UCLA and received his B.A. in Chicana and Chicano Studies and continued at UCLA to achieve his M.A. in Education. At Norco College, he led efforts in creating empowerment programs for Men of Color, Foster Youth, and first-year students. Justin was hired at LBCC in 2020, and is currently serving as the Director for Basic Needs Programs and the CASA Grant, where he oversees efforts to support students experiencing food, housing, and transportation insecurities. He has served as field expert with the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education to establish national guidelines for Basic Needs Programs and Services, received the 2022 Viking Impact Award for distinguished service on-campus, and the 2023 League for Innovation in Community College?s Award for enhancing sense of belonging for students. At LBCC, he has also supported partnerships for student-parents, and participates in campus-wide initiatives such as the Student Equity and Achievement Plan Subcommittee, Holistic Coarse Success Workgroup, the Behavioral Intervention Team, and the Trauma-Informed Approach Workgroup.