Q&A with Enrollment Services Director Daron Colbert

Updated 7/16/2024

As Enrollment Services Director for San Joaquin Valley College’s Bakersfield campus, Daron Colbert is on the front lines of a team dedicated to guiding and supporting would-be students during their career exploration, program decision-making and eventual enrollment process.

Daron wants potential and new students on the Bakersfield campus to know exactly what to expect in their Business, Medical, and Technical programs and the support they can count on to bolster their career success.

How do you influence the student enrollment process?

My job is to empower Admission Advisors to guide and support their (potential) students and to help make the enrollment process smoother. Sometimes there are student circumstances such as work schedule conflicts, family responsibilities, financial aid barriers or potential struggles because of physical disabilities.

I supervise Admissions Advisors and do my best to support that team and mitigate their challenges. Our Advisors are student-centered and invested in student success.

I help our Advisors realize their own potential and abilities by providing coaching, feedback, reassurance, and recognition. I want our team’s culture to be warm and inviting – like a family.

How does that culture impact students?

SJVC wants to meet students where they are. (At the Bakersfield campus), we offer most programs at various times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. We do our best to accommodate the demands and needs of our community because we want them to be able to take advantage of an accelerated experience.

What makes SJVC different from other career education/training colleges?

SJVC wants to understand what is happening at every level of student experience – enrollment to graduation. And, we are constantly soliciting feedback from staff, faculty, students, and graduates, looking for ways we can improve. We are always looking for ways to better communicate and deliver education toward a positive career outcome. SJVC never relaxes their self-evaluation and has a hi-performance culture at every level.

What is the greatest obstacle for someone exploring education toward a career change?

No matter what they might say is the reason they can’t start school, the root of it is usually a fear of failure. It is our job to help them see and crystalize a better version of themselves. They have to be realistic about the sacrifices they might have to make and if they’re prepared to make those sacrifices. Finally, we need to prepare them for what they can expect when they get here.

How do you measure your professional success?

I like to think of myself as someone who takes the initiative. I’m task-oriented and like to see things through to conclusion. I am a problem-solver so when I’m able to say, ‘Wow, we did it!’, that’s very gratifying.

When my Admissions Advisors see their involvement really help a student, or realize their own potential on some level, they can feel like they’re on a team where they are encouraged to be vulnerable enough to fail and grow. That’s where and when I feel the best.

What keeps you motivated?

People need people, but it starts with you. I came from a single-parent household with five kids. My mom (Roberta) didn’t make excuses about an inability to do things. She did a thankless job and had a strong work ethic. What I took away from having that strong example every day is: I can’t control anything else but my effort; my desire to do good work and take care of my family.

I can’t always directly impact change…but I can influence it.

What inspires you to do well in your position at the college?

My family (Keena, Keyli-14, Nasir-11, Sadiq-3). I want my kids to value education and to have a strong work ethic. I believe you can’t find self-fulfillment until you’ve been of some service to other people. You need to help others at some point to satisfy your purpose.

Do you feel that sense of purpose in your work?

I had a student who came in at her lowest point and felt trapped in her life. In her early 20s, she got pregnant, and her parents kicked her out. She was living with her boyfriend and his parents who had nine kids. They (and their newborn son) shared a bedroom with several of his siblings. She didn’t even have a driver’s license.

But she had a vision of her life. I told her, ‘Let’s think about what you can do.’ She went through our Business Office Administration program. She came back a year later just to talk to me. “My life is completely different now,” she told me. She works for a Literacy Program and helps others with GED testing and getting their high school diplomas. They had just had their first home built.

Being an Admissions Advisor is doing right by a student. And, even if I’m not seeing the outcome, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t great things happening out there.

Can you speak to SJVC’s Ignite Leadership Training Program?

Ignite Leadership is SJVC’s internal professional development opportunity intended for those with a desire to develop their skillset. The program is intended to help participants grow in their current roles or advance into leadership. It is also an opportunity for participants to interact with people and departments they may not otherwise connect with and elevate their understanding of how it all ties together.

Who can participate in Ignite Leadership?

Aside from nominations by Campus Presidents or those in leadership roles, anyone with an interest in professional growth can request participation.

How does this Ignite Leadership program work?

It starts with an invitation: “Welcome to Aspiring Leaders”.

Participants from various campuses receive complete assessments to identify their strengths along with outlined comprehensive training they will receive facilitated by members of Senior Leadership. They will also enjoy regular touchpoints with facilitators and other participants, as well, to support their understanding.

For me, it was an opportunity to exchange ideas with leaders in different departments from across the organization and better understand their decision-making process. Being naturally curious, it was an opportunity to ask questions, give feedback, collaborate and expand my professional network within SJVC.

How have you benefitted from your Ignite Leadership Training Program experience?

It was tremendously beneficial for me. The exposure to the other campuses, participants and resources helped expand my perspective. It impacted the work I do here and helped reframe how I go forward in my daily efforts.

I got to go behind the curtain and enjoy insight I might never have had before.

Was there a fixed agenda to experience?

The exercises include skill strength assessment, emotional intelligence and other elements to help you understand yourself and how to apply that knowledge to future expectations.

What message does this Professional Development program give you?

You don’t always have an accurate barometer on how you’re doing, so being recognized and selected made me feel SJVC really valued me in my role – and they’re investing in me to grow. That was the biggest thing for me.

Is there a message to all employees participating in SJVC’s Ignite Leadership program?

The work you do is global; you’re not operating in a vacuum. SJVC is always on the lookout to spot and grow talent – and how that talent might be developed. Just know that your good work is being watched and appreciated and opportunities will grow from that.

We invite you to learn more about Daron! Find out what SJVC means to her and what inspires her to succeed everyday.