For over 75 years, Laredo College has proudly served students of all ages and backgrounds. Every single student that walks through the halls of LC has a unique story with their own set of success and challenges.
Student Government Association (SGA) President Raymundo Gonzalez has gone through his fair share of challenges, but like those before him, it ultimately culminated in the completion of his journey at LC before moving on to Texas A&M University in the spring.
“My educational journey at LC got off to a rocky start,” he said. “I made mistakes and it took me a while to adjust to this new era in my life. Eventually, as I began to take advantage of the resources offered, my experience began to change.”
Over the years, Gonzalez’s growth was evident to those fortunate enough to meet him. As a friendly face at every event, guiding new students as an orientation leader to becoming SGA president, he marked his legacy as one of support and leadership throughout his Palomino years.
“As the SGA VP and President, I have been able to represent the student body at multiple committees such as the Student Activity Fee Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and the Laredo College Master Plan Committee,” he said. “My role in these committees was to advocate for student needs and priorities while also reconstructing the LC SGA constitution with the help of my SGA colleagues. I believe this will ultimately lead to an increase in student body participation and more activity from the LC SGA.”
Beyond his positive impact on the college, Gonzalez leaves here with a goal to not just graduate with his bachelor of science in horticulture from A&M but to also help address food inequality and build a grassroots platform for horticulture education.
Studying horticulture, Gonzalez’s passion and attention to detail in the art of tending to plants and animals are key ingredients to his future. As both a gardener and hunter, he emphasized the importance of the balance of humanity and nature, in addressing the welfare of both and respecting the land and all the creatures that inhabit it.
As SGA president, he listened and looked for ways to address the needs of his fellow students, with food inequality being a reoccurring challenge. Knowing that there are those around him without food on their plate, he hopes to showcase his present and future knowledge back in support of anyone in need.
“At Laredo College, I learned that life is unfair, just like the agriculture industry. The reason I want to study it is because I want to improve the industry, making it more sustainable, feasible and that we are feeding all families without harming the environment,” Gonzalez said.
This connection to nature stems from his upbringing. When he gardens, he cares for the soil and takes measures to maintain the health his land. As a hunter, he respects the animals and ensures to use all their remains.
This evolved into wanting not to only serve those around him but help others serve themselves.
“As an avid gardener with a passion for growing my own fruits and vegetables, I love helping in my community by spreading my information through my YouTube channel for new generations. I want to ensure that they have food on their plate and a way to do that is by teaching them to grow it themselves,” he said.
At the finish line, he said that he is most proud of his perseverance during his time at LC despite the multiple hurdles he faced amid his ongoing college career. Gonzalez added that while at times it felt impossible to finish, his determination didn’t allow him to lose sight of his goals.
His advice to his past self and incoming students is to slow down and enjoy the process of being an LC student. Ultimately, the best thing you can do with your time is enjoy, he added and like any healthy tree, flower, fruit or vegetable, it takes time and care to grow and thrive.