Congratulations to Alexis Becerra, a student veteran who graduated from Citrus College in June 2023!

Alexis joined the United States Air Force after graduating from high school. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement and felt that military service would be beneficial. "I was one of three women out of 56 recruits," she said. "The most rewarding aspect of my service was being able to represent women – especially women of color – because they are not traditionally seen in the Air Force. It was nice to bring that dynamic and demographic to the workplace, which was predominantly male."

After leaving the military, Alexis enrolled in a local community college. However, she decided to transfer to Citrus College in fall 2021. "I heard Citrus College wasn't such a huge campus, so you get a great teacher-to-student relationship," she said. "I switched campuses because I wanted a more intimate educational environment."

The Veterans Success Center (VSC) helped provide this for Alexis. "I always visited the VSC to study, print things and use their resources," she said. "During my last semester on campus, I had a lot of down time and thought I might as well get a job there too." Working at the VSC gave Alexis the ability to network with other student veterans. "Being able to meet people who were in the exact same position as me was so important," she said.

Now that she has graduated from Citrus College, Alexis has begun working toward her bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Her career goal is to become a crime scene investigator for a local police department.

"My military service taught me discipline and made me a more professional person. I gained experience interacting with authority figures, developed communication skills and became better at time management," she said. "It seems cliché to tell others that hard work is the key to success, but it pays off. I have learned that if you work hard today, you will be thankful for it tomorrow."

Thank you for your service, Senior Airman Becerra! Citrus College is honored to be part of your story and can't wait to see what your future holds!