A headshot of Christina RaneyAfter graduating from Colton High School, Christina Raney started taking classes at SBVC in 2009. A first-generation college student, her education was made by possible by the Valley-Bound program, which prepares students as they transition into college. Her father worked manual labor, and she said he would tell her, "'I want you to go to college so you can carry a briefcase instead of a lunch pail.' This has resonated with me throughout my entire life."

She loved the campus and getting to know other students, and after earning her bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Cal State San Bernardino in 2016, reached out to SBVC to see if there were any jobs available. Now, she is a substitute clerical assistant in the financial aid office, and said she "takes pride" in knowing that she'll "always be connected to this college, even long after attending."