A headshot of Joshua Bell in the librarySBVC alumnus Joshua Bell grew up in Los Angeles, CA, and moved to San Bernardino young, bouncing between schools that matched his age and prepared his heart for career climbing once graduated. He transferred to San Andreas High School and from there attended San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC), where his passions took root and his high school diploma got upgraded to a gleaming college one.

While at SBVC, Josh majored in Business Administration and minored in Accounting. Between the persistent papers and the curricular call to leadership, he connected with SBVC library secretary and representative of the Sierra Club, Mary Valdemar. The two shared passions and Joshua swiftly became a Sierra Club volunteer, with uprooting vim and vigor.

His shared interests led to organized events that culminated in Josh engaging with the office manager of the Sierra Club. Upon communicating the needs of the organization with the manager, Josh’s volunteering time bloomed into something more permanent as he secured an internship with assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes, a representative of California’s 47th district assembly and vivacious proponent of grassroots environmental causes.

Joshua currently performs office work for Mrs. Reyes—chiefly data entry; he also attends events with her to disseminate information to the department’s constituents and event attendees. Josh is also currently stationed at a non-profit called Next Generation Solutions, where he fundraises for the D.A.R.E school program to decrease bullying, suicide, and drug-use.

But Josh’s fervor and affable character remain with him evermore, as he still frequents Valley College to visit and volunteer with Mary. He reflects that his life and time outside of school have now become more productive: the “primary role that made [him] move forward,” which sprung from a curious trajectory and a sweet, quaint hometown.