Phylicia Sanchez's hard work pays off for San Bernardino Valley College students. 
 
Sanchez is the administrative secretary for Development and Community Relations, acting as support staff for the San Bernardino Valley College Foundation. The SBVC Foundation raises money for student scholarships, sports equipment, supplies, and activities, and Sanchez loves working closely with the board of directors and donors. 
 
"They are dedicated to assisting the students in accomplishing their goals and dreams," the San Bernardino resident said. 
 
Sanchez knows all about what SBVC students dream about — she is a 2008 graduate. After transferring to California State University, San Bernardino, Sanchez earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice. She returned to SBVC in 2016, excited to be back at one of her alma maters.  
 
"I wanted to work at SBVC because I wanted to be able to help students succeed with their educational goals and I also know this is a great place to work," she said.  
 
Through her role with the SBVC Foundation, Sanchez serves as a link between the campus and community. She is also closely connected to her fellow employees — she is treasurer of the Classified Senate and a member of the Latino Faculty, Staff and Administers Association; the Arts, Lecture, & Diversity committee; the Scholarship Committee; and the Spotlighting Our Success Committee.  
 
Known for her innovative thinking and fundraising techniques, Sanchez recently planned a trip for the LFSAA that raised money for the association's graduation ceremony and helped triple the Classified Senate's financial accounts.  
 
"The foundation is my first priority and I take it from there to fit everything else in my schedule," she said. 
 
Her colleagues, impressed by Sanchez's commitment to serving the student population and empowering co-workers, nominated her in the spring of 2019 for the Classified Employee of the Year Award. She was "really surprised" when she learned she won, she said, "especially because other awesome, hard-working employees were nominated for the award." 
 
Sanchez's devotion to students is just one of her admirable traits — as her colleagues wrote in the letter nominating Sanchez for the award, "She has proven to be extremely dedicated to serving our student population, understands their various challenges, and advocates on their behalf whenever the opportunity presents itself."