El Campo native Lori Rosales found purpose and confidence as a Wharton County Junior College student and now works for the college in Information Technology.
WHARTON, TEXAS – For El Campo native Lori Rosales, going to college had always seemed out of reach. But at Wharton County Junior College, she discovered that some dreams really can become a reality.
“I used to drive past WCJC. I’d look at the buildings and wonder what it was like inside. To be honest, I was intimidated,” said Rosales. “Then I did something I never thought I could. I enrolled in college. WCJC became the place that changed my life.”
Rosales would eventually graduate from WCJC with two degrees. She would find employment at the college as well, working in the Information Technology department, where she is currently Project Manager. That’s quite the journey for someone who initially left high school one credit short of a diploma.
Growing up as the youngest of four children, Rosales witnessed firsthand what determination and tenacity truly looked like. Her parents, dedicated to putting their children first, experienced turmoil throughout their lives and were forced to quit school and a very young age in order to work and support their families.
Rosales’ father attended school only through the third grade. He would go on to serve in World War II, landing on the beaches of Normandy. After the war, he worked his way up to become a supervisor at a local cement company. Her mother was forced to leaved school after fifth grade to work on her parent’s farm. Later in life, she became a supervisor at a local sewing company.
After seeing the battles that her parents had to face, Rosales felt that higher education was an unattainable dream.
“College was not an option growing up,” she said. “My parents made sure that we went straight to work or joined the military. I chose to go to work.”
She initially resigned herself to the idea that higher education was out of reach. While she often drove past WCJC on her way to work — dreaming of attending there someday and obtaining a degree — she felt ill-equipped to make that a reality. Complicating matters was an unhealthy relationship, one where she was told repeatedly that she wasn’t good enough to achieve that kind of goal. The fact that she had never actually graduated from high school — something she had tried to keep secret — did not help her self-confidence.
One day, though, Rosales reached a tipping point.
“I made a quiet, powerful decision just for myself,” she said. “I went back to school and earned my GED.”
After that, she enrolled in WCJC, eventually obtaining both an associate of arts and an associate of applied science degree. She was the first among her siblings to graduate from college.
Her future plans are to complete her bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M University-Victoria (formerly known as the University of Houston-Victoria) and then continue on for a master’s degree.
Rosales is forever grateful for her experiences at WCJC and recently shared this publicly as a guest speaker at WCJC’s 2025 commencement. It was clear that many in the audience were moved by her story.
“WCJC has meant so much more to me than just being a school. It’s the place where I truly began to change my life,” Rosales said. “The support, opportunities, and education I received here helped shape my future and build my confidence.”
When asked what advice she would give to current and future students, she offered some invaluable insight.
“Your journey matters! Don’t let anyone make you feel that your journey is not important. No matter how different or difficult it may seem, never let anyone make you feel like your efforts are insignificant,” she said. “Stay focused, stay determined, and continue to do your best. Every step forward is progress. Above all, never stop learning. Knowledge is power, and growth is a lifelong pursuit.”
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