Armida Ornelas is the president of Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar. During the course of her career, she has held a number of roles with the Los Angeles Community College District. She earned her master’s degree in public policy studies from the University of Chicago and her doctorate from the UCLA School of Education.
1: She is the daughter of immigrants. Ornelas’ parents came to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1960s. Ornelas says being the daughter of immigrant parents is “one of the things I’m most proud of.” She adds that her parents came to the U.S. to make a “better life for themselves and their children.”
2: She wants to create opportunities for marginalized communities. Ornelas says being the daughter of immigrants is what brought her to her current job which she says is “more of a calling rather than simply a career.” She adds that she is “very intentional about creating opportunities for others, particularly others that have similar backgrounds.” She says things like the time of day of classes and the languages programs are promoted in all play into this.
3: Ornelas is a big fan of Chicano art. She says The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside is one of her favorite places to visit and enjoys art that “speaks to social movements in particular.” Despite her love for art, she is not an artist herself. “I have no artistic abilities,” she jokes.
4: She has two grandkids. When Ornelas is not working, she enjoys spending time with her two grandkids. “We like going to a lot of cultural events,” she says. She routinely takes them to museums and to farmers’ markets.
5: Ornelas is an avid hiker. When not working or going to a
museum, she likes to hike. She brings her kids and grandkids on hikes with her sometimes as well and says that hiking helps her “stay balanced and centered.”
