From resource fairs to student life events to a food market, Texas State Technical College’s Fort Bend County campus has been changed for the better due to Larissa Moreno championing for the students’ well-being.

The Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) lead for the campus, Moreno is one of the recipients of this year’s TSTC Chancellor’s Cornerstone Awards.

Moreno has spent her 11 years at TSTC advocating for the success of the students she works with on a daily basis.

“The mission of TSTC is to increase jobs here in the state of Texas,” Moreno said. “The ARC is designed to help remove barriers between students and their graduation. I work closely with students to help them overcome struggles, whether it be food, transportation, housing, loss, or anything else they may need.”

And her efforts bear fruit. Students who utilize ARC’s resources have more than a 90% continuation rate. She also does her best to connect students with resources outside of TSTC through resource fairs, which bring in community organizations to meet directly with students and the public. One of her proudest accomplishments, however, is the food market, which receives food from a partnership with the Houston Food Bank.

Moreno describes her father as a big inspiration, instilling in her the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. She also is grateful for the many women in her life.

“I am surrounded by a really steady foundation of empowering women, who each have their own speciality of being amazing,” she said. “I pull qualities from each of them to help mold me into who I am today.”

Moreno said she is grateful for the support of those around her who nominated her for the award and hopes that her example can help inspire others to help out wherever they can.