10 Years growing together:

my journey with CVHEC

BY ÁNGEL RAMÍREZ
Associate Director – Central Valley Higher Education Consortium

(NOV. 12, 2025) — Earlier this year, I realized I’d been part of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium for 10 years, and it hit me just how much both the consortium and I have grown.

When I first joined as an intern in December of 2014, CVHEC looked very different. Most of the work was focused on college prep camps, we were chasing small grants to keep us afloat, all while trying to find a way to tell our story.

At the same time, I was figuring out my own path. I was a first-generation Latino from San Joaquin, juggling college, work, and life. I changed majors three times because I didn’t understand how they led to careers, enrolled in a full-time course schedule knowing I didn’t have the time for it but not wanting to risk losing my financial aid, and worked nights at a food processing plant.

Recently, someone pointed out something I hadn’t really thought about before: my story is kind of a perfect example of what CVHEC is all about. Helping students who don’t have a clear map, making education accessible and attainable, and creating opportunities. Looking back, I can see how CVHEC’s growth and my growth have been intertwined all along. Sometimes it wasn’t as obvious, and sometimes in ways that pushed me to learn and grow.

Early Days and Finding Potential

When I first joined CVHEC, a lot of the work centered on college prep camps for high school students. They were meaningful for the students, and I had fun preparing for them with the team at the time. But I remember wondering what made our camps different from the ones offered by programs like TRIO or Migrant Ed. 

I remember attending board meetings, sitting in a room full of college presidents and chancellors, and thinking, this group has the power to do so much more – to really change higher education. 

My first assignment was creating CVHEC’s social media platforms. Small at the time, but looking back, it was the first step in giving CVHEC a public-facing voice. Throughout the years, that voice has grown louder and stronger, reflecting the bigger, more ambitious CVHEC we’ve become.

Growing Together

Over the years, CVHEC’s growth has mirrored my own. From small grants to multi-million-dollar initiatives, from local camps to statewide influence, it’s been a wild ride. And as CVHEC has grown, so have I, taking on new responsibilities, going back to school for my MBA, and learning how to help guide a growing organization while staying true to its mission.

It’s not just about programs or budgets. It’s about impact. It’s about creating opportunities for students, tackling challenges, and seeing the tangible results of the work we do. And it’s about realizing that your own growth can reflect the evolution of the organization you care about.

The Present Moment

That sense of momentum really hit me during our August board retreat, which coincidentally landed on my birthday. It was a day of reflection, discussion, and recommitment. Together, we identified four new priority areas: AI, workforce alignment, enrollment and re-enrollment, and data sharing. These aren’t just hot topics or words, but they’re the areas where we can really make a difference in higher education, both in the Central Valley and beyond.

And now, launching our newly refreshed website, building on the momentum of last year’s new logo. It isn’t just a design update; it’s a statement that CVHEC is stepping forward, more visible, more confident, and ready to lead. Seeing it all come together made me pause and realize that this is what growth looks like. Not just bigger programs, but a stronger identity, a renewed purpose, and a clear sense of direction.

For me personally, it was also a reminder of how far we’ve come. The branding changes, the retreat, and the renewed focus. It all feels like a recommitment to the mission we’ve carried for 25 years since planning first began in 2000 leading to incorporation in 2002, our official “birth year.” And it’s energizing!

Looking Ahead

Thinking about the next ten years excites me. CVHEC is no longer a small, “best kept secret”, quiet consortium. We’re ambitious, growing, and ready to tackle bigger challenges. And just as CVHEC is stepping into this next chapter, I know I’ll be growing alongside it too – as a leader, a voice, and someone who believes deeply in the power of education to change lives.

The work ahead is full of opportunity and responsibility. CVHEC is here to lead, to impact, and to continue opening doors for students, educators, and communities. And I’m proud to be part of this story but mostly I am super-charged to thrive amongst and collaborate with so many other higher education professionals in our 10-county Central Valley region dedicated to advancing success for over 250,000 students throughout our 28 member institutions of higher education! 

For the past decade, Ángel Ramírez and Dr. Benjamín Durán (right) have masterminded CVHEC’s various events that convene Central Valley higher education professionals for collaboration on initiatives supporting the consortium mission to enhance the 10-county region’s college-going culture. Here they strategize in the CVHEC office located in the satellite  UC Merced Center in Fresno.