CGCC’s Emilie Sanchez-Lopez was Honored with the Rising Star Award for Excellence in Student Support
From Columbia Gorge Community College:
By Tom Penberthy
The Dalles, Ore. Feb. 14, 2025 — Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) is proud to announce that Emilie Sanchez-Lopez, Equitable Funding Support Navigator, has been honored with the prestigious Rising Star Award at the 2025 Student Success and Retention Conference (SSRC) in Portland.
The award was presented on Thursday, February 13, in recognition of her exceptional dedication to reducing barriers to higher education and her innovative contributions to student success.
Sanchez-Lopez plays a pivotal role at CGCC by helping students navigate the often-complex landscape of financial aid and funding opportunities. Her work focuses on reducing or eliminating debt burdens for students by raising awareness about resources such as Federal Financial Aid, state-supported aid, scholarships, and additional grant opportunities. Beyond financial guidance, she also provides coaching and navigational support tailored to independent students and those requiring specialized assistance.
During the first week of the fall term alone, Sanchez-Lopez supported 64 CGCC students, demonstrating her commitment to ensuring equitable access to education. Her efforts are particularly impactful for marginalized populations, helping to eliminate systemic barriers and create pathways for success.
“Emilie is the literal definition of this award,” said Tiffany Prince, CGCC’s Director of Student Life, in her nomination statement. “She reimagines processes to address student struggles and confusion, has developed bilingual resources for financial aid navigation, and takes on additional tasks to ensure students are served quickly and effectively. Her work exemplifies CGCC’s mission of fostering student success.”
The Rising Star Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional promise and impact in promoting student success. Sanchez-Lopez’s dedication and innovative strategy development, including roadmaps, graphics, and presentations that help students to plan for current and future expenses—even beyond graduation, make her a standout recipient of this honor.
The SSRC is an annual conference hosted by the Oregon Council for Student Services Administrators (CSSA), bringing together higher education professionals from across the state to share best practices in student retention and success. For more information about the conference, visit oregoncssa.com/2025-conference.
CGCC congratulates Emilie Sanchez-Lopez on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates her invaluable contributions to our college community.
To find out how you can create an affordable path to higher education, visit www.cgcc.edu/finaid or call (541) 506-6011, option 2.
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