La Junta — Lisa Gallegos, a seven-year faculty member at Otero Junior College, was recently honored in Denver by the State Board of Community College and Occupational Education as the OJC Faculty of the Year. Gallegos, from Swink, teaches biology and human anatomy &physiology I & II.

Faculty of the Year is a prestigious honor voted on by the recipient’s peers at the college. Gallegos’ dedication to student success, willingness to ‘think outside of the box’ to help students learn and involvement in campus and community activities has earned her the respect of both students and fellow faculty members.

Gallegos began working at Otero Junior College in 2002 as a tutor in the college’s Education Assistance Center. She joined the Math and Science department in 2004 as a full-time faculty member. Prior to coming to OJC, Gallegos worked in the Las Animas and Woodland Park school districts.

A graduate of Las Animas High School, Gallegos attended Adams State College for her first year of college and the transferred to Otero Junior College to complete an associate of science degree. She completed a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry and a secondary education endorsement from Adams State College. Gallegos later returned to college to earn a Master’s of Education degree from Lesley College.

Gallegos said her greatest joy from teaching comes from students who know that the material being covered is difficult, but they forge forward with a determination to absorb as much information as they can to change their lives and their future.

“I have a great sense of accomplishment when former students come back and take another class with me or ask if I will teach other classes that they need to take, because they say I teach them what they need to know,” said Gallegos.

Gallegos said she choose to teach at the junior college level because she likes the small setting offered at OJC. “Classes are usually smaller and provide the opportunity to get to know the students on a more personal level. I have a better opportunity to work with my students who struggle with the subject matter, and provide them with a quality education,” she explained.

Being awarded the OJC Faculty of the Year is a meaningful experience for Gallegos. “To me this award represents someone who strives to instill the importance and value of education to students by providing a challenging, yet enthusiastic, classroom setting. I try very hard to make my classes challenging and interesting, all the while motivating students to build on their educational foundations which will secure their futures,” she said.

When not in the classroom, Gallegos serves as a faculty advisor for the Operation Smile Club and the Alpine Club. She and her husband, Dan, have four daughters, Jonessa, Jolysa, Joselyna, and Jodyanna. The family is personally involved with the Operation Smile organization; with two of her daughters participating in international mission trips assisting with the work of the Operation Smile organization.