MiraCosta College Foundation today announced that Beatriz Aguilar, director of noncredit and adult education programs at MiraCosta College, received the prestigious Excellence in Continuing Education Award from the Association of Community and Continuing Education (ACCE).
The annual ACCE Excellence in Continuing Education Award recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership in their field and who have made a positive, lasting impact on those they serve.
“Beatriz is one of the hardest working people I know,” shared John Makevich, dean of continuing and community education at MiraCosta College. “She exemplifies the kind of dedication and fierceness of support to students that the entire California Adult Education Program was built around and built for.”
Since 2016, Beatriz has served in the MiraCosta College Continuing Education Department, where she develops the school’s programs and supports its faculty and students. A former Continuing Education student herself, Beatriz understands the challenges that new students face, and she works hard to ensure each individual who enrolls at MiraCosta College feels valued and receives the support they need to succeed. In addition to serving as Adult Education and Noncredit Workgroup Co-Chair for the Regional SWP Consortium for San Diego/Imperial County, Beatriz frequently makes time to work individually with students who need support navigating their academic journey.
“This is more than a job for me, it’s my mission,” shared Beatriz. “When I was an adult student, I saw how important it was to have the support of the people on staff. Those connections make all the difference in the world and I am blessed to have the opportunity to empower people today in the same way my mentors did for me years ago.”
The Association of Community and Continuing Education is an organization of California community colleges that develops and promotes policies for educational constituencies. The organization has a leadership role in developing community services and continuing education programs in the state.
Beatriz Aguilar is the first recipient of the Excellence in Continuing Education award to be nominated by two institutions, MiraCosta College and Palomar College.
