Alberto Aramburo ’16

Stuck in the grind of working two jobs, Alberto Aramburo decided he had had enough. After dropping out of high school, he obtained his GED but felt he could do better and go further. He started looking at going to college but was overwhelmed. “I had no idea how to start the process of going back to school until a friend of mine recommended that I look into the CAMP Program,” said Aramburo. “One day, I got out of work early from one of my jobs and was able to meet [CAMP Program Assistant] Maria Alvizar-Laureano. She walked me through everything I needed to do.” 

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a program that helps students from migrant and seasonal farmworking backgrounds during their first year of college. With Alvizar-Laureano’s help, Aramburo enrolled in the CAMP program and started taking classes at WVC. 

During his studies, Aramburo took an interest in student life on campus. He became involved with the Associated Students of Wenatchee Valley College (ASWVC), was nominated twice as President, and spent time as a student ambassador. He fondly recalls his time at WVC and the opportunities it provided, saying, “I got to work with three Senate groups, each of them was a great experience. We were always able to create a community with the common goal and understanding that we were there to create a better experience for the students at WVC.” Aramburo worked hard to help unite students through different events to keep anyone from feeling left out. He felt good knowing that “we were helping others and leaving the school in a better place than how we found it.” While at WVC, Aramburo’s hard work and dedication led to his being awarded the President’s Medal and the Outstanding Graduate Award. 

After graduating with his Associate of Arts and Science in 2016, Aramburo worked as a patient coordinator for an optometrist in California before returning to Washington State. He is currently employed at Confluence Health as the ECG and New Patient Referral Coordinator, striving to make the healthcare journey more accessible for patients. He says, “I’ve learned a lot working in this field in the last four years, and I really enjoy this line of work because I am able to help individuals on a daily basis with navigating the healthcare system to meet their needs.” 

Aramburo appreciates the practical experiences he gained at WVC, such as chairing the Services & Activities Committee and working in Washington, DC, for a summer. These encounters provided him with knowledge beyond his classroom learning experience while working with others. He said, “I gained so many life skills that I would have never experienced from working alone.” 

Aramburo advises new WVC students to seize every opportunity that comes along. “One door almost always leads to another,” he said, “and you might just run into an opportunity that you have never dreamed of.”