Reporter

As administrative support coordinator Diana Torres prepares for retirement in August, she takes a moment to reminisce on her 26 years at CSU Bakersfield and talk about plans for retirement.

“I started [at CSUB] in 1990,” said Torres. “When I first started, I was in a totally different program. I worked for the ITV network in their Young Scholars Program.”

The Young Scholars program was a CSUB program where high school college-bound juniors and seniors were recruited and given an opportunity to earn university credit by taking college courses, according to Torres.

“We wanted to encourage students to get a taste of what it’s like to take a college class and hopefully stay here and attend the campus.”

The ITV network is also where Torres met the now-Administrative Assistant to the President Tina Giblin.

“I started working at the ITV network in ’89-’90 and Diana came in after,” said Tina Giblin. “[Torres] is one person I can say is as committed as I am about students.”

After 14 years for the ITV network, Torres was re-assigned to work in the modern languages department, now the business and public administrations department in 2004. There she made her leap into the academic world.

“It’s a nightmare trying to learn everything from scratch, and now with the semester system, it’s a nightmare,” said Torres. “It’s either sink or swim.”

Winning the outstanding staff member award for 2015 gives every indication that Torres is swimming. This is an appreciation award where you must be nominated by your peers to be considered.

“Yesterday a student came in with a concern that [Torres] could not answer, so she picked up her phone, called me and we found an answer for the student,” said Giblin. “[Torres] goes above and beyond to help everyone. Whether student or staff, she will help. That’s why it didn’t surprise me when she was nominated for that award. Diana has a very strong work ethic and is very passionate about our mission. We are going to really miss her.”

Torres says she will miss the students and her faculty family also, but she looks forward to her vacation in July and retirement in August.

“I know it’s time for me to move on. I’m really slow to changes, but I figured I’m already at retirement age…and it gives another young person a position to get hired,” said Torres. “Also, I really want to travel but only in the United States. The U.S. has so much to offer, we don’t really appreciate what the U.S. has.”

As an early retirement gift to students, Torres offered some advice.

“Always get advising from faculty. Never go by what your friends say. They may not have heard it right, and they are going to give you misinformation,” said Torres. “Stay organized and read your catalogs.”