University of Redlands Recognizes Crafton Transfer Center Coordinator Mariana Moreno

Publish Date: April 13, 2020

Mariana Moreno, Transfer Center Coordinator at Crafton Hills College was recently given an award as part of the University of Redlands’ Arc of Purposeful Leadership Initiative. The award was announced during the University’s Inland Empire Partner Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, February 27th. Moreno’s award was given in recognition of exemplary performance in building and supporting her team of transfer specialists, which is big news for Crafton’s Transfer Center and represents a huge vote of confidence from one of the most important 4-year institutions in the region.

Over twenty large organizations and community colleges, including schools much larger than Crafton were represented at the event, yet Moreno was selected to be one of seventeen individuals recognized by the Dean of the School of Business, Tom Horan. When asked what her reaction to the award was, Moreno responded with humility,

“I was surprised at receiving this award. I am simply doing what I love”. She went on to praise the University of Redlands School of Business, saying that they “have an outstanding program,” and that she knows her “students are well taken care of when they go [there].”

Open-hearted and honest about her dedication to her job, Moreno said that she finds “seeing our students transfer and move forward with accomplishing their goals” as the most rewarding aspect of her work at Crafton. In terms of accomplishments, Moreno is proud that under her custodianship students can expect a “smooth transfer experience” at Crafton and that the Transfer Center is staffed with “dedicated, kind, and genuinely nice” people “who truly care about students and their experience.”

If the nod of recognition from the University of Redlands is anything to go by, Moreno is doing an excellent job and she certainly has no regrets. Having known from early on that she wanted “to pursue a career in helping others achieve their purpose,” Moreno says she decided to follow her passion and that she’s glad she did. As a first-generation student Moreno has firsthand experience of the challenges many students at Crafton face in pursuing a higher education. “I went straight from high school to the university and I was lost,” Moreno said. “I was the first person in my entire immediate and extended family to go to college” and “there was no one to ask [for] help and when I did, no one understood my needs or concerns.” Nevertheless, Moreno was driven to succeed in helping others to achieve their educational goals and by preparing them to transfer to the universities of their dreams.