Lucia Nelson Hudec

Principal, Wildwood Elementary School

Class of 1979

My name is Lucia Nelson Hudec and I grew up as an “Army Brat.” I lived outside of the United States for most of my childhood and attended thirteen different schools before graduating from Antilles High School in Puerto Rico.  

After graduating from high school, I was like many young people and felt a bit of uncertainty about what I was supposed to do next. I moved to Calimesa and lived with my grandmother, taking care of her and providing companionship. I enrolled at Crafton Hills College and took the public transit bus to classes three times a week while also working at the old Dairy Queen.

Attending Crafton Hills College was a pivotal time for me. I loved the community feel of Crafton, the personal experience between the professors and students, and the guidance provided in helping me to outline my next steps as an adult. Over the course of the next two and half years, I started to feel rooted as I attended my classes at Crafton. I had opportunities to participate in a myriad of liberal studies courses, science labs, and was even able to experience extra-curricular activities such as a viewing the night sky as a part of an Astronomy lab and a Colorado River Rafting trip which even provided a unit of credit for doing so!  Crafton Hills College helped me to not only continue my education at a higher level, but was the perfect transition for me to grow as a person. I took many physical education classes such as golf, bowling and even skiing which also included opportunities for me to meet new people, some of which have become life-long friends. 

I graduated from Crafton with my Associate of Arts degree which prepared me to transfer to a four-year university and earn my Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching credential. I was able to explore what interested me at Crafton and use this insight to determine what I wanted as a career. My personal Crafton experience helped to set the tone for my life, grow as a person, and gave me confidence to go for it. As a teacher and public school administrator, I am provided many opportunities to help make a difference in the lives of others. I tout attendance at Crafton Hills College to my students and their families as a pathway to success; I proudly have my Crafton AA degree hanging in my office in a frame along with my high school diploma, university BA and master’s degree diplomas. I believe that by showing all four of these diplomas together, I can demonstrate to people that achieving a higher education can be done by setting incremental goals for one’s self.  

I can heartily say that CHC was the place for me! 

Thank you Crafton Hills College for making a difference in my life!