Josh Delgado, Current Student

(Josh Delgado serving as an aide at various events.)

Josh Delgado’s journey at Norco College is one defined by resilience, reflection, and the belief that a single moment of encouragement can change the course of a life. A current Norco College student, Josh describes his educational path as one taken in pursuit of happiness, purpose, and opportunity.

His journey to Norco College was not a straight line. As a teenager, he faced significant challenges rooted in a troubled childhood, family instability, and the pressures of navigating life as an undocumented student. At 17, a series of poor decisions led to his arrest and the possibility of a life-altering prison sentence. For a time, Josh believed his future had already been decided.

Instead, he was given an opportunity for rehabilitation. Through years of accountability, perseverance, and hard work, Josh began rebuilding his life. He volunteered with programs serving at-risk youth, worked in community recreation and special education, and eventually supported unaccompanied immigrant children through government-contracted services. While these experiences gave him responsibility and leadership skills, he still felt something was missing. He was searching for purpose.

That search led him back to school and ultimately to Norco College. Returning as a student was intimidating, but Josh arrived determined to make this opportunity count. Early on, Norco College became a place where he felt accepted, supported, and valued. From his very first guidance class to demanding science coursework, he learned to view challenges not as barriers, but as opportunities to grow.

A defining moment came when Ruben Aguilar took the Kinesiology Student Association to a conference at the University of Southern California and California State University, Long Beach. During conversations that day, Josh experienced a realization that would stay with him forever. For the first time, he truly believed he belonged in higher education. Aguilar’s encouragement helped Josh understand that no matter his past, his future was still his to shape.

Josh’s sense of belonging quickly translated into leadership. As a returning student, he became deeply involved in campus life, serving as senator for the Associated Students of Norco College (ASNC) and later being elected vice president of administration. In these roles, he helped facilitate collaboration among student clubs, allocate funding, uphold student government policies, and advocate for students whose voices were often unheard. The experience sharpened his leadership skills and reinforced the power of community.

Today, Josh is preparing to transfer to California State University, San Bernardino, where he has been accepted into kinesiology and biochemistry programs. He plans to pursue kinesiology as his major, complete a minor in chemistry, and continue to medical school. He hopes to return to Norco College one day as a faculty member, giving back to the institution that helped him find his direction.

To Josh, being a Mustang means strength, determination, and belonging. Norco College did more than provide him with an education. It gave him a second chance, a community that believed in him, and the confidence to imagine a future once thought impossible.

Cassandra Flores, Alumni

(Cassandra Flores working the AANHPI SAP Advisory Group booth at Japan Fest to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 2025))

Cassandra Flores attended Norco College right after high school. At the time, she didn’t even realize the college existed, despite living just down the street. She had a vision for her future but wasn’t sure how to get there. Norco College helped provide that direction, offering not just an education, but a plan for success.

Norco College played a defining role in shaping who Cassandra is today. Her journey began as a student, where she found her footing and discovered her voice through campus involvement and leadership. She later secured her first job as a student worker, serving as a Student Aide I in the Career and Job Placement Center. That early opportunity opened the door to continued growth, leading her to become a classified professional as a Counseling Clerk II. Cassandra began as adjunct faculty in fall 2021, and in fall 2025, she landed a full-time counseling position at Moreno Valley College.

As a student, Cassandra found her voice through advocacy and engagement. She served as advisor for the Fashion for Change Club and was a lead for the AANHPI SAP Advisory Group, helping create spaces where students felt seen, supported, and empowered. These formative experiences strengthened her confidence and shaped her commitment to serving others.

The support Cassandra received at Norco College inspired her to pursue a career in higher education, driven by a desire to give back in the same way the college gave so much to her. What began as a place she nearly overlooked became a community that believed in her potential and encouraged her to lead.

Being a Norco College Mustang will always be part of who Cassandra is. Norco College is where she grew, found her confidence, and discovered her passion for helping others. More than a college, it is a community that helped shape the person she is today, and she remains forever proud to call herself a Mustang.

Karin Skiba (Russo), Faculty Emeriti

(Norco College Art Club at the campus rodeo, 1993)

When Karin Skiba was hired by the Riverside Community College District in 1990, Norco College existed only as a vision. Along with other new faculty, she toured the open land by bus, imagining what would soon become a campus rooted in community, growth, and possibility. By 1991, as the first buildings rose and even a mounted police officer patrolled the grounds, Karin decided to join Norco College full time as its art instructor, teaching in a single Humanities classroom that served as the college’s first art lab.

In those early years, Norco College was small but ambitious. With fewer than a dozen faculty members, Karin helped shape the academic foundation of the campus, teaching studio art, art appreciation, and eventually art history, while also representing Norco College in Academic Senate meetings and helping faculty find their voice. As the campus grew, so did its programs, facilities, and identity. Art classes found a permanent home in the ATEC building, new facilities opened, and Norco College evolved from a center into a college of its own.

(Original Norco College Art Club in the RCC Courtyard.)

Norco College’s pioneering spirit was evident everywhere, including a rodeo fair held in a dirt parking lot and organized by faculty and early student clubs, with math instructor Bob Prior also serving as the campus’s first student services director.

A true innovator, Karin was part of the first faculty cohort to develop online courses, launching California’s first online art appreciation class in 1998, years before digital learning became the norm. Her leadership extended beyond the classroom when she became the first Norco College faculty member and the first woman elected president of the Faculty Association, representing the National Education Association and its state affiliate, the California Teachers Association, in 2004. Shortly thereafter, she was awarded the title of full professor in recognition of her significant achievements and contributions across the district. After retiring in 2011, Karin continued her legacy by establishing Norco College’s Art Gallery, creating a space that celebrates creativity, community, and student talent and continues to thrive.

From open land to a comprehensive college, Karin Skiba’s Mustang story is inseparable from Norco College’s own, built on vision, resilience, and a lasting commitment to students and the arts.

(Sienna, Italy Study Abroad Trip, 1995)