From First-Gen Student to Campus Champion
How a conversation, a campus connection, and a timely opportunity shaped Lex Padilla’s educational journey and brought her back to give back
October 27th, 2025
Written by Mila Yoch
Lex Padilla didn't grow up imagining college as an option. Raised in Daly City in a single-parent, all-female household, higher education felt distant—something “not spoken in our home,” she recalls. “None of my sisters went.”
However, a chance encounter through her mother’s workplace led to a student job at Skyline College’s bookstore, and everything changed.
“I was working four jobs under the table in high school,” Lex shares. “Kevin Chak [Skyline’s bookstore manager — read all about him in his profile piece here] gave me a student job and talked to me about Disney and Harry Potter. He made me feel seen. That was the first time I felt safe in a school setting.”
Lex’s journey unfolded from Skyline College to the College of San Mateo and Cañada College. She found community through the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and TRIO Student Support Services program, as well astransfer support. And she transferred to UC Santa Barbara with the confidence that she always had a place in the District.
Today, Lex serves as the Program Service Coordinator for the Pride Center at the College of San Mateo (CSM) and as an Academic Counselor at the newly opened CSM Coastside Campus. Launched in 2024 as an extension of the main campus, the Coastside location expands access to education and career pathways for current and future students in the Half Moon Bay community—especially those from Latinx, Chinese, and Migrant Farm Worker backgrounds. Her mission is clear: “I want students to feel what I felt—that they’re seen, supported, and have someone who has their back.”
At the newly opened Pride Center, Lex creates a space where LGBTQ+ students can feel safe, heard, and empowered. Whether it’s offering resources, quiet refuge, or a listening ear, she adapts to student needs with grace and intention. “If you just want to sit in silence, that’s fine too,” she says. “This is your space.”
Lex also champions equity in the face of uncertainty. With recent federal shifts threatening funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants (HSIs) across the District, she’s helping students navigate fear and change. “We’re staying educated and proactive,” she explains. “We’re finding new ways to support our students, especially those who feel targeted.”
Her work is deeply relational, deeply rooted, and deeply reflective of the values that define the District. She’s not just a product of the system; she’s a steward of it.
“All three colleges have been incredibly impactful,” Lex says. “Their care and support inspired me to come back and give back. The District is a place where you feel the warmth.
Lex’s story is one where compassion and community meet opportunity. It’s a reminder that when students are given a chance and cultivated with care, they become the leaders who carry it forward.