Toni Garcia is a Student Services Specialist on Rio Salado College’s Student Engagement and Recruitment Team. She joined Rio in 2021, and has served with the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) for 20 years.
Garcia loves the sense of belonging she found at Rio, and enjoys interacting with students and helping them become self-sufficient.
“I believe my work contributes results by educating students about our resources and tools,” Garcia said. “I want to empower students to complete tasks on their own and have the knowledge to do so in the future.”
One piece of advice Garcia offers students is that their past does not define them.
“In high school, I was told by my guidance counselor that I did not have to worry about college because I was not 'college material,’” Garcia said. “Achieving the highest level of education became my goal and aspiration.”
Proving the naysayers wrong, Garcia graduated from Ottawa University with a bachelor’s degree in communication in May 2024. She is currently enrolled in a master’s program as part of a cohort with MCCCD and Northern Arizona University.
“It’s challenging because I still hear that voice in my head today,” Garcia said. “But I tell myself what I tell our students – that they are here now and their future and its possibilities are all that matters.”
When she is not working, Garcia spends time with family and friends and dotes on her five furry grandbabies: Cookie, Oreo, Capone, Vic and Oscar. She also enjoys making people laugh.
“I tend to remember jokes and love making people laugh,” Garcia said. “I am building up the nerve to participate in an amateur night for stand up comedy.”
Garcia might also be found at Dominic’s Bistro Italiano in Sun City on a day off.
“The food is homemade and the family who owns the restaurant makes you feel like you are at home,” Garcia said. “They treat you like family. One of the owners, Dominic, also provides live music by singing his favorite Sinatra songs.”