PBSC Boca Raton Associate Dean Luli Marx graduates as National Community College Hispanic Council fellow

 

Palm Beach State College Boca Raton campus Associate Dean Luli Marx is the latest faculty member to graduate as a fellow from the National Community College Hispanic Council’s (NCCHC) prestigious Dr. Ted Martinez Jr. Leadership Fellows Program.

The NCCHC’s mission is to prepare and support Hispanics for senior leadership roles within community colleges. Fellows must be nominated before applying for acceptance into the year-long fellowship. Marx was nominated by former NCCHC fellow Roy Vargas, who retired Oct. 1 as Dean of PBSC’s Boca Raton campus.

PBSC Associate Dean Susy Martinez-White is a former NCCHC fellow and Ronnie Malave, PBSC's vice president of Student Services, was selected as a fellow for the upcoming year.

Marx was one of 30 fellows selected for the program from which she graduated on Sept. 12, 2024. Fellows are assigned a mentor and must attend three week-long workshops the NCCHC has developed in collaboration with Arizona State University. The goal of the program is for fellows to leave with a better understanding of the leadership competencies required of aspiring community college leaders, the issues facing Hispanic students and how to improve their academic success.

“My mentor, Hartnell College President Michael Gutierrez, was an amazing resource and I learned so much from him,” Marx said. “Even though he is based in Northern California, I could reach out to him anytime with questions and get unbiased advice.”

Marx attended numerous workshops, which were often led by former NCCHC fellows and current community college presidents. Current Hispanic College presidents spoke of their leadership journeys and offered advice. “We spoke of being Hispanic leaders in a non-Hispanic world,” Marx said. “We want to be represented in these leadership positions as it allows Hispanic students and faculty members to see themselves.”

A native of Lima, Peru, Marx moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. She began her career at PBSC in 2004, teaching English for Academic Purposes, for students whose first language is not English.  Marx became Associate Dean of the Boca Raton campus in 2021 before going on to become director of the Kimmel Leadership Academy, when it launched the next year. Each year up to 30 students selected for the academy based on their strong applications and leadership potential. They participate in a series of activities, workshops, and events to develop their team building, leadership and soft skills during the week-long program held at the Boca Raton campus. “We help them with developing soft skills so when they go out into the workforce they can interview and communicate well,” Marx said.

Marx and PBSC Professor Helena Zacharis gave a presentation to the NCCHC’s Fellowship conference on the success of the Kimmel Academy. In the three years since its inception, 81 students have completed the program and the average cumulative GPA for those students as of Fall 2024 is 3.34, Marx said. There have been six new student clubs formed by Kimmel scholars and several other Kimmel students have earned other scholarships.

Much of what PBSC students learn at the Kimmel Academy, is similar to the leadership skills Marx honed as a NCCHC fellow. Both programs use the CliftonStrengths assessment to determine leadership style. Using a 30-minute questionnaire, test takers are presented with paired statements and select the option they identify with best. They then receive a report outlining the five strength areas they scored highest in, along with information on how to apply those strengths. But for Marx the fellows program offered other benefits. “The most valuable thing for me was the connection I developed with other Hispanic leaders,” she said.