One of our own at Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) – Mathematics Professor Dr. Raquel Lopez – has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Dr. William Yslas Vélez Award. Presented by the Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation, this award honors faculty in higher education whose work and community engagement is making a meaningful difference, –especially for students who’ve been overlooked, students from all backgrounds and those who haven’t always been represented in STEM.
The recognition is both humbling and deeply personal for Dr. Lopez, who is a former community college student herself.
“Community colleges are where brilliance, resilience, and diversity shine. They are where second chances become futures,” she said. “Receiving this recognition means the world to me.”
Admitting when she first heard the news over email, she “thought it was a phishing scam,” Lopez said, “It felt too good to be true. But once I realized it was real, I was speechless. To be nominated by Dr. Steven Gonzales to receive an award named after Dr. William Vélez, a trailblazer who opened doors for students like me, is profoundly humbling.”
Champion for Students
Dr. Lopez’s passion for mathematics began early, but her journey hasn’t always been smooth.
“I’ve always loved math and was good at it, but I don’t learn in traditional ways. I read slowly, and I need time to think deeply. For years, that made me feel like I didn’t belong. I had teachers who dismissed me or made me feel small for thinking differently. That’s why this moment means so much. It’s a reminder that there’s more than one way to do mathematics and that our differences are not deficits.”
Her teaching philosophy centers on confidence-building, creating a sense of belonging and unlocking potential. She challenges the myth that only certain students are ‘math people’, by celebrating different approaches to problem-solving and thinking and encouraging curiosity and persistence through discovery-based learning.
One of her most memorable teaching moments came when a student who had previously failed math multiple times told her it was the first time she ever felt smart in a math class. With support and encouragement, that student not only passed but went on to tutor others.
“That’s what keeps me going,” she said, “helping students transform the way they see themselves through confidence, connection, and critical thinking.”
Lopez's impact extends far beyond lectures and assignments. She has mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds through NSF-funded undergraduate research, helped them co-author manuscripts, and guided them as they presented at academic conferences – all rare opportunities at the community college level that have opened doors to future internships, transfers, and career possibilities.
“I know what it’s like to juggle jobs, feel like an outsider in academic spaces, or wonder if you really belong in math. That’s why I work to create classrooms where students feel seen, respected, and supported. I believe deeply that talent is everywhere, even if opportunity isn’t. So, whenever I can, I try to create those opportunities: for growth, for belonging, and for believing in what’s possible.”
To learn more about PVCC’s degrees and programs, visit our website.