Basketball. Football. Tennis. Baseball.

The list of sports teams here at COC goes on and on, and at the end of the list, alongside the coaches and players, you’ll find Albert Loaiza, one of the athletic counselors here at COC. Though he operates off the field and up in the counseling department, his job is nonetheless crucial to ensuring the success of COC’s players inside of the classroom. Loaiza received his undergraduate degree in Sociology from San Bernardino and later earned his Master's in Counseling from the University of LaVerne in 2008.

From the beginning, he knew he wanted to be a part of the higher education system; the idea of helping students navigate the campus and college scene was appealing to him from the start. However, it wasn't until he learned more about community colleges in grad school that he started to consider the possibility of counseling in particular. "I love interacting with students and watching them develop into productive members of society," Loaiza shares earnestly. "I keep in touch with students, and watching them flourish is just such a great thing to experience as a counselor." It was during his internship at Citrus College that he started to develop a love for counseling in particular -- the impact he could have on students was enough to sway him into pursuing it as a full-time career. Now, after nine years at COC, he's learned how to teach students to speak up for themselves and understand what it takes to be successful in life.

"I always tell students that it's okay to reach out for help, and I coach them in terms of knowing who to go to help for, so they're always prepared," he says. "It's important for them to develop a voice for themselves -- to advocate for themselves." Unsurprisingly, Loaiza’s biggest love outside of counseling is his dedication to sports, alongside his family (which just recently welcomed a new addition -- a third boy!). Loaiza splits his time between baseball, softball, and other COC team games, but he’s also into surfing, paddleboarding, and virtually anything the beach has to offer. In terms of professional sports, the Angels and Lakers have his heart, though he’s a bit more lenient with his loyalty to any NFL teams. “I’m just a huge die-hard sports fan all around,” he says. “A goal of mine has always been to hit every baseball stadium and watch a game.” Albert Loaiza is a sports lover, a mentor, and a family man, and through it, all, his dedication and compassion for others remain solid, both on and off the field.