Captain Anthony Bayungan, Commodore, Navy Recruiting Command Region West, presented Norco College math instructor Andy Robles with the Navy’s Impact, Influencer Award for the Southwest Region.
Robles was nominated by former student, Justin Chong, who will be enlisting in the Navy.
Bayungan visited the College to present the award. Robles joined the presentation via Zoom.
“We were doing surveys of our cadets and we asked who was one of the most powerful influencers who helped them prepare for this adieus training,” Captain Bayungan said. “You were chosen as an influencer for the Southwest region. One of the best things I get to do in this job is recognize people who deserve it. We know defending this country doesn’t happen without having quality men and women.”
Bayungan, a nuclear engineer himself, said his own career was launched by learning calculus at a community college.
“It is 30 years in my rearview mirror, but I couldn’t have done it without the individuals who I interacted with daily. Thank you for what you do to build a foundation for these men and women.”
The citation in part reads, “John F. Kennedy, a Navy officer, once said, ‘Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another.’ Without your unwavering support and dedication to provide the highest quality of education this would have not be possible. Thank you for helping to build a foundation for the future, naval power nuclear program, and the world’s strongest Navy.”
Robles was surprised by the presentation, thinking he was calling into the College on another matter.
“Thank you very much. I am honored and humbled by this award,” Robles said. “Ironically, when I was in grad school, I had a classmate who was doing a nuclear training program through the Navy. So, it is wonderful to see it come full circle…then having a classmate and now a former student who is going through the program. I am glad that I could be of service and not because of the way I teach mathematics, but in teaching mathematics it has been a very strong foundation and a great start [for individuals]. Thank you so much for this award.”
Monica Green, Ed.D., president of Norco College, cited Robles’ years of service to the College and more importantly his impact on students.
“Andy’s years of service and dedication to students serve as a perfect example of the transformative power of higher education and the positive impact that our faculty have on the lives of our students and the communities in which we serve,“ she said.
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