As a 38-year-old re-entry student at Reedley College, Janell Mendoza struggled to adapt to being a student.  Many nights she juggled homework and parenting. With her responsibilities so overwhelming, Mendoza doubted if she would ever make it.  Through sheer determination, however, Mendoza would persevere and graduate at the top of her class.
Now Mendoza is the acting Vice President of Administrative Services at Fresno City College, taking over for Michael Guerra who resigned in October. She comes with the experience of administration from her previous job at the Madera Center.
“In my position at the North Center, I addressed the same issues on a smaller scope, so I had a pretty good idea what the job entailed,” Mendoza says. “It has been a learning experience coming from the smaller campus to the larger campus.”
Since she was a little girl, Mendoza always knew she wanted to work in a position where she helps people. “I always wanted to work with others but didn’t necessarily want to be a teacher,” she said.
Born in the Belmont and Chestnut area of Southeast Fresno, Mendoza is the daughter of first-generation Czech immigrants. She is part of a blended family with eight siblings in all. “My childhood was very stable. My father was a very hard worker and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. That was traditional then,” she said. She attended St. Helen’s elementary School and San Joaquin Memorial also in southeast Fresno.
“After I graduated high school, I got a job, and my father’s advice was to find a nice guy and get married,” said Mendoza. In 1988, she enrolled at Reedley College as a liberal studies major while raising a family. “I have a lot of empathy and understandings with what many students go through because I was a single parent and re-entry student,” said Mendoza. “One of the lessons I learned during college was that hard work pays off and not to give up. There were many times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it through.”
A semester after she began attending college at Reedley, she was hired full time at the Madera Center as a full time employee. She learned a lot about the State Center Community College District itself, student services, and in general how to help students.  Mendoza had to learn a variety of skills to accommodate the different subjects students would ask her about. Students would ultimately see a counselor, but Mendoza would help in any way she could.
During her time at Reedley, she worked with many other students mostly in study groups. “I was definitely a fish out of water surrounded by all these really young people,” she says. “When you are wearing your work clothes and all of the students are in their jeans and T-shirts; you definitely stand out.” One of the reasons Mendoza initially chose to work with the district was that the schedule would allow her to work and go to school. In her job at the North Centers, she was able to attend school in the afternoon and work in the morning.
In her new job, she noticed the contrast to her old campus immediately. She says, “It’s been a learning experience and very interesting to see the differences between working on a smaller campus and a larger campus.” She has also noticed how busy this campus is. “This campus is very busy. The pace is very fast,” she says.
Mendoza has also noticed that her job has become more challenging with budget cuts. “We’re trying to provide the services for students and maintain what they need to succeed in all aspects of their education and it is a challenge with this reduced funding,” she said. During these hard times, Mendoza stays optimistic about the financial situation. “My glass is always half full; I tend to be positive about things,” she says. “I love working with people. I like being around them. I’m kind of shy, but I enjoy working with people.”
Aside from meetings and committees, Mendoza doesn’t usually get to interact with as many students like when she worked at the North Center, but she still likes being around them when she can. She said, “I take the time to say hello and how is it going when I can.”