By Brianna Lusk Valley Women Magazine writer 
Printed courtesy of Valley Women Magazine, El Centro, CA

  You may not find her following students on their job shadowing assignments or sitting in the courtroom during a mock trial competition, but most of what happens with county-wide student activities has Denise Cabanilla’s signature on it.
  As the coordinator for student activities for the Imperial County Office of Education, Cabanilla is tasked with putting together extra- curricular activities and competitions like academic decathlons, mock trials, job shadowing, poster contests and more.

  And although Cabanilla may spend months working on an event that goes by in a matter of hours, it’s the experience the students have, she said, that has a much deeper longevity.

  “I just hope the impact can last a lifetime,” Cabanilla said.
  It’s an impact she said her own involvement in student activities had on her as a teenager and throughout her high school years. Now through her work with ICOE, Cabanil la considers herself as the driver behind the wheel of the programs that integrate education and life skills As the first in her family to complete a bachelor’s degree, the Brawley Union High School graduate said she remembers the supportive people who surrounded her, encouraging her to follow her ambitions. Her participation in service clubs, associated student body and cheerleading, she said, gave her motivation and made her look at her education in a whole new light.

  “I saw how education is important and can take you places,” Cabanilla said. “It gave me a different avenue to use other talents I have. I discovered my creativeness. I want to do whatever I can to provide what might have the same impact on students today. That’s why this is so close to my heart.”

  After obtaining her degree from San Diego State University Imperial Valley campus in 2002 in social science with an emphasis in sociology, Cabanilla went to work as a student assistant rep­resentative, working one- on- one with students regularly. When the position became available for the student activities coordina­tor three years ago, Cabanilla said she believed it was a prime opportunity to combine her interest in education and reaching a broad range of people.

  “I get to work with all schools. It’s a perfect marriage because I still get to work with kids and now I interact with administrators, teachers and the public,” she said.

  But what is at the center of everything she does, Cabanilla said, is trying to build programs that inspire and enrich students all across the Valley.
  “I’m a believer in education. I’ve lived the benefit of what edu­cation can do for you. It can lift you up. These programs provide opportunities for the kids to grow in their education and in their life skills.”

  Especially with events like the science fairs, Cabanilla said some programs take things children have already learned in school and expand it into an experience, thereby enriching the child’s under­standing and knowledge of certain subjects.
  “It’s one thing to read about something and another to carry out a scientific process,” Cabanilla said. Beyond enhancing their edu­cation, Cabanilla said she has seen the student activities bring out the best in students.

  The invaluable life skills they often learn, she said, like those she learned when she was younger, stay with students long after grad­uation.

  “ They learn about themselves, their strengths. They may learn about a talent they never knew they had. It enhances their pride in their school and their self-worth,” Cabanilla said.

  And watching a young shy girl, who is much like Cabanilla was in school, develop into a confident and more secure young lady, she said, is the best part of the job.
  “I’m lucky to have a job where I see the fruits of my labor. I love what these programs do for the kids.”

  But Cabanilla is modest about her own contributions to the pro­grams. It’s the programs themselves, she said, and the work the teachers, students and community volunteers put into it that makes them successful.

  “It’s not necessarily what I’ve done,” she said, adding she feels lucky just to be a part of something the children have accom­plished. Looking through the list of valedictorians of high schools around the Valley at the end of the year, she said, could be the biggest reward of all.

  “Many listed some of these activities on their profiles. I just thought ‘ wow, it does make a difference. That’s why I’m in educa­tion.’” Even life lessons like how to lose with dignity, or to realize defeat in competition doesn’t mean you’re defeated as a person, can be the most important outcome of all. “ They’re still winners because of all the hard work, the dedication they’ve put into it. Sometimes they forget that.”

  Having support from organizations and staff, Cabanilla said, is what can make or break a program’s success. From recruiting vol­unteers from the business community to looking for volunteers for job shadowing days, Cabanilla said running the programs in an area like the Valley makes it all possible.

  “ We live in such a supportive Valley with people that are always willing to help,” she said.

  A self- described perfectionist, Cabanilla said being student activities coordinator challenges her in a way that she never imaged. It ultimately comes down to ensuring the student has a good experience and the caliber of the programs match up to what students in the Valley deserve.

  And while Cabanilla said she’s living out her “dream job,” she still has high goals for the programs and strives to grow each pro­gram and take it to the next level.
  “I can see some things we need to revamp, some things need improvement and some that are great and need to stay the same,” she said.

  While experiencing challenges trying to finish college, she came close to giving up. Cabanilla said she came from a working­class family.

  “My husband John said I shouldn't want to quit school and he was right. I wanted to give back (to education) what it has given to me. So I decided to keep going.”
  Driven by the power education can have in a student’s life, Cabanilla said she is dedicated to her work that impacts students in the classroom and beyond. Being in this position, Cabanilla said, has taught her more than she ever thought possible.

  “I’ve learned so much from these students and my involvement with these programs,” she said. “I’ve learned you don’t stop learn­ing when you’re done with school.”