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SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2014 LIVE IT UP! 11 Hitting Her Sweet Spot Dr. Laurel Jones reflects on one year at the helm of Cabrillo College D r. Laurel Jones has hit her sweet spot. One year into her ideal job at the ideal time in her life, the President and Super- intendant of Cabrillo College is experiencing a perfect storm in her career, and mostly, she says, because of the people she works with and for, the staff and students of Cabrillo. "I was an English Lit- erature major," says Dr. Jones, 56. "Shakespeare talked about the youth- ful idealism of the salad days. Yet as I reach my seasoned citizen years with experience and perspective, I find edu- cation to be an interest- ing place to be at this period in my life. I have lived through many economic downturns, several governors, and a system revitalization process. I'm realizing I have a wealth of intu- ition and experience serving me well in this part of my career, as I look to direct Cabrillo into the next 20 years." Dr. Jones also recog- nizes that at this point in her life, with her children grown and out of the house, she can turn her attention from family dinners and soccer games, to school. Released from the daily juggling act of kids and career, she has integrated her life and her work, and is enjoying the chance to reflect on where both are headed. "At Cabrillo," says Dr. Jones, "I've had a deep desire to really get to know people and look at them in terms of their influence on my life - not just their roles and responsibilities. I've had one of the most transformative experi- ences of my career in observing their wis- dom and willingness to share their love of this college, and I have learned a great deal from my colleagues. Also, I have integrated my own values I've developed by this age, which I would have been unable to do when I was younger. This makes my job much more meaning- ful." When you reach the point in life, says Dr. Jones, when you're not so worried about where you're going to go next in your career, you really want to focus on people with shared vision and energy, who make your day as joyful and as educational as possible. "I have this in abundance at Cabrillo College," she says, "and for that, I am so grate- ful." A graduate of Taylor University, Indiana, with a bachelor's degree in English, followed by a Master's degree in En- glish from CSU Fuller- ton, and crowned with an Ed.D in Educational Leadership from the University of LaVerne, Dr. Jones has spent 25 years serving California Community Colleges. by Lisa Crawford Watson