MC Registrar Crystal Velasquez Reflects on 17 Years at Midland CollegeDecember 04, 2024

“The most fun part of my job is commencement (aka graduation), and it’s also the busiest!” MC Registrar Crystal Velasquez said. “When students come in our office after the commencement ceremony, and I get to hand them their diplomas, it reminds me why I’m here."

"It’s the best feeling in the world to be able to give a diploma to someone who is the first in their family to graduate from college, or to someone who struggled working a full-time job, balancing home and family and attending evening classes. I could go on and on with examples of MC's wonderful students and their stories. It makes me proud that Midland College focuses so heavily on the word ‘community’ in ‘community college.’”

Velasquez has worked at Midland College a total of 17 years. She followed her husband Charles to employment at MC in 2000 as a database programmer. In 2003, she left MC for a few years when their two children were infants and toddlers. In 2010, Crystal returned to MC, again as a database programmer. She soon became part of the Institutional Research team working her way up the career ladder from data analyst in the IR department to director of the department. In October 2020, MC named Crystal as Interim Registrar, and in February 2021, the promotion was “official,” removing the word “interim” from her title. She oversees both the Registrar’s Office and the MC Records Department.

“Midland College was my first job out of college,” she said. “I grew up in a little town near El Paso — Dell City. My graduating class had 17 people in it. I began my undergraduate degree at Sul Ross State University, and that’s where I met Charles. We both worked in the computer lab."

“Charles started working at Midland College first, and he liked it so much that he encouraged me to apply for a job. So, Midland College is a big part of our family. On the weekends when our children were small, we would take picnics to the campus, and the kids learned to ride bikes on the square by the Carillon. Then, later they learned to drive in the Chap Center parking lot.”

Crystal and Charles have now been married for 25 years, and their children are grown; Angelina is 21 years old and attends Midland College; Arin is 18 and attends Texas State University. The family still enjoys spending time and traveling together. Their favorite spots are theme parks. They have season passes to Six Flags and visit the theme parks in Dallas and San Antonio quite often. They have been to Disney World two times, and during the spring 2025 semester, Arin will work at Disney World participating in the Disney College Program.

Closer to home, Crystal enjoys shopping at thrift stores and says that one of her annual highlights is the Midland Senior Services Texas-Sized Garage Sale.

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Workplace Quality is one of Midland College's core strategic pillars. Our goal is to create a workplace of choice — one that fosters meaningful work, a collaborative environment grounded in accountability and mutual respect, opportunities for professional and personal growth, and a strong focus on individual wellness.