Favian Lamas

Associate in Arts Transfer

Favian Lamas wanted a greater variety of course options to help meet his high school graduation requirements so he enrolled in YVC’s Running Start program during his junior year.

“I felt that I wasn’t being challenged enough by taking Spanish, the only offered [foreign] language, for my language credit as I am [already] fluent in reading, writing and speaking. The sign language courses at Yakima Valley College caught my attention and influenced my decision,” stated Lamas.

Coming from a low-income household, Running Start helped Lamas begin his college career and shape his future goals by enabling him to earn college credits while also completing high school.

“At the time when I decided to try Running Start, I was unsure about attending college after high school and figured [I’d give] it a shot and potentially get a head start if I decided to further my education.

The program also gave him a chance to get a better idea of what he needed to study to pursue a career in photography.

“I always knew I wanted to pursue something like photography but was unsure what I needed to get there. Thanks to YVC offering this program, I am able to explore other areas of interest to help guide myself in what goals I want to aim for,” he continued.

Through his experience, Lamas also helped inspire two of his high school classmates to also apply for Running Start and pursue higher education.

“There are so many options and pathways you can take and along the way there are great advisors and professors with the best advice you can get. It is also a great connection to the outer world; you meet people from different schools, places and a wide variety of ages and nationalities. It just is amazing experiencing this program alongside great people from the community,” he continued.

He will graduate in the spring of 2022 with his associate of arts transfer degree and his high school diploma. He plans to continue to build his photography business and hopes to seek other business ventures.