{"id":52989,"date":"2026-05-12T08:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T13:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=52989"},"modified":"2026-05-20T08:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T13:27:03","slug":"csaa-winner-genevieve-kent-elbaor-a-journey-of-resilience-service-and-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/05\/12\/csaa-winner-genevieve-kent-elbaor-a-journey-of-resilience-service-and-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"CSAA Winner Genevieve Kent Elbaor: A Journey of Resilience, Service, and Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n

A mother of three, musician, community leader, and now, Austin Community College District\u2019s (ACC) Chancellor\u2019s Student Achievement Award recipient. When Genevieve Kent Elbaor crosses the graduation stage this spring, she brings with her a journey defined by resilience, curiosity, and a deep commitment to lifting others along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy very first course at ACC was an informal French class that my mother helped me sign up for when I was 12. I came back as a college student in 2013, while working for the City of Austin as a cultural arts event coordinator. My goal at that time was to earn a degree in Arts Administration. Many years and kids later, I re-enrolled in 2023 to study Psychology.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a single-income family of five, financial support played a key role in making her education possible. Scholarships\u2014including ACC\u2019s Affordability Scholarship\u2014helped her stay focused on her goals and reach graduation. She chose ACC for its affordability and flexibility, but stayed because of something deeper. <\/p>\n

\u201cI kept choosing it every semester because of the student support, resources, student organizations, excellent Honors Program and advising, culture, scholarship opportunities, seminars, new friends, and so much more.\u201d<\/p>\n

That support became critical during one of the most difficult chapters of her journey. In fall 2024, Genevieve faced a serious health challenge that lasted nearly a year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat year, I chose to keep taking one class at a time through copious testing and surgery, and I am so glad that I did. I am now graduating with a clean bill of health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through it all, she remained engaged on campus. What began as volunteering quickly grew into leadership roles across organizations like Phi Theta Kappa, the Honors Student Organization, Active Minds, and the FunNation Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chance to use my abilities to serve my community and to see that the work my team did actually made a difference let me know that I was in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her service has taken many forms, from researching the impact of music on individuals living with Alzheimer\u2019s and registering students to vote to organizing book drives for underserved families. She also found ways to connect her passion for music with her community, performing Zimbabwean folk music through ACC\u2019s Find Your Voice concert series.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud to have worked alongside so many talented and devoted students to serve my community through Honors service learning and all the wonderful Student Life organizations. I will also never forget the feeling of registering my first student to vote as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genevieve credits ACC faculty and staff for helping shape her experience.<\/p>\n