Lombard honored for commitment to students
By Liz F. Kay
Elizabeth Lombard, M.Ed. ’18G is a beloved coach in the Chirico Career Center who has mentored Providence College students and alumni for more than a decade.
Her dedication was recognized when she was chosen to receive the 2024 Torchbearer Award, which honors employees who have made extraordinary contributions to the effectiveness and success of an office, department, program, or the college overall. She also received the inaugural Campus Advocate Award from the PC1G initiative, recognizing her support of students who are the first in their families to attend college.
“Liz is truly a beacon of support on campus, guiding me throughout my time at PC. If you give her an inch, she will go the extra mile, whether it’s sharing internship recommendations, connecting you with her network, or offering guidance in countless other ways,” said Penelope Tejada ’26.
A finance major, Tejada said Lombard helped her find her summer internship at General Dynamics and introduced her to contacts at L’Oreal and other companies.
“Her generosity and dedication have shaped not only my college experience but also that of so many other students,” Tejada said. “I cannot imagine what my journey here would have been like without her.”
Lombard joined the career center staff in 2013. She planned key events with employers, such as the Career Expo, in addition to career coaching. In 2022, she became the center’s associate director of diversity, inclusion, and early engagement, working with students who are less likely to take advantage of career services, such as those who are the first in their families to attend college or are members of underrepresented groups.
Through the years, she increased the foot traffic among students of color by 70-75 percent through programming she developed and by engaging with campus partners.
“It’s really been a natural transition for me,” said Lombard, a first-generation college student who grew up in a Cabo Verdean family in Newport. “My work with first-gen students is extremely natural because I can definitely relate.”
Lombard studied elementary education and Spanish at Salve Regina University, but has spent most of her career at nonprofits that support young people of color, such as INROADS, an organization that provides career opportunities and internships for college students; Year Up, a training and internship program that helps young people build employment skills and find high-quality jobs; and Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund, which helped public high school students in Washington, D.C. attend college.
During her two decades at INROADS, she realized that her purpose in life was supporting such students.
“I was kind of trying to find my way, and INROADS was really that turning point,” she said.
At PC, Lombard heard feedback that students of color didn’t think they needed to go to the Career Center and didn’t see anyone who looked like them when they did. She reached out to programs serving first-generation students and students of color, starting with Friar Foundations, a summer bridge program that helps first-year students transition to college.
Now she is a fixture on the schedule for Transitions, a preorientation program; Horizons, a mentoring program for first-year students; and the Berkeley Scholars program, which supports students in the business school. She has also worked with clubs such as the college’s chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants.
These meetings get her facetime with students and allow her to encourage them to visit her office, where she talks with them about their college experience as a whole, not just their resumes and cover letters. Before they leave, she schedules a follow-up appointment in a month.
The support does not end at commencement. She continues to work with alumni after they have graduated, helping them navigate career choices, negotiations, and more.
Brianna Harper, MPH ’22, a biology major, was president of Footprints Gospel Choir when Lombard was the group’s advisor. Lombard helped Harper find an internship at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and traveled to Atlanta to attend Harper’s graduation from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
“Liz has always been like a campus mother to me,” Harper said. “Throughout my time at school, Liz has been a constant source of support, always dedicated to her students’ success.”
Lombard often connects PC students and faculty to people she mentored at INROADS, many of whom work in management positions at top companies around the country. For example, she introduced leaders in the School of Business to Jill Pemberton, chief financial officer of North America for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. They invited Pemberton to be the keynote speaker at the 2023 PC Business Dean’s Symposium.
As part of her internship for her master’s degree in higher education counseling from PC, Lombard created a “Real Talk” series to help PC students understand the resources available to them, such as the Student Success Center and the Personal Counseling Center. In 2024, she and students coordinated the first Thrive Summit, a day-long conference to prepare older students for life after college. The summit will take place again on Saturday, March 29.
Lombard accompanies students on the annual PC in Hollywood trip, which introduces them to alumni working in the entertainment industry in southern California, and on the annual PC in DC, where they network with alumni working in politics, government, and public policy in Washington.
At the First Gen Student Celebration for the Class of 2024, Lombard received the inaugural Campus Advocate Award for her leadership and assistance.
“We felt she was so deserving of our first award due to her years of service to countless first-gen students as a mentor and coach as they prepare for lives of purpose and meaning,” said Emily Gonzalez ’23G, associate director of student engagement and leadership, who works with first-generation students. “She has supported many campus initiatives and worked collaboratively with campus partners to create programs and resources that help students navigate their professional development and build their network of relationships.”
Myles Forgue ’24, who majored in marketing and in theology, jokes that Lombard has been one of the longest-serving members of his “personal board of directors,” helping him envision what impact he could make in his education, career, and life by leaning into his strengths.
“Bringing a familiar warmth to the Career Center, Liz is one of the first faces that first-gen students like myself recognize as an advocate who makes herself accessible to translate all things higher education, personal management, and career planning,” Forgue said. “Her compassion and conviction helped me chart my path at Providence College, seizing opportunities at every corner of campus.”
Recipients of the 2025 Torchbearer award will be announced at the spring faculty and staff meeting, scheduled for April 2.
