Christina Romo Named Houston East End Chamber of Commerce Rookie of the Year

Student success and community are at the core of our beliefs and our faculty and staff embody that. Christina Romo, Registrar/Career Services Advisor, of CHCP’s sister school Astrodome Career Centers was presented with the Rookie of The Year Award by the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce. Her unwavering dedication to build connections in our community and with students also earned her a position on the board at the chamber through a unanimous vote.

The rookie of the year award is presented to a new member who is an active participant and made significant contributions to the chamber in their first year. This includes involvement in routine activities as well as special chamber initiatives and projects.

Romo shared insight of what being part of the East End Chamber of Commerce represents for Astrodome Career Centers.  

What does being named Rookie of the Year mean to you?

To just be considered for Rookie of the Year is an honor in itself. Nominations for this award are not simply given. For consideration of this prestigious award, one must prove themselves worthy. Not only through volunteer hours, participation in outreach events and projects for the community, but also with the personal and professional business relationship development. All of these elements are instrumental in achieving the goals of the Chamber, some of which include making a direct positive and quantifiable impact in the community. 

How will a role on the East End board benefit current students and alumni?

The Chamber has opened a hub to facilitate networking, this helps to gain exposure with employers who have never heard of Astrodome Career Centers. As a result, we are developing business partnerships for post graduate extern sites with prospective employers, some of which lead to potential employment opportunities.

Is there is a certain aspect of the East End you like the most?

 I like the education side of it. I had the pleasure to take part in several mock interviews at high schools which are part of the chamber. We interviewed seniors, and provided them with valuable feedback. One of the guests I was able to invite was Leah Harris, she is a Career Service Advisor from our CHCP Houston Northwest campus. She had a great Q & A session and received terrific feedback from the student body. It was a great experience to help guide these seniors and better prepare them for their future endeavors in our workforce. Being a Career Service adviser at my campus, Astrodome Career Centers, I also encouraged the alumni to contact me, either in person, by phone, or via email, to answer any questions or concerns they may have about entering the workforce.

Do you feel like the East End has helped you grow as a professional? 

The East End has helped me grow as a facilitator between prospective employees and potential employers. It has given me many opportunities to network with employers, in part, not only to bridge the gap between their needs and the graduates' needs but also to develop my own interpersonal communication skills which will indirectly help guide the East End workforce to a more prospective and prosperous community.