For Lydia Bakit, City College is a home away from home – which is why she’s so dedicated to her responsibilities as the campus’s business office support supervisor.

“I’m drawn to the diversity of our campus,” Bakit said. “We’re a multicultural institution and value diversity. I’m a first-generation American, and a lot of students, faculty and professional staff look like me. I make it an effort to do everything I can to serve our community and help our students.”

Born and raised in Chula Vista, Bakit graduated from Eastlake High School. A product of the California Community Colleges, she transferred from Southwestern College to San Diego State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies, with an emphasis in public relations, and a master’s degree – with a GPA of 4.0 – in education, with a concentration in counseling. Bakit worked for five years as a public relations professional in San Diego, before moving to Cubic Corporation as a communications professional.

Her affinity for public education led her to San Diego City College in 2017, when she was hired as an administrative technician. She quickly built a reputation as an invaluable member of the City College team with a passion for student success.

Bakit was promoted to her current position as business office support supervisor in May of 2022. The position includes overseeing a three-person department responsible for onboarding new hires, troubleshooting and answering questions related to human resources, working with management and administrative staff on matters related to Business Services, and more. She is, in essence, the San Diego Community College District’s Human Resources liaison at the East Village campus. Business Services falls under the Administrative Services Division.

Many of the new hires she and her team onboard are student workers. “For a lot of our students, this is the first time they’ve worked at a college campus or the first time they’ve had a job,” she said. “I have an obligation to help them succeed. We want to ensure their experience is a good one.”

Working at City College is part of a lifelong passion for education that her parents instilled in her. Her parents immigrated from Eritrea in the 1980s and settled in San Diego County. Her father, Gabe Bakit, would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in linguistics. He worked as an accounting supervisor at the San Diego Community College District office and San Diego College of Continuing Education.

“I know the impact an education can have,” she said.

“The diversity and social inclusion that is seen, felt and experienced at City College is unique,” Bakit said. “City College is the representation of what it means to serve people from different backgrounds and cultures.”