
Handley High School graduate Raul Chicas is enjoying working for a Canadian school system, and credits Laurel Ridge Community College with putting him on the path to success.
After graduating from Handley in 2010, Chicas attended Blue Ridge Community and Technical College in Martinsburg, West Virginia, for a year. The affordability of in-state tuition at Laurel Ridge led him to come to the college the following year.
“For me, Laurel Ridge was that second opportunity,” Chicas said of his decision to make the switch. “The college gave me that opportunity to continue my educational pursuits. It was very convenient for me – commuting was just amazing. Laurel Ridge is where my academic journey really began, it was a turning point for my educational path.”
Chicas especially credits Sociology Professor Larry Friedenberg, who at the time served as his academic advisor, and English Professor Jenni VanCuren for being there for him.
“Professor Friedenberg was also my personal mentor,” Chicas said. “He provided me substantial support and he was my reference for the master’s degree program that I ended up pursuing just recently.”
In addition to the support she provided him while at Laurel Ridge, Professor VanCuren also served as a reference for Chicas. He was active in clubs and also practiced with the college’s then-rugby team while a student.
Chicas said that sometimes community colleges are stigmatized, but for him they represent opportunity, and “that door that opened up so many opportunities for me.” Following his graduation from Laurel Ridge in 2014, Chicas transferred to Old Dominion University, where he studied criminal justice, earning his degree in 2016.
“If it wasn’t for Laurel Ridge, I never would’ve gotten accepted to ODU,” he said.
Chicas said he was hampered in finding police work after graduation because he hadn’t undertaken any internships, which is something he rectified when it came to graduate school and his next career, which happened to be in Canada. He moved to Canada to be with his now-wife, who was in school herself.

Raul Chicas attained Canadian citizenship in 2018.
After arriving in Canada, Chicas worked in the public sector in Toronto from 2017-2021. In 2022, he earned a postgraduate certificate in human resources management from Humber College, where he completed two internships: one as an HR people and culture intern and the other in HR and recruitment. And, in spring 2024, Chicas, who was awarded Canadian citizenship in 2018, attained a master’s degree in industrial relations and human resources from the University of Toronto. He now works as an employee relations officer for Dufferin-Peel District Catholic School Board in the Greater Toronto area. Before completing his graduate degree, he did an internship in labor relations.
“It’s something I’ve always been excited about – knowing the laws,” Chicas said of his job, which is in the labor relations field and heavily reliant on statutes and the working relationships between management and its workforce. “It’s a great experience, and it all started at the Middletown Campus.”
Even though it took him some time to find the right fit professionally, Chicas said it was well worth it.
“I wouldn’t really change anything because I am who I am today because of my mentors, because of my professors and the individuals I have crossed paths with,” he said. “I’ve stayed in communication with Professor Friedenberg and Professor VanCuren. It’s amazing that former professors still remember their students. That’s something I will never forget.
“I’m a first-generation college student of Hispanic/Latino descent with Nahua Pipil Indigenous roots. I come from humble beginnings, and I’m still humble now. If I can do it, anyone can. It’s with the right mindset, the right discipline to attain those high marks to be successful.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.