Lone Star College System opened its 2026-27 academic year Monday, Aug. 31, with a convocation that put student stories at the center.

Chancellor Mario K. Castillo used the annual Fall Convocation to remind employees that the system's roughly 97,000 students each arrive with individual goals. He asked staff to recognize the courage it takes for someone to walk in and ask for more than they have, Woodlands Online reported.

Two speakers gave that message a face. Sanyiah Griffin, a first-generation college student, told the audience that most of her family never graduated high school. She had no college plans before enrolling at Lone Star College.

"Lone Star has really helped me maneuver through life … I didn't really dream or think big for myself, but when I started going to school and being around certain things, it made me want to do more for myself," Griffin said.

Edgar Garcia, a 2010 LSC-North Harris graduate, spoke about moving to Houston from Mexico at age 7 and building AE Construction Services while earning an associate of arts degree in business. Garcia now mentors and donates scholarships to Lone Star College students.

The event matters locally. Both Spring ISD and Klein ISD fall within the Lone Star College service area, as defined by the Texas Legislature. LSC-North Harris was established in 1972 by voters in the Aldine, Humble and Spring school districts, making it one of the oldest institutional ties between the Spring community and the college system.

Castillo also recognized five employees with awards. Among them, Heidi Jo Green, a political science professor at Lone Star College-CyFair, won the Transformative Effect Award for organizing courtroom visits and debates between students and incarcerated individuals. Corniche Land of Lone Star College-Tomball and Allyson Bullock of LSC-University Park shared the One LSC Award for a cross-campus partnership called "Team 249 – Corridor of Opportunity."

Systemwide enrollment has been climbing. Lone Star College recorded 97,221 students in spring 2026, a 6.4% jump over spring 2025 and the highest spring enrollment in the institution's history. The system also reported a 79.7% fall-to-spring retention rate.

The fall 2026 semester began Aug. 24 across more than 20 Lone Star College locations in the Houston region.