Army Veteran Wins Toyota Prius in University of La Verne Scholarship Fundraiser
Joseph Carmona ’12 kept fellow soldiers safe as an Army sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now the University of La Verne alumnus hopes to eventually help keep police officers safe on the streets of Los Angeles as a leader in the Los Angeles Police Department.
But while working toward that goal, he racked up more than 200,000 miles on his car by commuting from San Dimas. He purchased three tickets for the university’s 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Premium giveaway, hoping to be the lucky winner and support scholarships for his alma mater.
“I was literally at the bank to see how much I would qualify for a bank loan (on a new car) when I received a phone call that we had won the car,” Carmona said. “All the worry and stress just left me as I talked to the lady over the phone.”
The family of the late Richard Romero, a University of La Verne trustee from 1978 to 2000, donated the fully-loaded sedan to the university through Romero’s company, OREMOR Automotive Group.
Carmona, 37, grew up in Azusa and followed in the footsteps of father, grandfather, and great-grandfather by signing up for the Army right out of high school. He worked his way up the ranks to sergeant, protecting 15 to 20 soldiers while deployed in the Middle East.
He remembers grabbing those men to duck behind a building when a rocket-propelled grenade landed at their feet just three days after he arrived in Iraq. In that instance, the explosive did not detonate. Carmona said that despite numerous other close calls, he got all of those soldiers home safely.
Carmona pursued a bachelor’s degree in theology after completing six years of military service and then went to work in law enforcement.
Because of his exposure to leadership in the Army, he became interested in following a similar path as an officer. He signed up for the University of La Verne’s Master of Science in Leadership and Management program through the university’s corporate education program.
“I’ve always been drawn to leadership, so it was an easy thing for me to do,” he said.
Carmona also met his wife, Diana, through the program. She is a 2012 graduate, but has postponed starting a career in favor of raising she and her husband’s 3-year-old twins at home.
Carmona said the MSLM program gave him tools to brainstorm new ideas and implement change within his organization. He has already applied some of the skills he has learned, but he hopes to use them as a captain one day.
“I wouldn’t mind being a captain of a division and take care of fellow officers, help them make right decisions, make sure they have a healthy work-life balance,” he said.
The drawing for the Prius raised $44,300, which will support student scholarships at the university. It is the second year that the university has held a car giveaway. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nicole Clark bought a single ticket for last year’s drawing and won a new 2017 Honda HR-V EX-L. That car was donated to the university by American Honda Motor Co.
