Each year, the Waubonsee Community College Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to an outstanding graduate of Waubonsee Community College. Awardees have distinguished themselves in their chosen profession, have documented evidence of contribution and service to their community, and demonstrated a continued interest in lifelong education. One of this year's Distinguished Alumni is Cynthia Gamboa, President and Chief Experience Officer at CamMi Photo Booth, LLC. Gamboa is known for her ability to transform "no's" into "yeses." She is a first-generation Latina graduate, the daughter of immigrant parents, mother of four, and an award-winning entrepreneur. Despite facing numerous obstacles, Gamboa has remained resilient and credits Waubonsee as the place where she first felt a sense of belonging. "Waubonsee was the right fit for me; I was able to pursue an education, develop lifelong friendships, and most importantly, my time at the college gave me the opportunity to lean into my purpose,” Gamboa said.
CamMi Photo Booth provides luxury photo experiences for weddings and corporate events. They offer 360 videos, Artificial Intelligence segmentation, and fully customizable photo options for marketing with a photobooth. The company has received The Knot Wedding Pros' Best of Weddings Award for six consecutive years. Gamboa has been awarded the esteemed Hall of Fame recognition for her exceptional work in the local wedding industry. She is working on an initiative to bring business courses for photo booth owners in Spanish to the Las Vegas Expo. Additionally, she will be presenting at the first-ever Mexico City Photo Booth Expo, catering to Spanish speakers who cannot visit the U.S.
Previously undocumented, Gamboa faced many obstacles in pursuing her post-graduate plans after graduating from Wheaton North High School. She could not pay out-of-state tuition fees as she could not prove her Illinois or U.S. residency. However, she was inspired by watching her parents achieve their American dream by settling in Oswego and buying a newly constructed home. She felt like her aspirations were coming to life. Even though she had no license, she walked from her parent's house to Waubonsee's Aurora Fox Valley Campus, determined to attend. She loved the campus instantly, as it felt comfortable, warm, and welcoming, and she wanted to experience everything it offered. At Waubonsee, Gamboa found a second home where she said, "I could be who I wanted to be, taking classes, being involved, giving back to the community, making a change, and learning about politics."
Gamboa did not view her GPA as a measure of personal success but used her blessings to give back to the community. In 2002, Gamboa testified before the Illinois House of Representatives and the Senate, advocating for House Bill 60, a bill granting in-state tuition to Illinois undocumented students. In the fall of 2023, Gamboa would be at the signing of the bill and would go on to testify before the U.S. Congress on behalf of the Dream Act. Her testimony paved the way for legislation like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, passed in 2015.
After earning an Associate of Science from Waubonsee's transfer business pathway, she successfully transferred to Northern Illinois University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management with an emphasis in Employment Discrimination Law. Despite initially feeling nervous about the move, she found the process smooth and easy and said it was the best decision she could have made.
Gamboa is a passionate community activist who has held many leadership positions throughout her career. Her professional background includes working with Family Focus Youth Development and Citizenship and Immigration Services. There, Gamboa utilized her real-world experience to assist students in completing high school and securing scholarships. She then served as Put Illinois to Work (PITW) Recruiter under Governor Pat Quinn's administration. As a PITW Recruiter, she secured employment for 143 Kane County residents in less than a year before serving as the Career Services Advisor at the Aurora-Naperville Rasmussen University.
Gamboa previously worked as the Campaign Manager for an Aurora mayoral candidate and was elected as Committeewoman of the 7th ward 5th precinct. She was also the Marketing Vice President of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where she managed online communications and community outreach and chaired the 2014 Aurora Hispanic Business Expo. Gamboa serves as a role model for youth programs developed in Aurora as part of the 21st Century Learning Center Afterschool Enrichment Program by the Illinois State Board of Education. At St. Nicholas Church, Gamboa chaired the Social Action Committee and organized the first fully bilingual Mayoral Candidate forum in Aurora in 2003.
Unfortunately, in 2015, Gamboa's mother succumbed to her battle with breast cancer. Two years after her mother's passing, Gamboa found purpose in her pain by founding CUPS Bra Drive in honor of her mother. The annual drive aims to preserve the dignity and self-respect of women and girls facing homelessness, domestic violence, and sex trafficking. Working closely with organizations like Hesed House, Mutual Ground, PADS of Elgin, DuPage Pads, and Free the Girls, CUPS Bra Drive has distributed close to 11,300 bras to women locally and worldwide. In 2023, Gamboa became an author and contributed to the "Latinx Community Leaders: Stories of Award-Winning and Influential Leaders in Our Community" book series. In the book, she shares her journey of founding the CUPS Bra Drive.
At the pandemic's peak, Gamboa took it upon herself to bag and deliver groceries for her elderly neighbors residing at Silver Oaks at Waterford Senior Apartments. This gesture has led to a monthly delivery of hunger relief boxes to multiple senior communities. Today, the Women of Aurora, a women in business networking group founded by Gamboa, volunteer each month to deliver senior hunger relief boxes to the Silver Oaks Community.
In 2024, Gamboa accepted the Director of Development position for the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry. Gamboa has volunteered there for several years and is known for her unwavering support in fighting against food insecurity and providing equitable access to resources for vulnerable populations.
