Fudhah Al Khafaji grew up in Iraq, lived in Jordan for seven years and moved to the United States four years ago. With her degree in Biology from College of Alameda, she plans to work in the pharmaceutical industry designing new drugs. She will transfer to UC Berkeley in the fall to study Chemical Biology. Congratulations!
Posts Tagged Valedictorian
College of Alameda 2017 Valedictorian Fudhah Al Khafaji
20 June 2017
Filed under: College of Alameda, Peralta News. Tagged: Biology, Chemical Biology, College Valedictorians, Fudhah Al Khafaji, pharmaceutical industry, Valedictorian
Laney College 2017 Valedictorian Pauline Johnson
20 June 2017
Pauline Johnson is a native of San Francisco, where her painful and abusive upbringing led her down the wrong path. She turned her life around, enrolling at Laney College and being a walking testimony helping others see that it is possible. She enjoys going to church, mentoring youth and spending time with her seven children and six grandchildren. She will transfer this fall to Cal State East Bay to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Congratulations!
Filed under: Laney College, Peralta News. Tagged: College Valedictorians, Pauline Johnson, Sociology, Valedictorian
Berkeley City College 2017 Valedictorian Patrick Kruger
20 June 2017
Patrick Kruger followed his girlfriend from Minnesota to Berkeley in 2011 to support her educational goals and in doing so discovered his own. He was one of the writes behind The BCC Voice, where he served as Editor-in-Chief for two terms. He also served as a writing tutor in the BCC English Department and plans to continue his education in the fall at Columbia University. Congratulations!
Filed under: Berkeley City College, Peralta News. Tagged: College Valedictorian, English Department, Patrick Kruger, The BCC Voice, Valedictorian
Merritt College 2017 Valedictorian Asmita Neupane
20 June 2017
Coming to Merritt College from her home country of Nepal, Asmita Neupane is one of two Valedictorians at Merritt College earning 4.0 GPAs. She received an Associates Degree in Health Sciences with the goal of becoming a nurse. She supplements her classwork by volunteering at San Leandro Hospital. Congratulations!
Filed under: Merritt College, Peralta News. Tagged: Asmita Neupane, College Valedictorians, Health Sciences, Valedictorian
Laney Colleges’s Class of 2016 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
3 June 2016
Introducing Carmen M. Solis, Valedictorian
In 2014, Carmen M. Solis decided she wanted to return to school to complete her studies; however, due to an unpredictable and inflexible work schedule, her progress was hindered. It had been nearly 10 years since she last enrolled in classes, but that did not deter Carmen from making finishing her associate in arts degree a top priority. To achieve her goal, Carmen embarked on a significant career change which enabled her to have a steady work schedule and allowed her to enroll at Laney College.
Even though she knew it would be a challenge to work full-time during the day and continue her studies in the evening, Carmen made a commitment to herself to obtain her AA. Close to achieving her goal, she decided to further challenge herself by enrolling in the Management and Supervision (M/SVN) Certificate Program that Laney College offers in partnership with Alameda County. While busy with work and school, she faced a difficult personal situation when her mother passed away due to a battle with breast cancer. This situation only furthered her commitment to work hard and complete her studies.
The M/SVN program at Laney College has transformed and enhanced her skills as an employee with Alameda County and she has persevered in obtaining her AA. Carmen is now looking forward to a brighter and more confident future as she contemplates her next challenge
Introducing Liming Jiang, Salutatorian
Education is the most important thing to me because it makes me understand the real meaning of life. I was born in Hunan, China in 1985, in a patriarchal family. My sex and gender doomed me to be looked down upon. When I was a child, I had to take care of my two younger brothers. I often was bullied and beaten up by the adults in the village. I was not doing very good at school, and I was labeled as a stupid student. After my parents’ businesses closed down, I supported my two younger brothers while they earned their college degrees. After that, I told my parents about my plan to earn a college degree as my two brothers did, but they told me that women did not get higher education. I thought my life was unfair and meaningless. After I arrived in the United States, my life changed because of the education Laney College offered to me and the love my husband gave to me. Laney College opened the door for me, and my husband supported me to get higher education at Laney College. In order to build my solid foundation, I started with english as a second language classes, then general education classes, and finally to my major courses. My experience at Laney College completely changed me, and my negative mindset about the meaning of life. I learned how to think. Life is a process of pursuing dreams. They offered many opportunities and lessons to me. What I suffered from life is what I was given from it. The experience at Laney College also opened my mind, and I realized what my perspectives and ideas were, and I started to focus on my community. Right now, my dream is achieved at Laney College, and I have finished my double majors in social science and business administration with a 4.0 GPA. However, I know I am not finished. I am majoring in nursing at Peralta Colleges and preparing myself to serve my community in the future. All things I experienced enriched my life with color. Life can be a painful and frustrating process of growth, but in the end, life is a beautiful, magical, and a wonderful journey.
Filed under: Announcements, Laney College, Peralta News. Tagged: Alameda County, business administration, Carmen M. Solis, M/SVN, Management and Supervision (M/SVN) Certificate Program, Salutatorian, Social Science, Valedictorian
Merritt College’s Class of 2016 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
3 June 2016
Introducing Kim Pham, Valedictorian
While living in South Vietnam, the youngest of six children, Kim Pham wasn’t able to achieve her dream of furthering her education. And when she came to the United States with her husband in 2000, she needed to work to help support her family, which now includes two young sons. So five years ago, when she finally had the opportunity, she was thrilled to begin attending Laney College, which was close to her home, to take ESL classes to learn English.
She then completed her General Ed requirements and started taking classes at Merritt College with a goal of becoming a teacher and fulfilling her passion of working with children. She quickly headed to the top of the class in her studies and also worked as a preschool teacher at Headstart in Oakland. She graduated in May with a 4.0 GPA and was proud to be named valedictorian.
She will continue her studies at Cal State East Bay. “I faced many challenges with cultural differences, language barriers, and understanding a new environment,” says Kim. “However all of my hard work has paid off today, and I am so happy to say thank you to all my professors who helped me so much to be successful at pursuing my dream. I hope someday to open my own childcare center for immigrant children and those in need.”
And her teachers couldn’t be more proud of her and her accomplishments as they watch her move on to continue her studies. “Both as a college student and as a student teacher, Kim understood and embraced the role of a learner,” says Christine Olsen, chair of the Childhood Development Program and one of Kim’s instructors. “She was curious and open to new ideas and would apply them to her work with the children as a student teacher. She came to class and to the lab school well prepared and was a committed member of the student teacher team. We are so excited for her success and wish her all the best!
Introducing Tania Horne, Salutatorian
Tania Horne, born in Hobart, Tasmania, came to the United States in 2012. With over 15 years experience serving people of disadvantaged and marginalized backgrounds in the field of criminal justice in Australia, she returned to school with a goal of bringing best management practices from her home country to make positive contributions in the United States.
Although going back to school after such a long time presented significant challenges, Tania worked hard to gain an understanding of U.S. history, political science, and justice. She graduated as the 2016 Salutatorian of Merritt College with Associate degrees in both Justice Administration and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
With a passion for restorative justice, Tania has accepted a position with the University of California, San Francisco for the next year to support the re-entry population in successfully securing gainful employment and transitioning back into the community. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, yoga, and sailing around the San Francisco Bay. She plans to resume her studies in fall of 2017 and hopes to ultimately earn a master’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Filed under: Announcements, Merritt College. Tagged: Childhood Development Program, Criminal Justice, Justice Administration, Kim Pham, Salutatorian, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tania Horne, Valedictorian
College of Alameda’s Class of 2016 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
3 June 2016
Introducing Gabriel Thomas Tramble, Valedictorian
Valedictorian Gabriel Thomas Tramble has been an exemplary student during his time at College of Alameda, earning a 4.0 average. This fall he will be attending UC Berkeley, where he received the Regents Scholarship. This is the most prestigious scholarship that UC Berkeley offers. He was also accepted to UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Alabama State University, and Tuskegee University. Gabriel will be majoring in Media Studies with an emphasis in business. Gabriel has a website, stockbaby.org, which focuses on stocks and investment strategies. In his free time, Gabriel says he uses his website as a tool to teach others while researching and trading stocks.
Introducing Gabriela Martinez Garcia, Salutatorian
Through hard work and perseverance, Gabriela Martinez Garcia has become the 2016 Graduating Class Salutatorian. Gabriela is a first generation college student and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She spends a significant amount of time working with underserved youth in Oakland through non-profit organizations like the Reading Partners and AVID. She also volunteers her time at schools like Brookfield Elementary, John Muir Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary School. She is transferring to UC Davis as a major in Native American Studies with minor in education. She aspires to go into the education field to help her community.
Filed under: Announcements, College of Alameda, Peralta News. Tagged: Alabama State University, AVID, Brookfield Elementary, Gabriel Thomas Tramble, Gabriela Martinez Garcia, John Muir Middle School, Media Studies, Native American Studies, Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Reading Partners, Regents Scholarship, Roosevelt Elementary School, Salutatorian, Tuskegee University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, Valedictorian
Berkeley City College’s Class of 2016 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
3 June 2016
Introducing Selina V. Gonzalez, Valedictorian
Selina V. Gonzalez, Valedictorian of Berkeley City College’s Class of 2016, arrived in the United States at age 16, a native of a town in the mountainous Hidalgo, Mexico region. “Berkeley City College challenged my way of thinking and provided me with opportunities to improve and exercise my leadership skills by helping undocumented students,” she said. “One of my goals is to advocate for underrepresented peoples and empower them to follow their dreams.”
Gonzalez is a founding member of the Peralta Community College District’s first Undocumented Community Resources Center. A member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, she is a Peralta Foundation Scholarship recipient. Her activities include membership in BCC’s Latin American Club, the Dreamers Task Force and the Political Science Association. As a former ESL student, she continues to provide math and English tutoring for others in BCC’s ESL classes. She also has helped to organize events and has volunteered at Ashby Village, a resource and support center for elders, and at Berkeley’s Chaparral House, a nursing home facility. She was accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Los Angeles.
Introducing Nicole Rodgers, Salutatorian
Nicole Rodgers, Salutatorian for Berkeley City College’s Class of 2016, is at once motivated and is a motivational mentor to others. She is passionate about political activity, having served at state, regional and local levels in a variety of advocacy roles for both disabled and able-bodied students. “I am hearing impaired and am an advocate for Deaf and hard of hearing students’ rights, both in the community and at the local level,” she asserted. “I am so pleased to be graduating from Berkeley City College; it has been my pleasure to reach out and help students to not only be the best versions of themselves but an empowering resource for other students.”
Rodgers’s many community activities include roles as chief justice of the Associated Students of Berkeley City College. Statewide, she serves as one of 30 student senators for the California Community Colleges Student Senate. That body represents 2.3 million students. Rodgers also was president of BCC’s Global Studies Club and founded the college’s Disaster Preparedness Club. Working with the City of Berkeley, she helps to deliver disaster preparedness resources to under served communities.
Filed under: Announcements, Berkeley City College, Peralta News. Tagged: a nursing home facility. She was accepted to UC Berkeley, Ashby Village, Associated Students, California Community Colleges Student Senate, Chaparral House, Class of 2016, Disaster Preparedness Club, Dreamers Task Force, Global Studies Club, Latin American Club, Nicole Rodgers, Peralta Foundation Scholarship recipient, Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Political Science Association, Salutatorian, Selina V. Gonzalez, UC Davis, UC Los Angeles, Valedictorian
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