Journeys of Learning

Mohamed Geshesh came to the United States from Libya when he was 17 years old. He was alone and only knew a few words of English! In the 10 years since, he has not only become fluent in English but has also received his bachelor’s degree. And more importantly, he has been able to embrace California’s open culture, allowing him to live his life on his own terms.

Mohamed’s success has been in a large part due to him engaging in the college community and in building community beyond college. And he is now on his way to becoming a real estate mogul!

Rebecca Maturino grew up in a loving Mexican-American family where education was valued. She always planned to go to college and when she arrived at De Anza at  the age of 18, she thought she would only be here for two years before she transferred.

Instead, she felt lost on campus and did not understand how to navigate the college system. She was too embarrassed to ask for help and struggled for many years alone. With help from her partner and sister, she finally reached out for assistance. This led her to meeting with a counselor (me!) and getting the assistance she needed to develop a solid transfer plan.

Rebecca finished her transfer requirements and is now at her university of choice, CSU East Bay! She has a lot of wisdom to share with new students finding their way in college

Denisse Dolmo came to the United States from Honduras when she was 17 years old. She knew that college was important for her but found that she was struggling in classes, especially in math classes. While she was at Foothill College, she realized that it was more than a language barrier and found her way to the Disability Resource Center, where she was tested for a learning difference.

She began utilizing her resources at the DRC and across campus, which lead her to improve her study skills and get the guidance that she needed. She then started being more successful in classes and even passed math! After a few years at Foothill, she was able to transfer to San José State University and has graduated!

Margarita Ibrahim grew up in Los Altos with her grandma and grandpa, who were both educators. Growing up with two parental figures in the education field  meant that going to college was highly valued in her home. However, she always struggled with classes in high school and even more so in college.

Margarita learned a great deal about ADHD and how to work with these traits rather than against them. She persisted through school, sometimes struggling more than others and even taking breaks at times, but eventually finished her transfer requirements and is now at San José State University!

Monica Phuong grew up in San José with her mom and sister. She was very independent, which had some advantages, but she sometimes desired more guidance. She was successful enough in high school without working too hard but struggled when she transitioned to college, with the extra demands college work brings.

Luckily, some kind faculty and staff at Foothill College helped Monica connect with services and resources on campus. Through these resources, she was able to learn more about her learning differences and how to increase her study skills. After taking advantage of the campus resources, her grades went from B’s & C’s to straight A’s! After a few years, she was able to transfer to the University of California, Santa Barbara and is now in nursing school. 

Karoline Duffy grew up in Palo Alto with her grandparents. After high school, she explored many different careers from theater to music, then dance and finally visual design.

When she began her educational journey, she had a difficult time knowing what she wanted to do for her career which she diligently explored. She also had to learn how to get through college with ADHD and dyslexia by being creative, using her accommodations and working with people that were there to help her.

She persevered and transferred to a program in Southern California but eventually came back to the Bay Area and landed at San Francisco Sate University. She graduated a year ago and is now working in product design. Check out her beautiful website at karolineduffy.com

Sophia Falco grew up in the Bay Area and started attending Foothill College when she was 17. When she started college, she didn’t know what she wanted to major in but then found her love for English Literature and her talent for writing poetry.

She transferred to UC Santa Cruz as a literature major and graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree. Thirty of her poems have been published in various literary journals. Her poetry often highlights the intricacies of living with bi-polar disorder and speaks to it in a new way with striking imagery.

Sophia is about to start a Master of Fine Arts program at St. Mary’s of California and plans on becoming a creative writing professor. Check out her poems and books at sophiafalco.com.

Bianca Melendez grew up in Stockton in a loving family that valued education as a way to jump class. She knew from an early age that she wanted more for herself. She made it through the trials and tribulations of going through college while working and dealing with the pressure of being the first one in her family to go to college. She made it through by believing in herself.

Bianca kept up her work ethic through college, getting her bachelor's and master's degrees, and then an internship (with me!) which led her to becoming a college counselor at De Anza College! 

Josue Cuellar grew up in East Palo Alto and was the first one in his family to finish high school! He went on to a community college but then took some time off to work. While working at various jobs, he found that he had a solid work ethic which allowed him to move up quickly. He enjoyed all of his jobs but he started looking at the long view and decided to go back to school.

While wading through general education classes he didn’t enjoy or value much, he had an informational interview that changed his direction. He met with someone who suggested he join a computer programming program that helps students start their careers. And now he is on his way to a lucrative career in something that he enjoys!