2005 About the Authors
Delta Winds: A Magazine of Student Essays
A Publication of San Joaquin Delta College
2005
About the Authors
These biographical statements were written for publication in 2005.
Brian Newlinis a 20-year-old student at Delta College. He will be attending San Francisco State University as a psychology major starting in the fall 2005 semester. After earning a bachelor's degree, he hopes to either attend either law school or continue within the field of psychology and earn a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Annie Jarnagan, at nineteen years old, enjoys laughing, reading, animals, and videogames, though not in that order. She hopes to graduate from U. C. Davis with a degree in molecular biology and a possible minor in Japanese. Her ultimate goal is to become a physician.
Rae Ann Tourville-Nelson is a full-time student, wife, and mother of three beautiful children. After earning her B. A. and M. A. in history and a teaching credential at CSU Stanislaus, Rae Ann hopes to begin challenging and inspiring students at both the high school and community college level.
At twenty-four years of age, Mitzi Genegabuas is a student at San Joaquin Delta College. On December 17, 2004, she obtained her A. A. degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences after completing her general education requirements. She is currently taking a few lower division courses needed to transfer to University of the Pacific, where she will be majoring in Business Administration, with a double concentration in Accounting and Finance. She was born and raised in Stockton, California, and wishes to continue her education close to home. She has been working in Lodi as a cashier for five years. The hours are great and flexible, which has been a great advantage to her as a college student. Her interests include Oakland A's baseball, dancing, photography, and outdoor activities, such as camping and hiking.
Rachelle Valenzuela is a sixteen-year-old Filipino-American student, turning seventeen in April. She is a junior at Bear Creek High School and a part time student at Delta College. She is employed at Round Table Pizza and at Students in Prevention -- a drug prevention service of the county. Rachelle is actively involved in the community and her church. She enjoys singing, ballroom dancing, and volleyball. She has an infatuation with the Spanish language (She's in her third year of Spanish) and loves horses and blowing bubbles. She has a younger brother of thirteen, a younger sister of eleven, and a supportive mother and father. When she graduates next year, she plans to attend the University of the Pacific where she hopes to major in pharmacy and minor in chemistry.
Debbie Diazis a reentry student in her last semester at Delta before transferring to the University of the Pacific as a business major. Married for almost twenty-five years, she is mother to two daughters and grandmother to two little girls and two little boys. Her favorite times away from school are spent with family, in her garden, or bird watching.
Sophana Uyis an international student from Cambodia. He wrote the following essay in his second semester at Delta College. The essay was carefully written based on his own personal experience-living alone in the United States. Now, he is majoring in international business and will transfer to Sacramento State University to pursue a B. A. degree. His biggest goal is to create as many jobs as he can in Cambodia.
Bryan Tortolaniis a happily married 36-year-old cancer survivor. Bryan's unique life experiences have taught him that education leads to empowerment. Despite entering Delta College with little more than an eighth-grade education, a GED, and a powerful motivation to succeed, Bryan will graduate in the spring and transfer to Stanislaus State in the fall. Bryan ultimately plans to earn a doctorate in history. His career goals include teaching history at the college level and freelance writing.
Hannah Abramsonwas born in Los Angeles, raised in Israel, and now lives in Stockton. She was home-schooled until the age of fourteen, when she began attending Delta College, taking any and all classes that sparked her interest. Now that she is seventeen and has taken every creative writing class Delta has to offer, she is finally working towards her A. A. degree. Though Hannah has yet to decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life, she knows that she wants to leave Delta and get out of Stockton. In the meantime, however, she is majoring in English and working as a tutor in the Shima Writing Lab.
Gary Dean Woodis a 47-year-old returning student with certificates in Substance Abuse Counseling, Family Abuse Specialist, Human Services and Gerontology Counseling. Gary will graduate from San Joaquin Delta College in May of 2005 with an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology. Gary is a lifetime member of Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society and devotes his spare time helping the needy in the community.
Bixian Liaoplans to transfer to U.C. Berkeley in the fall of 2004 to major in business. Her career goal is to become a certified public accountant within five years.
Amy Powellis in her last semester at Delta College. As she says, "I have had the best time here! I am one of those late-in-life bloomers who decided to go back to school at the decrepit age of 28." She considers herself a local girl though she spent the greater portion of her childhood on a small farm in Oregon. She graduated high school in Lodi "a million years ago and promptly moved to Boise, Idaho, much to my everlasting regret. I spent a lot of time there trying out a variety of nowhere jobs and eventually knew that I wanted to come home, to the Central Valley and get an education." She is currently working on getting her lower division courses finished so that she can transfer to a four-year university in California and pursue a degree in journalism. "I live on a vineyard outside of Lodi and work at a small Italian restaurant to pay the bills where I am constantly amazed by people who throw money at me just for bringing them spaghetti!"
Nick Zeiher, originally from San Jose, later moved to Santa Rosa, and then spent some time in the South Pacific with his parents before moving here to Stockton. He enjoys spending time with his family, loves to snow ski and is an avid San Francisco Giants fan. Go Barry!!! He plans to complete his general education here at Delta Junior College, and then move on to a State University to obtain a degree in education. His goal is to teach grammar school students with learning disabilities. As he says, "Being a student with numerous learning disabilities, I believe it is important for me to go into education to help students with learning disabilities understand they can make it and to always believe in themselves and reach for their dreams."