2009 About the Authors
Delta Winds: A Magazine of Student Essays
A Publication of San Joaquin Delta College
2009
About the Authors
These biographical statements were written for publication in 2009.
At thirty-four years of age and after a seventeen-year gap from the educational system, Lee Britton finds herself back in school. With over ten years experience in the mortgage industry and with the current mortgage meltdown, she has chosen to pursue a bachelor's degree in anything but real estate finance. Lee currently resides in Stockton, California, with her husband and three kids. English is her second language. Lee says that learning to speak English was necessary in order for her to live in this country. However, learning to write properly is vital to her success in this country.
Michelle Andreettawas born and raised in the Central Valley. When she's not blowing her eardrums out with her iPod, studying, or running herself ragged, she can be found near a coffeemaker, baking for her friends, watching bad cult cinema, or writing poetry. She dreams one day of getting paid to do absolutely nothing, but she's working on a degree in Biology just in case.
George Greaves is a re-entry student. He has been a local musician for over a decade and plans to attend UOP with the goal of becoming a music teacher.
Heather James, a 37-year-old mother of four, lives with her family in the foothills in a town called Mokelumne Hill. In 2005 she was watching her children, amazed at how fast they were growing, and realized that some day her job as a mother would no longer be full time. She had no career path, so she decided to start working on her college education. She started attending classes at San Joaquin Delta College. Heather enjoys challenging her mind and is surprised to find herself actually loving school. She has not completely settled on what she wants to do yet, but she will probably transfer to a four-year college and pursue a career in science. "For the moment," she states, "I am having a blast!"
Matt Fernandeswas born on September 12, 1989, in Stockton, California. He graduated from Lincoln High School and is now in his second semester at Delta College. After finishing his general ed, he plans on transferring to NYU or a UC to pursue a career as a film director and writer.
Sherry Connellrecently completed her last semester here at Delta College and began her first semester at CSU Stanislaus in the fall. She has returned to California after serving for four years in the U.S. Navy and spending several more years in Colorado, working as a mortgage underwriter. Sherry is excited to finally find herself back in school and is currently a fulltime student. She resides in Lodi with her husband Mark, four cats, and a dog.
Mitch Heinzewas born in Honolulu, Hawaii, a bouncing baby boy, and bounced to Illinois, then to Nebraska, then to California, back to Nebraska, then back to California. After marrying his high school sweetheart, he enrolled at The Academy of Art University and graduated in 1986 with a certificate in Illustration. He is the proud father of one daughter, two boys, one granddaughter, and another grandchild who is well on his way. He is presently making a transition into the gallery world, and in the future hopes to receive his bachelor's degree and go on to teach, either at the high school or college level. Additional future goals include returning to his childhood roots and bouncing his way into the office of an editor of a large publishing firm, with a children's book manuscript in one hand and a few sketched-out visuals in the other, and verbally leaping into a book-publishing contract.
Paula Thomsonis a reentry student at Delta College pursuing a nursing degree. She is married to her husband of thirty-one years, Jack, is the mother of four sons, John, Mike, Scott, and Travis, and is the grandmother of Becca and John Michael. Her goals include getting a BSN degree and a master's degree, and returning to Delta College to teach nursing classes. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and any outdoor activity such as jogging, swimming, hiking, camping, and biking.
Nisa Shinagawais 18 years old and attending her second year at Delta College. She hopes to finish general education along with pre-requisites for CSU nursing programs. Although reading and writing was not her strong point growing up, she has always loved it. She enjoys running, listening to music, and being with her family.
Layne Silvawould like to include this statement: "For over a year and a half now along with being a student, I have had the privilege working with those that are homeless for different reasons. Some have just chosen this path in life, while others are trying to hide these windows of their soul; causing more problems than they can bear, trying to carry these burdens on their own. I have found out for myself, and others there are days it's as if these walls crumble down, and at other times they come down one brick or barbed wire at a time. Whatever the case maybe, these walls must come down."
Anthony Tuttleis a 16-year-old Delta College student who has lived in Stockton for 11 years. He was born in Stockton in 1992 and moved to Sedona, Arizona, in 1994, only to return in 1999. He is a junior at Middle College High School at Delta College and loves the program so far. Anthony enjoys reading, listening to music, and going on the occasional "Sunday Drive." He plans on attending CSU Stanislaus and majoring in accounting or attending University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and majoring in civil engineering with a focus on transportation engineering.
Chrissy Damascois 29 years old and lives in Tracy, California. She moved here from Minneapolis, Minnesota, a little bit more than a year ago to get married. She has worked in many fields from being a flight attendant to human resources and has found that she loves working with people. Her mission at Delta is to get a general A.A. and then to move on to business school at Berkeley or Stanislaus. She has two dogs, Bailey and Dani, who take up a lot of her patience, but she loves them just the same. She enjoys football, watching movies and reading books. She would like to dedicate her essay to her grandparents, who have a very special place in her heart, and to her family, who she misses every day!
Hannah Volbrecht, a lifelong long learner and explorer, has three degrees from Delta College and knows with every breath of her being that they will all assist her somehow in life's incredible journey. She has high hopes that one day people will pick up a book written by her at a yard sale, second hand thrift shop, or maybe even at a fancy bookstore. One of the most valuable things she has ever learned: Writers write. Other than being an aunt, her favorite thing in the world is getting to spend time with the two children she is a nanny for. Russell and Julia have taught her more about love in one year than anyone could learn in a lifetime. She feels she is the most blessed woman alive. She is proud to be an American and gives special thanks to all the veterans this great country has seen, especially her Dad.
Bella Quintanillais 22 years old. She wants to complete a Master's in Business Administration and graduate from law school. She wrote her first book at nine years old and has been writing ever since. She plans on owning her own magazine company and hopefully publishing a book or two in the future.