Estrella Mountain Community College Commencement Recognizes Dedication and Determination of Graduates

May 7, 2007 - Estrella Mountain, a Maricopa Community College, will honor its graduating class of 2007 at its eleventh annual commencement exercises on Friday, May 11, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. in the Ceremonial Plaza, the beautifully landscaped outdoor courtyard nestled in the center of the campus, located at 3000 North Dysart Road, in Avondale. The ceremony recognizes recipients of 364 degrees in a variety of disciplines, and 272 certificates. Among the recipients are 30 graduates of Genesis West program, a partnership between Estrella Mountain and West Valley high school districts that enables students to simultaneously earn their high school diploma and college credits.
This year's program will include a commencement address by Representative Ben Miranda, (D) Arizona House of Representatives, District 16. In addition to serving his country as a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, Representative Miranda is the Arizona Legislature Latino Caucus Co-Chair, elected to the State Legislature in 2003. Jason Martinez will address graduates as a representative of Estrella Mountain faculty. Martinez is counseling faculty, and has worked with the Maricopa Community Colleges since 1991. This year's student speaker is Michael Ricci. Ricci will receive an Associate of Arts and Associate of General Studies, with plans to transfer to Arizona State University at the West Campus in the fall 2007 semester.
For all graduating students, commencement signals the beginning of a new phase in their education and career paths. Many students will continue their education as they transfer to universities in the summer and fall semester, while others will make immediate entry into the workforce with newly developed occupational-specific skill sets. For the faculty and staff of Estrella Mountain, graduation is an annual culmination of combined efforts to ensure student success. Through instruction and a variety of campus resources from instructional support to financial aid and counseling, the eleventh annual commencement ceremony of Estrella Mountain Community College represents a collegewide commitment to helping West Valley students achieve real results and improve their lives through both education and the personal and social experiences that make up their time within the Maricopa Community Colleges.
For media: Included below are selected stories of student successes at Estrella Mountain Community College over the 2006-2007 school year. For more information including contact information, or to set up interviews, please contact Nicole DeLeon, Media Relations, at 623.935.8056.
Mary L. Myers, Graduating StudentMary L. Myers actually received a scholarship to Indiana University sixty years ago. At that time, the 17 year old girl was unable to accept it, even though attending college had always been her dream. Myers' family was impoverished, and she had a responsibility to aid in caring for her family. Despite those challenges, and even after marrying and raising three children, Myers held on to that acceptance letter, which she has to this day, still firmly believing one day, she would realize her dreams and attend college. Those dreams became much more of a reality when Myers received a class schedule from Estrella Mountain Community College in the mail. Myers, who saw this as her chance to go back to school, wasn't nervous about returning to school. At 77 years of age, having assisted her husband in running his business as the proprietor of two service stations in Indiana, Myers signed up for business courses, believing that her years in the office had taught her everything she needed to know about business; college would not be a challenge at all. But it was a challenge, "because it's a whole lot different than high school," Myers said. With the assistance of both her family and faculty and staff at the college, Myers overcame those challenges, and will receive a certificate of Small Business Management on Friday night, wherein many of her family members will be present, including her husband. "We've been married 57 years," Myers said. "He's going to be right there with a big smile on his face. He wouldn't miss this for the world." The graduation ceremony will be one of Myers' proudest moments. As a professional breeder of Chihuahuas, her other most proud moment is being the only person in the world to have bred a white, smooth coat Chihuahua. "Going to college and that white, smooth coat Chihuahua-now there are some things to be proud of," Myers said.
Kellie O'Connor, Graduating StudentKellie O'Connor had worked in the emergency medical field for many years when she decided to return to school after a long absence. Like many returning adult students, Kellie had the credits, but little idea of what she could or even wanted to do with those credits. She enjoyed the organization where she worked as an emergency medical technician on an ambulance, but she wanted to do more. When she came to Estrella Mountain Community College, she signed up for courses in Organizational Management, believing the courses would give her the edge she needed to be mobile within her company. After her first week of classes, working closely with her instructor, residential faculty Dr. John Bradley, O'Connor had developed a complete plan of action to guide her through the next years of her college experience. She will graduate on May 11 with an Associate of Applied Science, Organizational Management degree, but O'Connor has already begun to see the fruits of her hard work and determination; when she began her classes at Estrella Mountain, O'Connor recalls that she earned $12.00 an hour as a tech on an ambulance, and with her education in Organizational Management, she has increased that salary to $55,000 annually, as an operations staffing manager. "Now at last I am here graduating," O'Connor said. "I didn't think I would ever get here. I truly believe I was blessed by the flexibility that Estrella offers students and two instructors that truly care about the success of their students."
Lizette Cureno, Graduating StudentA graduate of Alhambra High School, Lizette Cureno's path to college was never an uncertain one. Always studious, Cureno had one goal: to complete her high school diploma, attend a university, and become a registered nurse. That goal was forever changed when in her senior year of high school, Cureno became victim to date rape. With this traumatic, life changing experience, nothing was certain in Cureno's life anymore, as it began to spiral out of control as she struggled to deal with the pain and lasting effects of this violent encounter. Cureno no longer had a desire to be a nurse or attend college, and she distanced herself from family and friends who became increasingly worried about her. Doctors and parents encouraged Cureno to enroll in a few courses at Estrella Mountain Community College, believing the small, intimate setting would be