Project Type: CYPresidential
May 18, 2023
2023 PSD We Journey Together: Azusena Zamarripa
"Azusena always wanted to come to Cypress College. She enrolled here after earning her high school diploma at NOCE, where she finished the work she had left incomplete in high school. It took initiative to come back to school after leaving, and it was that same determination that kept her going"
2023 PSD Social Sciences: Selwyn Gibson
"If we saw Selwyn running for national office, we wouldn’t be surprised. He’s been a highly engaged student at Cypress College – whether studying Political Science for his degree, representing students through A2MEND, or speaking at the Cypress College Foundation Golf Tournament – with the goal of uniting a politically divided"
2023 PSD Science, Engineering, Mathematics: Mia Nguyen
"Mia came to the United States from Vietnam when she was 15 years old, ready for a challenge. It was her dream to go to college in the U.S., and she worked hard to make that dream a reality. That included joining the military, which she says “sharpened” her, and applying"
May 17, 2023
2023 PSD Language Arts: Olly Tetrault
"Keep going — that sums up Olly Tetrault’s philosophy. Olly wanted to be a writer from a young age, and joining Cypress College’s English program is helping them with this goal. It took a while for Olly to get here, and a few years to earn their degree, but with the"
2023 PSD Kinesiology: Anthony Delgado
"Anthony Delgado’s mission is to help people. He entered the Kinesiology program at Cypress College with the goal of working in sports medicine, which combines his love of sports with his drive to help others. But his motivation to support people found other outlets along the way. He also helped fellow"
2023 PSD Health Science: Stephanie Wood
"Stephanie Wood is passionate about helping people. Sometime after she earned her Sociology degree at UC Irvine, she decided to enter a field that more directly influenced people’s lives, and fulfilled that personal goal. She came to Cypress College and joined the competitive Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. Now she’s entering the"
May 16, 2023
2023 PSD Fine Arts: Preston Harris
"Improvisation skills have helped Preston Harris from a young age. Starting with role-playing games as a kid, to leading acting and writing workshops in high school to learning how to run lines with fellow theater students through Zoom glitches during lockdown, Preston has used acting techniques that call for quick thinking"
2023 PSD Career Technical Education: Sabrina Tosti
"Having grown up baking with her grandmother, it is just something that’s always been in Sabrina Tosti’s life. She knew she enjoyed baking birthday cakes for family and making desserts for different holidays, so after earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Cal State Fullerton, she decided to earn a"
2023 PSD Business/CIS: Jesse Chang
"Jesse Chang said he started attending Cypress College with a mission to improve himself. He grew up trying to follow a set checklist of life requirements, such as attending a good high school and achieving high grades, but found that way of life stifling and at odds with the way he"
May 20, 2022
2022 Social Sciences: Mireya Alt
"Despite the difficult series of roadblocks Mireya Alt has encountered on her higher education journey, her overriding experience at college appears to be one of gratitude. The challenges Mireya faced include childhood trauma and a period of homelessness – extremely difficult situations that might have ended anyone’s college plans. Yet Mireya"
May 18, 2022
2022 Health Science: Pauline Lim
"Pauline Lim found herself on an endless treadmill of working for a paycheck and not a passion. At one point she had to step off and ask herself if there wasn’t more to life. She says after six years she decided to stop work completely and turn her attention to school."
2022 Language Arts: Krystal Kosacki
"Krystal Kosacki says Cypress College has a place for every interest and every person. With her extracurricular activity experience, she’s qualified to make this statement. A heavily involved student, Krystal has been vice president of student relations in Associated Students, one of the first student ambassadors when the program began, in"
2022 Library/Learning Resource Center: Justin Urquilla
"Justin Urquilla’s curiosity has fueled his route to higher education. Although his motivation was hampered by insecurities in coming to terms with his queer identity, he took some time to build himself back up and reenter college with a new determination. Now, Justin has branched out beyond his classes. He is"
May 17, 2022
Kinesiology 2022: Garrett Deiro
"From the beginning, life was challenging for Garrett Deiro. He says, however, that it also motivated him and informed him on his future career. Garrett underwent two open-heart surgeries as an infant for a congenital heart defect; he had two more by the time he was 14 years old. Many hours"
May 16, 2022
2022 Business: Rasha Jasim
"Rasha Jasim took a long road to Cypress College. Originally from Baghdad, she moved with her parents and sister to the United States as a young adult and eventually settled near Cypress. She started her own family when she got married and began raising children, five in total. Looking after a"
2022 Fine Arts: Abdul Meelar
"Graphic Design student Abdul Meelar moved to the States from Sri Lanka when he was 7 years old. To absorb the most he could about his new home, he turned to American pop culture. That’s when he fell in love with science fiction and fantasy, through movies, video games, photography, and"
2022 Career Technical Education: Dan Kim
"Dan Kim entered the hospitality field at an inhospitable time – during the COVID19 lockdown. He was eager to work in culinary arts. He saw food as more than simply sustenance and wanted to share this message. He sought education in this arena, to better inform himself and others, and began"
2022 Science, Engineering, Math: Bradi Palomarez
"First-generation college graduate Bradi Palomarez enrolled in Cypress to be part of the SEM division. She took physics, and it clicked. Her strength in the program led her to work as a Supplemental Instruction leader for physics, sharing her love of the science with others. Bradi did all of this while"
May 14, 2021
2021 Counseling: Ayah Said
"Ayah took classes at Cypress College because of the Charger/Pledge program’s free tuition for students who graduate from any high school in the Anaheim Union High School District. What kept her engaged at the school was the Legacy Program. Through it, Ayah spoke at events, helped represent the club at Kindercaminata,"
2021 Science, Engineering, Math: Lia Thompson
"Lia has made her own higher education plan. She went to work directly out of high school to afford college, and as she continued to be promoted, she had less time for classes. When Lia decided something had to give, she dedicated herself to school and extra-curricular activities at Cypress College."
2021 Social Sciences: Wilfredo Carrasco
"Wilfredo grew up between southern California and El Salvador, and began studying at Cypress College in 2018. He is glad he stuck to his studies in Human Services and didn’t give up – even when times were tough. That includes a difficult final year in which he lost his father to"
2021 Language Arts: Hiroki Funahashi
"Hiroki came to Cypress College three years ago from Japan. He was drawn to the Flight Attendant program and Cal State Long Beach nearby, which he hoped to attend someday. Shy at first, and feeling his fluency wasn’t strong enough, Hiroki joined the Forensics team to work on his English. He"
2021 Health Science: Abigail Villegas
"Abigail is studying and working in health care – and has been affected by health care concerns as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her grandmother and mother were both hospitalized. Her mother recovered but after a month and a half Abigail’s grandmother passed away. Although it was a difficult final year,"
2021 Kinesiology: Jonathan Gad
"Jonathan took his love of sports and turned it into a career path. Originally from Egypt, Jonathan moved to Buena Park at age 6, when his family secured a visa. He always enjoyed playing sports and being part of a team, so Kinesiology was a natural fit when selecting a program."
2021 Fine Arts: Paul Scott
"Paul has a passion for filmmaking and its transformative effects. He went through sort of a transformation himself after diverging from his first college path; he had enrolled at Cal State Fullerton but left after his mother passed away. He began studying at Cypress College after a hiatus and began working"
2021 Career Technical Education: Alexandra Camacho
"Alexandra learned to cook from her mother at the family’s home in south Los Angeles. At age 15, Alexandra’s world was shaken when her mother was deported to Mexico. Alexandra’s studies faltered, and she had to find an alternative to traditional high school. When Alexandra started college, she initially resisted the"
2021 Business/CIS: Jacklyn Williamson
"Jacklyn grew up living in motels with her family in Orange County. When Jacklyn was 16, her mother passed away; when Jacklyn turned 21, she lost her father, too. Jacklyn had to support herself at a young age, and thinking about her future had to wait. She began working in Downtown"
May 6, 2020
2020 Business/CIS: Brandon Nguyen
"Brandon is a cyber defense major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Business/CIS Division at Cypress College. Growing up in Orange County, he found a love for computers at an early age and often enjoyed “fiddling” with them. Brandon’s love for technology continued to grow through"
May 5, 2020
2020 Career Technical Education: John Lasater
"John is an air conditioning and refrigeration major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Career Technical Education Division at Cypress College. His initial educational journey was cut short in high school when he dropped out to help his aunt and uncle at the flooring store they"
May 4, 2020
2020 Fine Arts: Kylie Christensen
"Kylie is a dance major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Fine Arts Division at Cypress College. She found a passion for music and the performing arts at a young age, and discovered that it gave her something positive to focus on after the untimely passing"
May 3, 2020
2020 Health Science: Christina Williams
"Christina is a psychiatric technology major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Health Science Division at Cypress College. Throughout her life, she has been a caregiver. At a young age, she cared for her ailing father, who passed away when she was only 12 years old,"
May 2, 2020
2020 Kinesiology: Frankie Islas
"Frankie is a kinesiology major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Kinesiology Division at Cypress College. He has always been involved in sports in one way or another, whether through playing baseball and football, or cheering on his favorite teams. He loves the outdoors and staying"
May 1, 2020
2020 Language Arts: Nate Garcia
"Nate is a communication studies major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Language Arts Division at Cypress College. Growing up, he had a number of interests and passions: to be an animator; to be like his MRI technician dad; and to turn his politics and government"
April 30, 2020
2020 Library/Learning Resource Center: Anh Nguyen
"Anh is a liberal arts major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Library/Learning Resource Center at Cypress College. She immigrated to the U.S. five years ago and originally chose to attend Cypress College to improve her English skills in the English as a Second Language Program."
April 29, 2020
2020 Science, Engineering, Mathematics: Connor Kilzer
"Connor is a pre-engineering major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Science, Engineering, Mathematics Division at Cypress College. After graduating from high school, he chose to attend Cypress College because it “seemed to be the best fit for me as I transitioned into higher education.” In"
April 28, 2020
2020 Social Sciences: Sarah Queneau
"Sarah is an anthropology major and was selected as the Presidential Scholar of Distinction for the Social Sciences Division at Cypress College. She originally decided to return to school to pursue certification through the college’s Mortuary Science Program because “I love culture and felt that I could create custom funerals that"
May 22, 2019
2019 Business/CIS: Sagidah Karakra
"Cypress College’s appreciation and value for diversity, along with her older sister’s academic success at the college, motivated Sagidah Karakra to pursue higher education at Cypress College. Sagidah has been involved in a number of extra-curricular activities, including the Muslim Student Association and Business Club. She found her niche in accounting"
2019 Career Technical Education: Claudia Espinoza
"Claudia Espinoza was born in Santa Ana, but at the age of 2, moved to Mexico where she grew up for 14 years. At 16, her family moved back to California where she spent long days going to school, completed homework in the afternoon in a language she barely understood, then"
2019 Counseling: Jessica Button
"Jessica Button has said she’s come further than she ever thought realistic. A fun-loving girl with endless creativity, she chased many different opportunities that deferred her degree completion, but for a third time, she found herself registering for college classes at Cypress College. Jessica is graduating with her associate of science"
2019 Fine Arts: Nhi Nguyen
"At the age of 19, Nhi Nguyen emigrated from Vietnam to the United States with her mother. In a completely new environment and having to cope in an unfamiliar language, Nhi initially intended to earn a degree in a health science field because she thought she would have a higher chance"
2019 Health Science: Evelyn Hernandez
"A first-generation college student and single parent when she first started on her educational journey at Cypress College, Evelyn Hernandez said the college has been her home away from home since day one. She is a proud member of EOPS, a program she learned of by happenstance. “I recall accidentally walking"
2019 Kinesiology: Jane Woodward
"Jane Woodward was a four-sport standout in high school, participating in varsity women’s volleyball, basketball, track, and tennis at Woodrow Wilson High School in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. After high school, Jane moved to Orange County on her own to attend Cypress College and play on the college’s volleyball and"
2019 Language Arts: Jene Viray
"Born in the Philippines and raised in the United Arab Emirates, Jene Viray is an international student at Cypress College who is graduating with her associate of arts degree in communication studies. She hopes to transfer to Cal State Long Beach in fall 2020, and until then, will continue working in"
2019 Science, Engineering, Mathematics: Selina Jaimes Davila
"Selina Jaimes Davila has been a high-achieving student from a young age and worked hard to graduate with high honors from Huntington Park High School, only to be rejected admission by four Cal States. Uncertain of her next step, Selina ended up at Cypress College pursuing a diagnostic medical sonography certification"
2019 Social Sciences: Sandra Enriquez
"Sandra Enriquez was still in high school when she had her first child. As a young mother who, admittedly, did not understand the reality of being a mother, she rebelled and found herself in an “extremely negative environment.” Pulling from her own experiences, Sandra said she is most passionate about helping"