Norco College has recently announced Dr. Patricia Bogema as the recipient of the 2023 Norco College Alumnus of the Year award. The award recognizes outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions to their profession and community, and Dr. Bogema is a prime example of such excellence.

As a graduate of Norco College, Dr. Bogema has continued to make significant strides in her career, leaving a lasting impact on the medical community and adult learners. Her dedication and hard work have helped to improve the lives of thousands of people, and her contributions have not gone unnoticed.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bogema has been committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to her patients. She has worked tirelessly to improve access to healthcare in underserved communities and has been a staunch advocate for patients' rights and safety. Her expertise in osteopathy has also allowed her to make significant contributions to the development of new treatments and therapies for treating the entire person rather than just the symptoms.

Her legacy serves as an inspiration to current and future Norco College students, reminding them that with determination and perseverance, anything is possible. She is a shining example of the excellence that Norco College fosters in its students, and we are proud to call her one of our own.

Let us congratulate Dr. Patricia Bogema on this well-deserved honor.

About Dr. Patricia Bogema

Maha Ibrahim is the 66th recipient of the RCCD Alumnus of the Year award. She joins an illustrious group of alumni who have been honored for their outstanding contributions to RCCD and the broader community.

Since 1959, this award remains a pillar of honor and pride for RCCD and its colleges. Honorees exemplify lifelong learning, civic engagement and demonstrate a commitment to impacting social and economic mobility for others.

Dr. Ibrahim's nomination and selection are a testament to her academic and professional accomplishments. She embodies RCCD's vision to "transform lives through education to positively impact our local and global community."

Congratulations, Dr. Maha Ibrahim, on this prestigious award, and thank you for your contributions to RCCD, the state of California, and the United States. May you continue to change lives in the fight for equal rights.

The Riverside Community College District Chancellor and Board of Trustees are honored to announce Ruben Aguilar as RCCD's 64 Alumnus of the Year. The award was created in 1959 with a mission of recognizing the achievements of alumni who have made a difference in their community and exemplified what it means to be exceptional in a field of work.

As a United States veteran and purple heart recipient, Aguilar has sacrificed much. He enrolled at Norco College (NC) in 2009 after serving in the military. He was a pioneer in starting the Veterans Resource Center at Norco College and helped shape what it is today. During his time at NC, Aguilar endured many obstacles but he did not give up even when he wanted to throw in the towel. Instead, he went on to earn a master's degree in Kinesiology from California Baptist University. Today, he has come full circle and is now a full-time Kinesiology professor at his alma mater, Norco College. In his spare time, Aguilar works out at his CrossFit gym, where he is the co-owner. He also volunteers his time to his non-profit organization, A-1 Skyraider, based in Rubidoux, where he grew up. The non-profit focuses on helping youth stay away from gangs and violence. He is passionate about paying it forward and serves as a role model for those around him.

“Ruben Aguilar exemplifies why the RCCD Alumnus of the Year award was created, said RCCD Chancellor, Wolde-Ab Isaac. “He joins a long list of individuals who have used their knowledge, personal skill set and life's purpose to impact others."

Watch the video here and add your congratulations to Ruben Aguilar on RCCD's social media pages:

Jocelyn Yow, a San Jose native, moved to Malaysia at a young age and graduated from high school before her return to the United States.

In 2011, Jocelyn and her family settled in Eastvale. She quickly enrolled at Norco College and became the youngest serving Student Body President. She also joined the Honors Program and became a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma.

Jocelyn earned her associate degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Norco College in 2014, and transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained her bachelor's degree.

She has served as a district representative for California State Senate and for the United States House of Representatives, where she worked tirelessly to help seniors, families, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and children to access valuable government services.

Jocelyn grew up in a working-class family, where she learned the value and importance of giving back. In fact, the Yow family established a scholarship to provide financial support for high achieving Norco College students with financial need. Yow credits part of her success to Norco College and wanted to establish a scholarship that would highlight her and her families deep commitment to community service and to assist students in need.

She was recently elected to the Eastvale City Council and is currently pursuing a master's degree in government at Harvard Extension.

Yow is currently the policy manager for IGNITE, a national nonprofit to elect more women to positions of power, and has previously worked as a district representative in the California State Senate and an aide for the U.S. House of Representatives. 

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the mayor of Eastvale, the city I am proud to call home. Being a new mom to a six-month-old further fuels my passion to serve my community,” Yow said. “Local government makes decisions that affect our daily lives and is where we can directly see democracy in action. I am serving the city to ensure a better future for my son and the next generation of Eastvale residents.”


Appointments:

• Mayor, City of Eastvale
• Councilmember, City of Eastvale
• Delegate, Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority
• Primary, Civic Center/Library Sub-Committee
• Alternate, Riverside Transit Agency

Jefferson Tiangco was born and raised in the Philippines and pursued his education as an accountant in his country. In 2003, he and his family moved to the US to pursue new opportunities.

Jefferson recalls the culture shock when he arrived in the US and found the language barrier to be intimidating. Not only were the English language and culture challenging, he also faced financial struggles not having a permanent home or vehicle for several years. However, his willingness and determination to succeed were much greater than the challenges. He knew that education would assist him, so he enrolled at Norco College in fall 2003. He set high goals, which began with just four college courses.

Jefferson continued his education and graduated from Norco College in 2005. He transferred to California State University, Fullerton, and in 2008 he graduated summa cum laude with a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and a minor in Spanish.

He began working for Norco College shortly after graduation as an instructional support specialist and credits Norco College for preparing him with not only his education, but also his work experience. Tiangco recalls several significant accomplishments while at Norco College: he developed the College website after accreditation, started social media accounts, technology training, and developed class schedules, and worked on a variety of projects.

A couple of years later, Jefferson decided to continue his education and went back to Cal State Fullerton. In 2014, he earned a master’s degree in Education with a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) emphasis. He then took on part-time teaching positions as an ESL instructor at Fullerton College and Norco College – all while working full time. His passion and talent for teaching grew so strong that he pursued and earned a full-time teaching position at Fullerton College.

Ryan Cortez headed to college with the idea of studying history and becoming a teacher. But his innate interest in business—shaped by years of working in his family’s firm, Cortez Jewelers—changed his mind.

Ryan chose Norco College for the same reason many of his classmates did: the campus was close to home. It is a decision that he never regretted. Interactions with professors such as Arend Flick taught him to think critically, to examine issues from all sides before reaching a decision or group consensus. A talented student, Ryan made the Dean’s List at Norco College and earned dual associate of arts degrees before transferring to California Baptist University to earn his bachelor’s of science in Business Administration. His stellar academic performance as an undergraduate set the stage for Ryan to enter the MBA program at CBU, and in May 2013 he walked across the stage to receive his master’s degree.

Ryan’s education and experience led to a job as a business retention specialist with the city of Corona—his employer of choice. Last year, he was promoted to economic development specialist and now spends his days managing the business retention program, business expansion projects, and performing demographic data analysis. He is frequently out in the community, working closely with business owners to improve local businesses’ capabilities and maintain local job opportunities. He also works closely with Norco College to ensure that career technical programs align with industry needs. Ryan credits and thanks his parents, his girlfriend (a Norco College alum), and the Corona city manager and city council for their support and mentoring.

College was a family affair for Rachel Spiegel, Norco College’s 2015 Young Alumna. She attended college with three siblings. It was a time of mutual support and encouragement, with a healthy dose of competition to keep things interesting.

“We always competed to see who could get the best grade in a class,” Rachel said. “We tried to take classes together or similar classes at Norco.”

School didn't always generate such good memories, she admits. Her high school career was unimpressive; she only managed to eke out a 1.8 GPA.

Norco College’s first president, Brenda Davis, drove Rachel to try harder, to honor her own potential.

“Dr. Davis pushed me, all of us really, to achieve our goals. I remember I was struggling when I first came to Norco College,” Rachel said. “Brenda called me into her office and said, ‘Rachel, you can do better; you have the drive to do better.’ It kind of put me in my shoes and helped me focus.”

Rachel’s academic awakening was fueled by another mentor, too, kinesiology instructor Jim Winn.

“It really helped to follow his guidance,” Rachel said, adding that she still works with Winn through her volunteer service at The SPORT Clinic in Riverside.

Rachel capped her studies at Norco College with two associate degrees before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in health care management. She then paired full-time work with part-time study, earning a master’s degree in Human Resources Management. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Business Administration, Human Resources Management from Walden University.

Today, Rachel Spiegel manages a busy chiropractic corporation in Corona, using the knowledge and many of the skills she first acquired at Norco College.

Balancing work, school, and her volunteer commitments at The SPORT Clinic and Congregation Beth Shalom present daily challenges.

“I get my motivation from my students and my employees,” she said. “Even my four-year-old nephew gives me small comments of congratulations. He’ll say ‘I'm glad you’re going to school,’ which always helps guide the way.”

Her boss, Anthony Pirritano, also serves as an inspiration. His encouragement never fails to lift Rachel’s spirit.

Rachel’s vision for the future is shaped by past challenges she overcame and present issues that she’s eager to address.

“Norco College was a stepping stone on my career path,” Rachel said. “Originally I intended to go into sports medicine. But then, I switched it up.”

Again, it was real life that provided the catalyst.

“I’ve gone from the bottom as a part-time employee to becoming general manager,” Rachel said. “I see how employees are treated and how you can help improve work lives and programs within your business.”

Eventually, Rachel hopes to act as a consultant to small businesses, but she is content with her still-evolving role with the chiropractic corporation.

“We are expanding the business, looking to do integrated medicine and possibly adding more doctors in multiple facilities,” she said. “I know my HR degrees will help immensely.”

Wherever the next years lead, Rachel’s path will always be grounded in Corona and at Norco College. Her mother is a longtime elected official in the city; her father serves as executive director of the Corona Chamber of Commerce; her siblings are successful Norco College alumni.

“Growing up in Corona, it’s been Norco College all the time for my family,” Rachel said. “I don’t see that changing.”

US Naval War College student Jonathan Trdan-Schmidt has been selected as Norco College’s 2014 Young Alumnus. A 2003 graduate of Norco College, Trdan-Schmidt, earned an associate of arts degree before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2009. In 2011, he attended US Naval Post Graduate School in System Engineering, earning the Meyers Award for Academic Excellence.

Jonathan works as a Force Development Assessment Operational Analyst for the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Norco. He authored a simulator/calibrator program and is the lead designer for the aircraft development team. He also serves in the US Naval Reserve.

“Jonathan Schmidt’s story is a classic student success story for Norco College,” said college president Dr. Paul Parnell. “A student shows up for classes needing encouragement, confidence and high quality, caring instruction. As a result of receiving those essential foundation skills they go on to advanced degrees and careers. We wish him the best in his career and academic pursuits and also congratulate him on his Young Alumnus Award."

After arriving at Norco College, Omar Gonzalez quickly realized that “a sense of community” was just as important on a college campus as it was in the outside world. He also discovered that he had an affinity, some might say a calling, for helping others--particularly individuals less fortunate than himself. Soon after arriving on campus, Omar jumped into the role of student government leader. His extensive involvement in activities and day-to-day student life and issues is still remembered by College administrators, faculty and staff. A NC dean says that Omar “became part of the fabric of Norco College.” Excelling in student government and in the classroom, Omar secured acceptance to UC Davis in 2005. There, he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Chicano Studies and Political Science. Back here at home, he now serves as director of Public Policy and Prevention for Reach Out, a non-profit organization that strives to address critical issues facing today’s youth in the western Inland Empire.

As director, Omar oversees two community coalitions: Partners for Innovative Communities and the Fontana Community Coalition. These groups focus on building healthy, safe and vibrant communities. Much of Omar’s daily work is with school districts, where he helps establish curricula and programs to battle bullying and substance abuse, and oversees work that studies the codependency between alcohol abuse and violence. Ask where he thinks the future leads, Norco College’s Young Alumnus exhibits a contented ignorance, other than allowing that his life will always involve building up communities. “I’ve always cared,” Omar said. “I'm just trying to make a difference.”

Naushad Huda, CEO and Founder of XTOPOLY, attended Norco College in the fall of 1996, before transferring to UC Berkeley in 1999. A born entrepreneur, Naushad is focused on everything mobile. He bootstrapped his start-up mobile company, XTOPOLY, during his final year at Whittier Law School. Under his leadership, XTOPOLY has become a multi-award winning mobile interactive agency focusing on the fusion of creativity, innovation and technology.

Naushad is regarded as a leader in the mobile space, having spearheaded triple digit growth of his full-service mobile interactive agency in just a few short years. His experience is in creating integrated mobile strategies and tactics that extend brand stories through holistic marketing campaigns. XTOPOLY solutions are in place at small start-ups as well as big industry names such as Google/AdMob, Yamaha, Paramount Studios, Cars.com, and T-Mobile. Naushad holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Berkeley, and received his J.D. from Whittier Law School.