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Ruben Aguilar 2020 64th RCCD Alumnus of the Year (Norco College) As a United States veteran and purple heart recipient, Ruben Aguilar has sacrificed much. Read more >>	Jocelyn Yow Norco College Alumna of the Year 2019 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. Read more >>	Jefferson Tiangco Norco College Alumnus of the Year 2017 Jefferson Tiangco was born and raised in the Philippines and pursued his education as an accountant in his country. Read more >>
Ryan Cortez Norco College Alumnus of the Year 2016 Ryan Cortez headed to college with the idea of studying history and becoming a teacher. Read more >>	Rachel Spiegel Norco College Alumna of the Year 2015 College was a family affair for Rachel Spiegel, Norco College’s 2015 Alumna of the Year. She attended college with three siblings. Read more >>	Jonathan Trdan-Schmidt Norco College Alumnus of the Year 2014 US Naval War College student Jonathan Trdan-Schmidt was selected as Norco College’s 2014 Alumnus of the Year. Read more >>
Omar Gonzalez Norco College Alumnus of the Year 2013 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. Read more >>	Naushad Huda Norco College Alumnus of the Year 2012 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. Read more >>

Dariush Seif Alumni Spotlight (2021) Dariush Seif did not have a lot of direction coming out of Corona High School. Unsure what he wanted to do in life, he enrolled at Norco College as a Computer Science major, but after a couple years of increased exposure to math, physics, and computer science, he realized his passion for physics and engineering. Read more >>	Rick Johnson Alumni Spotlight (2021) Rick Johnson, Supply Chain Management program alumni from Norco College, talks about how the Logistics Management program at Norco College helped him. Read more >>	Saeed Ahmad Alumni Spotlight (2021) Ahmad graduated from Norco College in 2018 and transferred to UCLA. In June 2020, he graduated from UCLA and is now on his way to Harvard Law School. Read more >>
Lizeth Vega Alumni Spotlight (2020) Norco College alumnus, Lizeth Vega shares why investing in students is important. Vega is a board of education member for the Alvord Unified School District. One of the youngest serving board members in the history of AUSD. "Investing in Norco College students, is investing in our community." - Lizeth Vega Read more >>	Al Cattouse Alumni Spotlight (2020) Norco College alumnus, Al Cattouse shares how receiving scholarship support helped him obtain his educational goals and continue on to USC. Today, he is a pre-law student and aspires to pay it forward and give back to Norco College as a donor. Read more >>	Estefani Ontiveros Alumni Spotlight (2020) Estefani Ontiveros, an Engineering Pathways and Norco College alumni, was selected to participate in the FIELDS Internship through University of California, Riverside at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena for the summer. Read more >>
Maha Ibrahim Alumni Spotlight (2020) Meet Maha Ibrahim, a Civil Rights attorney and proud Riverside Community College District graduate. Read more >>	Ahmad Elhaija Alumni Spotlight (2020) Ahmad Elhaija, former Norco College STEM Scholar and current UCLA student, launched a mobile health clinic to increase access to care. Read more >>	Brittiney Sempasa Alumni Spotlight (2020) Brittiney Sempasa attended Norco College and was an active participant in the STEM Scholars Program. Read more >>
Armando Gomez Alumni Spotlight (2020) Armando Gomez, 18, learned about the LAUNCH apprenticeship program, which blends classroom education with real-world experience, while attending Corona High School. Read more >>	Marsella G. Ortiz Alumni Spotlight (2020) Marsella G. Ortiz attended Norco College and participated in the Puente Program and the STEM Scholars Program earning an earning an A.S. in Math and Science. Read more >>	Matthew Johnson Alumni Spotlight (2020) Matthew Johnson is an alumni of Norco College and the STEM Scholars Program. Read more >>
Ria Shiv Alumni Spotlight (2020) Ria Shiv transferred to UC Berkeley from Norco College in 2017 as an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2019. Ria is currently working as a Software Engineer at Google. Read more >>	Shirley Yan Alumni Spotlight (2020) Shirley Yan began her higher education at John F. Kennedy Middle College and at Norco College, where she was a participant in the STEM Scholars Program. Read more >>	Ceasar Navarro Alumni Spotlight (2020) Ceasar Navarro, currently a Mechanical Engineering Student at Cal Poly Pomona, attended Norco College and interned at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Norco. Read more >>
Mohamad Hilal Alumni Spotlight (2020) Mohamad Abu Hilal is a Norco College Alumni and currently a Senior at Cal Poly Pomona majoring in Civil Engineering. Read more >>	Brenda Lopez Alumni Spotlight (2020) While at Norco College, Brenda Lopez discovered a passion for engineering, obtained her first internship, participated in student advocacy, and established a professional network. Read more >>	Maria Bello-Carrillo Alumni Spotlight (2020) Maria Bello-Carrillo is a Norco College STEM Scholars Alumni and a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. Read more >>
Rushil Rawal Alumni Spotlight (2020) Rushil Rawal, a 3rd year undergraduate student at UCLA, received an Associate’s in Math and Science and in Behavioral Sciences from Norco College in 2018, while being a senior in high school. Read more >>	Juan Carlos Guzman Alumni Spotlight (2020) Before his journey at UC Irvine began, Juan Carlos Guzman was a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Mentor at Norco College for Integral Calculus, Geometry, Algebra, and Multivariable Calculus. Read more >>	Tiffany Pan Alumni Spotlight (2020) From 2014 to 2016, Tiffany Pan had been a part of the STEM program at Norco College, tutored in several math and science courses, and interned at UC Berkeley's Biomechanical Engineering lab and at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Norco. Read more >>
Raul Gonzalez Alumni Spotlight (2020) Raul Gonzalez is a Norco College Alumni who participated in the STEM Scholars Program, then transferred to San Jose State University as a Mechanical Engineering Major. Read more >>	Edgar Carlos Alumni Spotlight (2020) Edgar Carlos is a STEM Scholar Alumni who, while attending Norco College, worked as a science tutor at the LRC and helped new students transition into college as a Student Ambassador. Read more >>	Cameron Clark Alumni Spotlight (2020) Cameron Clark transferred from Norco College to UC Santa Cruz in 2018 and graduated with a B.S. in astrophysics in 2020. Read more >>
Go Ito Alumni Spotlight (2020) Go Ito transferred to UCLA from Norco College in 2017 and is now a Senior Science Integration Analyst at The Walt Disney Company. Read more >>	Burhan Alestwani Alumni Spotlight (2020) Burhan Alestwani is a Norco College Alumni and a senior at Cal Poly Pomona pursuing a double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering. Read more >>	Jessica Osanyinpeju Alumni Spotlight (2020) Jessica Osanyinpeju, a senior and biology major at UCLA who transferred from Norco College in 2018, was a math and chemistry tutor at the LRC and a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors Program. Read more >>
Miguel Toledo Alumni Spotlight (2020) Miguel Toledo focused on developing laboratory and research skills, as well as giving back to underrepresented groups via tutoring/mentoring with Norco’s STEM program and Society the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Read more >>	Kayla Criswell-Ortiz Alumni Spotlight (2018) Kayla Criswell-Ortiz is no stranger to Norco College or soccer, having competed since she was four years old, eventually playing center-mid for the College’s team during the 2017 season. Read more >>	Anthony Lombardo Alumni Spotlight (2015) Anthony Lombardo, a Norco College graduate, credits his time with ASNC and the College’s Honors Program as game changers in his academic career. Read more >>

Sergio Garcia
Apprentice Stories (2021)

Sergio Garcia, apprentice program alumni from Norco College, joined in the Fall of 2018 as a Machine Operator I at Aranda Tooling.
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Armando Gomez
Apprentice Stories (2020)

Armando Gomez, 18, learned about the LAUNCH apprenticeship program, which blends classroom education with real-world experience, while attending Corona High School.
Read more >>

Gabrielle Ante Commencement Student Speaker 2020 Gabrielle Ante graduated in 2020 with seven additional associate degrees in Pre-Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Social and Behavioral Studies, Humanities, and Communications. Read more >>	Angelica Gutierrez Commencement Student Speaker 2019 Norco College commencement student speaker for 2019 Angelica Gutierrez shared her inspirational story about resilience and courage. Read more >>	Maria Barragan Commencement Student Speaker 2018 2018's commencement student speaker, Maria Barragan, was Associated Students of Norco College (ASNC) President and served the campus as the primary voice for the more than 13,000 Norco College students. Read more >>
Adriel Chavez-Sherman Commencement Student Speaker 2017 2017's commencement student speaker Adriel Chavez-Sherman graduated with four different associate’s degrees in Communications, Math and Science, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Studies. Read more >>	Suzanne Schepler Commencement Student Speaker 2016 Suzanne Schepler, the commencement student speaker for 2016, now works as a Grants Administrative Specialist for the STEM Engineering Pathways program at Norco College. Read more >>	Benjamin Vargas Commencement Student Speaker 2015 The soccer field venue for the commencement ceremony was a familiar place for 2015 commencement student speaker Benjamin Vargas, who has been a soccer player for most of his life. Read more >>
Jocelyn Yow Commencement Student Speaker 2014 2014's commencement student speaker Jocelyn Yow (now Mayor of Eastvale) graduated as the ASNC Student Body President, and received her Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences for Norco College. Read more >>	Anthony Lombardo Commencement Student Speaker 2013 2013 commencement student speaker Anthony Lombardo graduated with associate’s degrees in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, Philosophy and Art, and Communication, Media and Languages. Read more >>

Madelyn Torres
Dual Enrollment Spotlight (2021)

Madelyn Torres, Eleanor Roosevelt High School alumni, took advantage of the Norco College Dual Enrollment program, a program that gives high school students the opportunity to take college courses at their participating high school campus.
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Brandi Gomez Grad Stories (2022) Art student Brandi Gomez is graduating this spring 2022 with plans to transfer to Cal State Fullerton in the fall. After a 13 year break working, she came back to school to pursue her passion for art. Read more >>	Rochelle Duran Grad Stories (2022) Rochelle Duran is a Nursing major at Norco College. She is graduating this spring 2022 with degrees in Math & Science, Kinesiology, and Social & Behavioral Sciences. Read more >>	Krystelle Borja Grad Stories (2022) Chemical Engineering major Krystelle Borja is graduating this spring 2022 and will be transferring to UC Riverside in the fall. Hear her story and the experience she's had at Norco College. Read more >>
Ashley Calderon Grad Stories (2021) From foster youth to Army Reserve to future medical school student. Learn how Ashley Calderon overcame relentless obstacles and persevered. Read more >>	Anisha Salhotra Grad Stories (2021) Salhotra, a first-generation college student, will be moving on to West Coast University in the fall to pursue a career in nursing. She was also accepted at Sacramento State University, East Bay, and San Jose State University. Read more >>	Valerie Diaz Grad Stories (2021) Diaz, a first-generation college student, will be transferring to the University of California, Riverside, in the fall. She aspires to pursue a career in law. Read more >>
Julian Horner Grad Stories (2021) Horner is a former foster youth student. He spent most of his childhood in Los Angeles. Read more >>	Alyssa Hernandez Grad Stories (2021) Hernandez has been attending Norco College off and on since 2012. She went into the foster care system when she turned two and then again at the age of 14. She reflects on having a far from easy life, recalling traumatic events witnessed as a little girl and adolescent. Read more >>	Sarah Hardy Grad Stories (2021) Hardy earned three associate’s degrees from Norco College and is set to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. Read more >>
Bianca Roman Grad Stories (2021) Roman is a former foster youth and proud mom of two. She has been attending Norco College off and on since 2010 and is delighted to be graduating with three degrees and a CNA certificate, while maintaining over a 3.0 grade point average. Read more >>	Erica McNabb Grad Stories (2021) McNabb says that enrolling at Norco College changed her life. Her mother, who was a domestic violence survivor, raised her. Read more >>	Nina King Grad Stories (2021) King grew up in the San Fernando Valley with her mom and sister. Her father passed away while she was in high school and she lost interest in going to college. Read more >>
Linda Rojas Grad Stories (2021) Rojas was born and raised in Santa Ana. She moved to Lake Elsinore at the age of 13 and became pregnant at 15. She did not let her baby become an obstacle; instead, she continued her studies and graduated from high school in 2010. Read more >>	Isla Covarrubias Grad Stories (2017) On June 8, 2017, Isla Covarrubias graduated as a student of distinction from Norco College with four associate degrees. Read more >>	Calvin Klein Gloria Grad Stories (2017) Navy veteran Calvin Klein Gloria graduated in 2017 with a 3.9 GPA and three associate degrees. Read more >>
Luis Enrique Velazco Miranda Grad Stories (2017) On June 8, 2017, Luis Enrique Velazco Miranda, a first-generation college student and ASNC Vice President, graduated with three associate degrees and the decision to transfer to Humboldt State University. Read more >>	Giovanna Mireles Grad Stories (2017) Giovanna Mireles graduated in 2017 with a Social & Behavioral Sciences degree with plans to transfer to UC Santa Cruz, earn a bachelor’s in psychology and become a college counselor. Read more >>	Miami Abdulal Grad Stories (2016) Miami Abdulal graduated from Norco College in 2016, and became a News Assistant for ABC7 Eyewitness News, after overcoming challenges that came with migrating from Syria. Read more >>
Misty Jolly Grad Stories (2016) 2016 graduate Misty Jolly, who was a 29-year-old single mom of three when she decided to enroll at Norco College, received the Alan D. Pauw endowed scholarship and was awarded the Soroptimist International Live Your Dream scholarship. Read more >>	Mauricio Ruiz Grad Stories (2016) Mauricio Ruiz decided to serve in the Marine Corps for 10 years before deciding to give college another try and graduating with his associate of arts in Psychology and Sociology from Norco College. Read more >>	Evelyn Almaraz Grad Stories (2015) Evelyn Almaraz calls herself a dreamer, a Puentista, a reinvention, a creator, and a giver of hope - descriptions she earned and values. Read more >>
Christopher Gonzalez Grad Stories (2015) 2015 graduate Christopher Gonzalez left behind a life of drugs and gangs to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, followed by a master’s degree, at CSU San Bernardino. Read more >>	Kevin LaMantain Grad Stories (2015) Kevin LaMantain overcame a learning disorder, and his own objections of attending college, to discover the EOPS program at Norco College and graduate. Read more >>	Tabitha Johnson Grad Stories (2014) On June 12, 2014, Tabitha Johnson graduated from Norco College after overcoming many obstacles and with help from CalWORKS. Read more >>
Julianna Kilpatrick Grad Stories (2014) Julianna Kilpatrick graduated from Norco College with a 4.0 grade point average and two associate of arts degrees, all after beating cancer and losing an executive position with Viacom. Read more >>	Denise Prado Grad Stories (2014) Denise Prado enlisted in the Army and survived three tours in Iraq before coming home and graduating from Norco College in 2014. Read more >>	Stalin Soto Grad Stories (2014) After leaving the US to Ecuador for many years, Stalin Soto returned and worked countless jobs, while raising his children, before finishing his education and graduating from Norco College. Read more >>
Chris Rios Grad Stories (2014) 2014 graduate Chris Rios saw his future despite eyesight of 20/200 and having no central vision in one eye. Read more >>	Mike You Grad Stories (2014) Mike You became a statistic when the Great Recession hit, but he recovered years later and graduated from Norco College with help from Norco College’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). Read more >>	Taylor Armstrong Grad Stories (2013) Technology played a major role in 2013 graduate Taylor Armstrong’s life and provides his lifeline to academic highlights. Read more >>
Graciela Arzola Grad Stories (2013) Graciela Arzola first stepped onto the Norco College campus 10 years after graduating from high school, but graduated from Norco College with AA degrees in Social Behavioral Studies, Humanities, and Communication Studies. Read more >>	Misael Castillo Grad Stories (2013) Misael Castillo graduated from Norco College in 2013, with degrees in Communications, Social and Behavioral Studies and Humanities, Philosophy and Art, to pursue a law enforcement career after growing up in a crime-plagued neighborhood. Read more >>	Kevin Di Bella Grad Stories (2013) 2013 Norco College graduate Kevin Di Bella took a 10-year detour after graduating from high school to pursue a career as an audio engineer in the music industry. Read more >>
Lizeth Espinoza Grad Stories (2013) Lizeth Espinoza joined the Marine Corps Reserves right out of high school, survived boot camp and combat training, before she took on another challenge. Read more >>	Zachariah Hammers Grad Stories (2013) Zachariah Hammers planned to transfer to La Sierra University after two years at Norco College, thanks in large part to the Community Scholars Program. Read more >>	Anthony Lombardo Grad Stories (2013) Anthony Lombardo graduated in 2013 with associate’s degrees in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, Philosophy and Art, and Communication, Media and Languages. Read more >>
William Woerz III Grad Stories (2013) William Woerz III was a student at Norco College in 2001 when terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City. Read more >>

Ban Keissieh Student Spotlight (2021) Ban Keissieh had been away from school for the past 25 years when she decided to go to Norco College. Read more >>	Sarah Gadalla Student Spotlight (2020) Former ASNC President Sarah Gadalla shares how the EOPS program helped her on her way to becoming a chemistry pre-med student and transferring to UCR. Read more >>	Ricardo Garavito Student Spotlight (2020) After more than ten years selling life insurance, Ricardo Garavito went back to school and graduated from Norco College with three associate degrees. Read more >>
Micah Landeros Student Spotlight (2020) Separated from her siblings and placed in foster care, Micah Landeros persevered with help from EOPS and the Phoenix Scholars program at Norco College. Read more >>	Jennifer Lugo Student Spotlight (2020) First-generation college student and single mom Jennifer Lugo shares how CARE and CalWORKs helped her. Read more >>	Fernando Salas Student Spotlight (2020) Fernando Salas came from a low-income family in Mexico, but DACA and the EOPS program at Norco College helped him succeed with his educational goals. Read more >>
Leanese West Student Spotlight (2020) Student Leanese West shares how the Student Life Fund helped her and her daughters get through homelessness and attain her educational goals. Read more >>	Anfal Jneidi Student Spotlight (2019) I'm a mechanical engineering major and originally when I came to Norco College I had a hard time deciding on what to major in. Read more >>	Timothy Huneck Student Spotlight (2016) At 21 years of age, Timothy Huneck moved from Germany to the United States to pursue his dream of a higher education in the California educational system. Read more >>
Ed Saenz Student Spotlight (2016) Edward Saenz, recently hired as a technician by Amazon Fulfillment Center, is an example of a nontraditional student who returned to community college to gain new job skills and training. Read more >>	Stephanie Perez Student Spotlight (2016) On May 19, 2016, Stephanie Perez received the ATHENA scholarship for $1,000 at a special luncheon presentation at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Read more >>	Michael Carlos Student Spotlight (2016) Michael Carlos graduated from the ACE (Accelerated Certificate & Employment) program in December 2015, which enabled him to complete his technical certificate in Industrial Automation and get a job with Walmart Fulfillment. Read more >>
Michael Anguiano Student Spotlight (2016) Michael Anguiano graduated from the ACE (Accelerated Certificate & Employment) program. By attending a full-time program, he completed his certificate in Industrial Automation in less than 7 months. Read more >>	Mark Merritt Student Spotlight (2016) The ACE program at Norco College provided guidance to Mark Merritt and gave him insight about the variety of automated positions available in the local area. Read more >>	Candice Meares Student Spotlight (2016) The economic downturn in the United States forced good people to make some unexpected decisions about their future. For Candice Meares, it began a new and exciting chapter, becoming both a student and employee of Norco College. Read more >>
Austin Barraza Student Spotlight (2015) Former Norco College Honors student Austin Barraza was awarded a Transfer Alliance Program scholarship for $10,000 to attend UCLA. He is the third Norco student to earn this transfer scholarship. Read more >>	Faran Imani Student Spotlight (2015) Norco College Honors student Faran Imani was awarded a Transfer Alliance Program scholarship for $10,000 to attend UCLA. He is the second Norco student to earn this transfer scholarship. Read more >>	Trevor Tomey Student Spotlight (2015) Norco College student Trevor Tomey won two awards, including the top honor, at a June 6 ceremony that honored students in the college’s video game development program, which includes classes in art, design, audio and programming. Read more >>
David Casillas Student Spotlight (2015) The message David Casillas heard growing up in a gang-infested area of Santa Ana was that he would not amount to anything. Read more >>

Kory Yueh Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Kory Yueh was selected as the 2021 Student of Distinction in the discipline of Humanities. Read more >>	Kristin Ustariz Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Kristin Ustariz was selected as the 2021 Student of Distinction in the discipline of Early Childhood Development. Read more >>	Randy Sherer Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Randy Sherer was selected as the 2021 Student of Distinction in the discipline of Architecture. Read more >>
Ban Keissieh Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Ban Keissieh had been away from school for the past 25 years when she decided to go to Norco College. Read more >>	Brandalyn Bredehoft Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Brandalyn Bredehoft was selected as the 2021 Student of Distinction in the discipline of English. Read more >>	Lailah Bezan Student of Distinction (2021) Norco College student Lailah Bezan was selected as the 2021 Student of Distinction in the discipline of Political Science. Read more >>

Edwin Duarte Veteran Spotlight (2021) Edwin Duarte, Norco College student and veteran, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship and named the 2020 Student of the Year by the American Council on Education (ACE). Read more >>	Ashley Calderon Veteran Spotlight (2020) Listen to student Ashley Calderon as she discusses how receiving support from this fund helped her obtain her educational goals. Calderon is a veteran and former foster youth. Read more >>	Daniel Miranda Veteran Spotlight (2020) Student veteran, Daniel Miranda shares how receiving financial support has helped him with his educational success. He also shares how the Veterans Resource Center has helped him with emotional support and job placement. Read more >>
Mauricio Ruiz Veteran Spotlight (2016) Mauricio Ruiz decided to serve in the Marine Corps for 10 years before deciding to give college another try. Read more >>	John Barto Veteran Spotlight (2015) For John Barto, enlisting in the Marines at the age of 18 was a family tradition. He was a third generation infantry marine who followed the footsteps of his grandfather and father. Read more >>	Daniel Burbank Veteran Spotlight (2015) Daniel Burbank is a veteran who served four years around the globe as a turbine and diesel mechanic. Read more >>
Denise Prado Veteran Spotlight (2014) At 18, Denise Prado was making life-changing decisions. Two months after graduating from Rubidoux High School in 2003, she enlisted in the Army. She survived three tours in Iraq. Read more >>	Jonathan Trdan-Schmidt Veteran Spotlight (2014) US Naval War College student Jonathan Trdan-Schmidt has been selected as Norco College’s 2014 Alumnus of the Year. Read more >>