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Lifting Black Voices

Jocelyn Yow

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 >>

Saeed Ahmad

Saeed Ahmad Alumni Spotlight (2020) Ahmad graduated from Norco College in 2018 and transferred to UCLA. This last June, he graduated from UCLA and is now considering Harvard, Stanford, and Yale for Law School. 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 >>	Seda Shirinian Alumni Spotlight (2020) Seda Shirinian is a fourth year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Human Biology & Society. 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 >>

Gabrielle Ante

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 >>

Isla Covarrubias

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 >>	Liseth Espinoza Grad Stories (2013) Liseth 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 >>

Michael Carlos

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 >>
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 >>	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 >>

Mauricio Ruiz

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 >>