Student of Distinction: Michael Duncan
Drafting
School of Applied Technologies & Apprenticeships
Nominated by Professor Farshid Mirzaei

'Michael is one of the best students I have ever met in Norco College. Despite his challenges with life, family and work, he keeps pushing his limits and works hard to succeed. Michael is an example of dedication, persistence and consistency and learning to overcome all barriers from his past. Michael proves that, if a student really wants to learn, there is nothing, no matter how harsh life gets, that can stop the person from achieving his goals. He has a high spirit of teamwork and helps his classmates to see problems from a different lens and enrich the learning process for all by support and sharing his knowledge. Anyone who comes across him will notice the genuine learning interest and get inspired to follow the education path. I highly recommend Michael as Student of Distinction of 2026 for both Drafting and Architecture disciplines.'' - Farshid Mirzaei

Student of Distinction: Natalia Martinez
Business Administration
School of Business & Management
Nominated by Professor Daniel Jesus Grajeda 

'Ms. Natalia Martinez has answered the call to leadership as the Presidenta of Norco College’s Puente Club with authentic care and vision. Through her leadership, she has developed a team of eight student leaders. Together, they have expanded the Puente community to now serve more than 70 students. Under her leadership, Puente has increased the number of served students in an academic year. Natalia’s empathetic leadership shines as she seeks to understand others. She has a remarkable ability to motivate people towards common goals, furthering collaboration efforts with other clubs. Ms. Natalia is deeply deserving of this distinction because her leadership has made Norco College a more welcoming, collaborative, and brave space during these times of uncertainty.' - Daniel Jesus Grajeda

Student of Distinction: Heather Ortega
English and Humanities
School of Communication, Humanities & Languages
Nominated by Professors Cameron Young & Michael Bobo

'Heather (H) has been a dedicated student at Norco College for almost a decade because they find value within every course they take. Throughout their time attending Norco College, H has experienced a multitude of challenges (health and otherwise) as they continued their education, and whenever they experienced setbacks, they never once contemplated stopping. For H, it is not about the degree alone, but the journey as in their own words, "I like going to Norco because I just like to learn".'

'Over the course of multiple semesters, from between English and Humanities alone, H has taken ENG-C1000 (English Composition), ENGL-1B (Critical Thinking and Writing), ENG-14 (American Literature I: Pre-Contact through Civil War), ENG-40 (World Literature I: From Ancient Literatures to the Seventeenth Century) ENGL-66 (Queer Voices: A Survey of LGBTQIA2+ Literature), HUM-10 Honors (World Religions), ENG 8 (Introduction to Mythology), HUM 9 (American Voices), and HUM 35 (Philosophy of Religion). Through canes, through walkers, through wheelchairs, and even through battling three separate cancers (among a host of other challenges), if there was a way for H to make it to campus for a 7:20am class, or a 3pm class, they would not only attend, but always actively take part.'

'Though H is a survivor of domestic violence and religious abuse, and though H has experienced (and continues to experience) tremendous pain and suffering, they persevere through it all while exhibiting a wonderful sense of humor in and out of classroom settings. H does not shy away from discussing difficult topics; rather, they push through it and share for the good of the class and their peers to be made aware of the realities they faced so we can learn and grow together. They have an incredible story, an amazing heart, and they always stand up and/or promote what they believe in.'

'H embodies everything that Norco College stands for. They persist in their educational pathways and complete degrees at Norco as a life-long learning process recognizing that education, literally, is their life. They are open-minded and generous in their ability to share their own experiences and perspectives while listening to their peers and drawing out collective insights. The multitude of challenges they have experienced since attending Norco College is nothing short of inspiring, but it is their tenacity and engagement with others, specifically, that distinguishes H as a prime candidate deserving of this recognition.' - Cameron Young & Michael Bobo

Student of Distinction: Jizella Alday
Administration of Justice
School of Human & Public Services
Nominated by Professor Selena McKay-Davis

'Jizella is a splendid example of the enthusiastic initiative and drive students must exhibit to thrive in the criminal justice field. She successfully leveraged her Administration of Justice Career Technical Education (CTE) training, interpersonal skills and Criminal Justice Student Association (CJSA) connections to secure an entry level position with a local police department. Over the last year, Jizella flourished as a student and public safety employee by producing commendable work products. As a public employee, she demonstrated the ability to succeed by garnering the trust of law enforcement professionals that only allow individuals deemed competent to handle evidence that could be used to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This professional trust is achieved through demonstration of high verbal, technical skills, and ethical standards. Jizella is a shining representation of Norco College students that don’t wait for opportunities to present themselves. Like Jizella, successful students persevere towards objectives bolstered by a solid education, developed skill, and advantageous networking.'

'As a member of the Criminal Justice Student Association (CJSA), Jizella took advantage of an opportunity to tour a local police department with the club. While there she connected with personnel in the recruiting/training department and was later hired as a Cadet. The Cadet position is specifically designed to expose college students to peace officer duties throughout the police department. But, Jizella is interested in the field of forensic science and convinced the department to create a position allowing her to be the first Cadet assigned to assist Community Service Officers supporting the Forensics Unit. As a Cadet, she consistently solicited and seized the sporadic opportunities for guided experience in crime scene call-outs and laboratory evidence processing. These experiences built upon the CTE academic and career skills developed as she continues to pursue an Administration of Justice Degree and Crime Scene Investigation Certificate. In her year of experience, she earned the trust and confidence of her supervisors who then allowed her to process low-priority crime scene evidence under direct supervision. Her work ethic and quality of work secured her a long-term assignment assisting the Forensics Unit. Moreover, she now has enough paid experience to qualify for Basic Forensic Specialist positions in many law enforcement agencies which is a challenging requirement for many candidates entering the field of crime scene forensics.' - Selena McKay-Davis

Student of Distinction: Matthew Garamone
Video Game Development
School of Math, Engineering, Computer Science & Game Development
Nominated by Professor Jeff Clendenning

'Matthew is an exemplary student and human. He has excelled in my courses, has been invited as a tutor and exceeds expectations, held the position of president for the game development club while going above and beyond to ensure all students were welcomed, and helps his peers with any and all requests. I’m proud to nominate Matthew for this award.' - Jeff Clendenning

Student of Distinction: Ryan Dieringer
Physics
School of Natural Sciences, Health & Kinesiology
Nominated by Professor Lindsay Owens

'Ryan Dieringer is a Biomedical Engineering major at Norco College with an impeccable 4.0 GPA and an outstanding six degrees upon transfer (PHS ADT, Chemistry ADT, Biology ADT, Math ADT, Pre-Engineering IGETC, and Math and Science IGETC). After transfer, Ryan intends to complete two bachelor's degrees in Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering, with the eventual pursuit of an MD/JD, positioning him for a career in medicine. Ryan is dedicated to his long-term career goals, and we have had multiple discussions about potential career paths, internships, and academic opportunities he should pursue after transfer.

'In our PHY 4C class, Ryan always goes above and beyond in terms of his preparation and dedication to understanding complex topics. On homework, there are 1-2 “challenge” questions that require students to apply higher-level math or extend their physics knowledge to new applications. Ryan always attempts and successfully completes the challenge questions and holds a strong “A” in our physics class, which is no easy feat. Ryan has received high praise from the biology, chemistry, and physics faculty. Such a well-rounded student who has excelled in three foundational sciences is worthy of the title “Student of Distinction.”'.' - Lindsay Owens

Student of Distinction: Diane Castillo
Political Science
School of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Nominated by Professor Sandra Popiden

'Diane is an extremely talented and actively involved student. She is person who continually demonstrates a high degree of integrity and commitment to the college, her fellow students, her family, and all Student Parents and their families throughout the district. Simply put, Diane Castillo is an example of the best and the brightest at our college and I offer my highest recommendation that all her hard work and contributions to the college be recognized and shared.'

'Diane earned high marks in my POLS C 1000 Honors - American Politics section. She excelled in our writing activities, presentations, discussions, simulations, and debates. In addition to her strong academic skills, I was also impressed by how well she bonded and engaged with her classmates. It was clear that she served as a trusted friend to many in the course who would go to her for help and support. Diane's talent in mentoring others is also evident in that she also serves as a NC tutor for Spanish as well. Diane's commitment to academic excellence is also visible - in that she has also received A grades in her POLS 4 - World Politics, POLS 11 - Theory, and POLS 23 - Race and Ethnic Politics courses as well. She has also earned As in a host of other challenging courses - including Statistics, Psychology 11, Microeconomics, Intro to Business, History 6, and Honors Physical Geography. Similarly, in fall 2025, she earned a 3.77 GPA, taking four classes. In winter 2026, she took 3 courses and earned a 4.0 GPA. She is finishing her Norco College career strongly!'

'While Diane initially struggled with balancing the responsibilities of having three (young) children, running a business, and attending college early on in her academic career - impacting her early GPA and causing her to take a few years off, since returning to Norco College, Diane has been an exemplary student and epitome of our NC motto. She has gone above and beyond is so many regards, particularly in her work to bring to light the unique challenges of student parents, to make their needs more visible, and to strengthen our culture of support for NC student parents. Moreover, in the fall 2026, Diane is planning on transferring to UCR to study Public Policy. I have full faith and confidence that she will continue to accomplish amazing feats and be a source of inspiration and support to other as she moves on to the next steps in her academic and career journey. She will be greatly missed!

'Diane is also one of the first NC students to achieve the recently approved Cal Law Pathway distinction. This is another wonderful accomplishment that demonstrates Diane's range of academic skills. Furthermore, Diane also recently learned that she was selected to participate in the Future Tech for Good Leaders Summer School in Paris and Beauvais (12 to 25 July 2026). This prestigious opportunity is organized by Ponts Business School, the Embassy of France in the U.S, and the Albertine Foundation. Her selection adds to Diane's considerable list of accomplishments and body of work while at Norco College that merits recognition as a NC Student of Distinction.' - Sandra Popiden

Student of Distinction: Cameryn Barnes
Art
School of Visual & Performing Arts
Nominated by Professor Michelle Ramin

'Cameryn "Cam" Barnes is an exceptional student, artist, leader, and person. I've been working with Cam for the past 2 years at Norco, and she has grown by leaps and bounds! Each semester, I see her artwork becoming more sophisticated, more exciting, and more dynamic, often bringing in ideas related to her sociology, psychology, and history courses, creating fully-realized, insightful works that discuss everything from cultural & personal identity to the every day. She's not afraid to take risks in her work and to try new materials and techniques, which allows for her to grow quickly as an artist.'

'Beyond her outstanding coursework, Cam has also been my Educational Assistant for the past year, helping out in the art classroom, organizing our supplies, and assisting other students with materials and projects. Reliable, kind, and always the most helpful, Cam is an awesome worker and assistant.'

'Finally, Cam is an active member of Art Club and has worked hard this year as Vice President and ICC representative. During her tenure in Art Club leadership, she has successfully presented proposals for multiple field trips, acquiring funds for Art Club to visit the Geffen MOCA & Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Sculpture Museum & Joshua Tree National Park in Joshua Tree, CA. She's been a leader through Harvest Fest and NOMU Fest, as well as ArtsGiving in the Gallery, among many other projects she's contributed to. She does all of this and holds down an additional job off-campus as well. Cam is an incredible person who gives so much to the world - I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished at Norco College! I can't wait to see all the incredible things I know she will continue to do after she graduates!.' - Michelle Ramin