August 2012
University of California, Merced, Class of 2012
 Bachelors of Science in
Biological Sciences, minor
in Psychology.
 Teaching in Hawaii for
Teach for America at
Kealakehe High School
 Currently teaching Special
Ed, Spanish and
Broadcasting
 Attending University of
Hawaii to obtain Masters
in Education
University of California, Riverside Class of 2012
 Graduated with a degree in Public





Policy
Overall GPA of 3.17
Graduated a quarter early.
Owns her own tutoring business MileStone Tutoring.
Plans to become a High School
Mentor to help students get to
and through college by applying
her own experience.
She is also interested in pursuing
a job in Social Services.
Gonzaga University, Class of 2012
 Graduated with a
Bachelors of Arts in
Psychology
 Plans to attend graduate
school to obtain a
Masters in Marriage and
Family Therapy.
 Plans to have her own
practice and teach at a
university.
University of Pacific, Class of 2012
 Bachelors of Arts in
Sociology.
 Living in Orlando, FL
 Working for City Year, an
AmeriCorps Program
 Studying for the GMAT
as he plans to attend
Business School.
 Margarita Aguilar (‘08)
Margarita
Aguilar
graduated from Maya Beauty
Academy in 2010. She is
currently going back to school to
get her CNA and then continue
on in school to obtain a degree in
nursing. She currently works in a
facility as a care giver. She loves
her job and helping others. She is
hoping to move to Ventura next
year and attend school there.
 Tiffany Bradley (‘08) will be
Tiffany
Brad ley
attending Santa Rosa Junior
College in Spring 2013. She plans
on becoming a Registered Nurse
(RN) in a Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU).
 Tamra Cavell (‘08) is currently in a
Tamra
Cavell
two year cosmetology apprentice
program in Santa Rosa. She is
working at Royal Teaz Salon and
Target. She is also in the process of
creating her own line of lipstick.
She is currently doing hair, makeup,
waxing, and manicures.

Roberto
Castro
Aloha Everyone,
I recently graduated UC Merced with a Bachelors of Science.
Majored in Biological Sciences and Minored in Psychology. I am
currently living in the Island of Hawai'i serving as an AmeriCorp
through Teach for America.
I embarked a new vision with Teach for America. This vision involves
the future of thousands of young adults and children across America.
As a Teach for America Corps Member I team up with other college
graduates of diverse backgrounds committed to close the
achievement gap in education. Children all over the United States
have the same potential and intelligence to succeed and excel in life.
I made this two year commitment to Teach to the Keiki of Hawai'i in
order to increase their possibilities greater achievement. I am
Spanish and Special Education Science Teacher at Kealakehe High
School. At the same time I am seeking to become a certified teacher
and working on my Masters degree in Education from the University
of Hawai'i Manoa.
This is only the beginning. Medical School is still waiting for me, and
I know One Day I will be there too. But for now I feel this is where I
am called to be.
Aloha and Mahalo
 Alaina Chenette-Barton
Alaina
Chenette -Barton
(‘08) just passed the
national exam that, along
with her schooling, helps
certify her as a
phlebotomist. She is
conducting her schooling
at Kaiser Permanente
School of Allied Health and
Science in Richmond, CA.
 Diana Gonzalez (’08) is
Diana
Gonz alez
currently attending Sonoma
State University and plans to
graduate Fall 2013. Her major is
Business and she is working at
the Law Office of Alicia Roman
and loving it. After graduation
she plans to attend law school
to become a Lawyer. She would
like her focus to be Criminal
Law.
 Amanda Hernandez (‘08) graduated from
Amanda
Hernand ez
Gonzaga University with a Bachelors of Arts in
Psychology. At Gonzaga she participated in
Circle K International (service/leadership), the
International Student Union, La Raza Latina,
and was also on the board for the Filipino
American Student Union. In addition, she
worked with the Dean of Admission and all of
the counselors in the Admissions Office. She is
currently looking for a job to save up money for
graduate school as well as obtain more job
experience. She is currently looking at graduate
programs at Seattle University, Sonoma State
University and University of San Francisco. She
plans to obtain her Masters in Marriage and
Family Therapy. She would like to, one day, have
her our practice, be a professor and teach at a
University.

Gerald
Jones
I recently graduated from University of the Pacific in May receiving my BA in
Sociology. While there, I was afforded numerous opportunities that helped me
grow, both, inside and outside the classroom. In 2010, I studied abroad in Spain
for a year and that really changed the direction of my life. I was so bent on going
to law school that I had bought LSAT books, started researching schools, etc.
However, while in Spain I got a lot of time to reflect and, sort of, really find where
my passion lies. It lies at a weird intersection of blending education, business
marketing and entrepreneurship.
My life goal is to start up a diverse network of innovative businesses all aligned
under a singular mission statement of giving the next generation opportunities to
creatively find and pursue their passions. I have recently relocated to Orlando, FL
where I will be serving as Corps Member for City Year, an education based non
profit company under AmeriCorps that is solving America's drop out crisis. As a
corps member I will serve in a school for 10 months and along with my team we
will be a consistent presence in the classroom serving as mentors and tutors,
collaborating with teachers, parents, community leaders and other non profits in
order to get these students on track to graduate. During this process, I will also be
studying for the GMAT (business school test) and applying to business schools.
I have been really impressed with what my peers have been up to. While not all of
us are enrolled in a traditional four year university or it's taking a bit longer than
we anticipated to graduate or find our niche, each and every one of us are
ambitiously carving out our own paths to be successful. That success isn't
measured by what university you attend or what job title you hold. To quote John
Wooden, "success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in
knowing you made the best effort to become the best of which you are capable."
Keep that in mind and continue to strive for excellence in all that you seek to
accomplish.
 Michael Ludlow (‘08) has been a
Michael
Ludlow
member of the United States
Army for 3 years. He is currently
stationed at Fort Polk in
Louisiana. Michael is about to be
promoted to Sergeant and will be
re-enlisting. He hopes to
eventually be stationed in
Germany.
 Rigo Morales (‘08) is involved
with immigration reform and
helping to inform the local
community about the
upcoming changes in law.
Rigoberto
Morales
 Judy Nepita (’08) is currently
Judy
Nepita
working at Dollar Drug as a
Pharmacist Technician. She
took courses at Santa Rosa
Junior College and then took
the National Exam to become a
Pharmacy Technician.
 Keegan (Yaw) Foster (‘08) is a
commercial fisherman. He is
currently catching salmon and black
cod and will be catching crab in
November. Keegan’s goal is to own his
own fishing boat in the next 5 years.
Keegan
Yaw
America
Arciga
America (Arciga) Quiroz (‘09) is
currently attending Santa Rosa
Junior College. She recently
changed her major from criminal
justice to business and is
contemplating switching over to
Empire College to finish her
degree in 8 months. America just
got married on July 27, 2012 and
is currently looking for a job.
Sambo
Chhoeung
Sambo Chhoeung (‘09) will be going into her 4th
year at Sacramento State University. She recently
changed her major to sociology after finishing up
almost all of her GE. She is not completely sure
what she wants to do with a sociology degree yet
but the subject really interests her. She is also
planning on obtaining a minor in human
resources. Aside from that, she has joined
various clubs such as the Pilipino Culture Club,
the Chinese Club Organization, and the co-ed
community service fraternity called Alpha Phi
Omega. Right now she is very active in her
fraternity, serving the chapter, campus,
community, and nation and partaking in
leadership committees. She is hoping to find an
internship within or out of her field for
experience or maybe a student assistant job for
the government.
 Antonio Cisneros (‘09) took some time
Antonio
Cisneros
off after graduation to visit and explore
Mexico. He is back in Santa Rosa and
currently working at La Tortilla Factory.
This fall he will attend two classes at
Santa Rosa Junior College that will make
him eligible for a manger position at his
job. He plans on staying in school to
focus on business administration.
 Julian Davis (’09) works at the Kashia Band
Julian
Davis
of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point
Rancheria as a Environmental
Technician/Cultural Monitor. He helps to
raise awareness for the entire tribe about
pesticides. As a cultural monitor he
oversees construction and timber harvest
to ensure there are no tribal sites or
artifacts being disturbed. Julian will be
going to Russia in September with several
tribal members. The Russian government
wants his tribe to come visit for 2 weeks to
tour Russia's museums, historic sites and
identify the artifacts and regalia that they
have in their museum that were taken from
his tribe when the first Russians came to
California.
 Pedro Diaz (‘09) is currently looking for a
job and going to attend the Santa Rosa
Junior College. He plays soccer for various
teams in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and San
Francisco. Pedro will also be trying out for
the professional soccer team, San Jose
Earthquakes.
Pedro
Diaz
 Sarah Durham (‘09) is currently headed into
Sarah
Durham
her fourth year at Sonoma State. After much
thought, she decided to go with her heart
and declare a music major with a
concentration in applied music
(performance). She has also declared a
minor in biology as a back up plan. She
plans to study abroad in Venice, Italy and
plans to graduate in May of 2014. Her advice
for anyone entering college is to "figure out
what you want to do before the end of your
junior year...it will make your life easier.”
 Yadira Esparza (‘09) is majoring in
Criminology and obtaining a minor
in Psychology. She plans to
graduate in May of 2014 and will
then attend graduate school.
Yadira
Esparz a
Ivy
Garcia
Ivy Garcia (‘09) is currently working
full time. She decided to take a
semester off from the Santa Rosa
Junior College because she changed
her major twice and had to start
over each time. However, she
recently figured out what she wants
to do…major in Social Work and a
minor in Physiology. She will start
again at the Junior College, Spring
2013, and will do all of her prerequisites for her major and minor
and then transfer to Sacramento
State University. She is excited to
get started in her chosen field!
Alexand ria
Greco
Alexandria Greco (‘09) finished
cosmetology school at Empire
College almost a year ago and is
now working at a beauty salon
called Elle Lui in Old Railroad
Square in Santa Rosa. She is being
trained by one of the best artists.
She loves her job and the people
she works with. If she is not at
work she is most likely at a hair or
makeup class. She also does
bridal/special occasion hair and
makeup onsite.
Mehari
Haile
Mehari Haile (‘09) will be entering his fourth year at Saint
Mary's College of California this coming fall and will be
graduating this coming May with a Sociology degree. He
is involved in BSU on campus and he is the president of
the Habesha Club, a club he created his junior year. He
completed an internship at Kaiser in Santa Rosa right
after graduating from RUP. The next summer, he did an
internship at John Muir Community Health Alliance
through the HCC program (Health Careers Connect)
which inspired him to pursue public health for graduate
school. He just finished The Micah Internship in
Oakland and San Francisco this summer. He lived in
Oakland with three other Saint Mary's students and
interned in San Francisco at a non-profit organization
called GAAP (General Assistance Advocacy Project).
After he graduates, in May, he plans to go visit his home
of Eritrea. It has been almost 10 years since he has been
there. After visiting Eritrea he plans to come back to the
U.S. to obtain some work experience and then will begin
pursuing public health for graduate school.
Reina
Huerta-Roman
Reina Huerta-Roman (’09) has been
working and going to school full
time. She just finished up the
phlebotomy program at Santa Rosa
Junior College this summer and
hopes to be certified by next month
so that she can get a better job. She
will continue her classes in the fall
at the JC and if everything goes as
planned she will graduate next
spring with an associates degree in
Spanish and Chicano and Latino
Studies!!
She still plans to transfer, but just
doesn’t know where yet. When she
transfers she plans to major in
Spanish.
 Moriah Hernandez (‘09) has one
Moriah
Hernand ez
last year at Willamette University
and will be graduating in May with
a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio
Art and a minor in Mathematics.
She is active in the school's Latino
club Alianza, the Willamette Dance
Co., was an orientation leader for
the past two years, and is part of a
peer mentoring program for
incoming students of color. After
graduation, she will be applying for
an architecture Masters program.
Daniel
Hughes
Daniel Hughes (’09) is currently living in Las
Vegas, NV and studying aviation at Elite
Aviation Flight School. Life has been an
amazing experience ever since he graduated
high school. Daniel appreciates the
craziness, the diversity and the people of Las
Vegas. He misses Santa Rosa and all the
great people that he had a chance to be
friends with. He hopes that everyone is
doing well and that “we can all keep going
further in life and enjoy every minute of it.“
 Elizabeth Marin (‘09) is currently
Elizabeth
Marin
attending Santa Rosa Junior
College. She has approximately 12 years left there. She originally
was planning on majoring in
Administration of Justice and
recently changed her mind.
Currently, she is finishing up her
GE and trying to figure out what
she wants to change her major to.
She plans to get a part time job.
She has enjoyed traveling to
Washington D.C, Baltimore, and
Miami.
 Maria Martinez (‘09) is currently working two jobs: one is at
Maria
Martinez
the assessment office at SRJC and the other is a cashier at
Bed Bath and Beyond. She has applied for a few internships
working with the Sonoma County at-risk youth. She is still
attending Santa Rosa Junior College and has maintained a
4.0 GPA. She had to cut back from a full-time student to a
part-time student because of events beyond her control,
but will be starting up again as a full-time student this
upcoming fall semester. She plans to transfer to UC
Berkeley or UC Davis and major in Sociology and
Psychology. She plans to get her Masters in Social Work
and Family Counseling. She will be transferring with a few
degrees which are Associates Degrees in:
 Administration of Justice
 Social Behavioral Science
 Psychology
 Sociology
 and a certificate in Children in the Justice system
 Cristo Mendoza (‘09) is going into
Cristo
Mendoza
his fourth year at Sonoma State
University. After changing his major
several times he has finally decided
on Criminal Justice with a minor in
Environmental Studies. He still does
not know what profession he would
like to pursue, but is interested in
becoming a Park Ranger or Fireman.
He is excited about starting upper
division classes this coming
semester. He is currently working at
Footlocker.
Sulen
Palomera
Sulen Palomera (‘09) is going into her 4th
year at San Francisco State University
and plans to graduate in Spring of 2014
with a degree in Business and
Marketing. She is a member of the
Fashion Network Association at San
Francisco State and loves it! She has
applied to numerous internships with
accounting firms in San Francisco and
recently heard back from one of them
and will be going to her second
interview.
Rubi
Rodriguez
Rubi Rodriguez (‘09) will be going into her
4th year at San Francisco University. She
recently got into the psychology program
so she will be taking all of her major
classes this upcoming semester. She plans
to graduate in May 2014. She is not exactly
sure what she wants to do in psychology
but definitely something to do with
children. Aside from school, she also
works for a clothing line called
Zadig&Voltaire in Bloomingdales.
 Juanita Tenorio (‘09) will be
Juanita
Tenorio
entering her 4th year at Sonoma
State University. She plans to
graduate in two years with a
Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and
Women and Gender Studies. She
has been working at the Education
and Public Outreach NASA center
at SSU with Kamal and Dr. Lynn
Cominsky for the past three years
and she loves working there! After
she graduates she hopes to work at
a women's shelter or something
with at-risk teens.
 Deyce Zavala (‘09) is taking a
Deyce
Zavala
couple of classes at Santa Rosa
Junior College and works at
Victoria's Secret. She is
concentrating on music and
would like to pursue a singing
career or anything related to
music.
 Bryan Bautista (‘10) is attending
Santa Rosa Junior College and
planning to transfer to Sonoma
State University. He is, currently,
trying to find an apartment and
looking for more scholarship
opportunities.
Bryan
Bautista

Fernando Carranza (‘10) is a third year student at the University of the
Pacific. He is a Computer Science major with a concentration in
Networking and Security.

I've tried on a lot of different groups and activities since my beginning
here at Pacific. I knew I wanted to be part of a bigger entity, so my
Freshman year I joined our school's Crew (Rowing) team. I transitioned
into a more academic group my second semester, joining the nation's
oldest Engineering fraternity, Theta Tau. It was around this time that I
also had the opportunity to begin giving back to my school's local
community. I was hired on as a community tutor through the Spanish
department in a strong attempt at tutoring migrant students from
grades k-12 in Math and English. It was an easy decision to join in on
this opportunity, especially after looking back at my own community
and the experiences that brought me to where I am today. I will
continue tutoring this coming semester as well. I wasn't finished joining
all that I could at this point either. I skeptically started looking into the
social Fraternity scene, curious as to what it could offer an individual. I
joined Theta Chi my sophomore year, where my involvement in the
school community really took off, along with giving me numerous
opportunities for leadership positions, really having a huge impact on
my person. From organizing school wide dances, to community service
events, I made sure to keep myself busy. As for the future, I will be
interning either in the Silicon Valley or in Sacramento in the Spring
through my departments semester long Co-Op program, where I get a
free summer of tuition in exchange for a summer and semester away
building up networks, and after that one more year until graduation.
Fernand o
Carranza
 This fall, Eloy Camacho (‘10) will be entering his
Eloy
Camacho
third year at Sonoma State University with a major
in Communications. He has been a Summer
Orientation Leader for the past two summers,
where he introduced incoming first year students
to SSU and helped them register for their fall
classes. He will be a second year Community
Services Advisor (CSA), which is called a
Residential Assistant on other campuses. His role
as a CSA is to build community among the
residents who live on campus, create programs
that bring awareness to important issues, and to
ensure that all residents are following housing
policies. With his degree in Communications, he
hopes to attain a career in broadcast journalism.
The ultimate - yet very lofty - goal is to work for E!
News. He will be applying for an internship with
E! this coming summer .
.
 Lupe Cornejo (‘10) is beginning her third year at
Lupe
Cornejo
Dominican University of California. She is double
majoring in International Studies with a focus in Latin
America and Women and Gender Studies. She has
interned for, congresswoman, Lynn Woolsey and a
professor on campus. She holds meetings for First
Generation students who wish to improve their college
experience on campus through fun activities or field
trips or even just discussion. She works as a secretary
for Corinthian Cove financial advising, as a nanny, and
will be getting a job at a new cafe in San Rafael. Next
summer, she plans to intern for a Latin American
Organization in Washington DC. She has traveled to
Washington DC, New York, and Arizona. She plans to
get her PhD in Refugee Studies or Sustainable
Development and, eventually, teach at the university
level, work for the United Nations and travel the world
to help empower women in rural areas.
 Yesenia Garcia (‘10) has transferred
Yesenia
Garcia
from Sonoma State University to
Santa Rosa Junior College. She
plans to finish her General
Education at the JC and then
transfer back to Sonoma State
University. She is currently
working at Taylor Mountain with
AmeriCorps CalServes and is
loving it! She hope that this
experience will help direct her
career.
 Jose Guzman (‘10) just finished is second
Jose
Guzman
year at Santa Rosa Junior College. He plans
to finish at the JC this next year and transfer
to either UC Santa Cruz or Stanford. He was
originally majoring in Business
Administration his first year at the JC but
recently changed his major to 3d Animation
and Computer Science. When he transfers
from the JC he plans to have an AA in
Computer 3d Animation and Computer
Science/Game Design. He also plans on
becoming an Adobe certified expert in
Adobe Photoshop. At UC Santa Cruz he
would like to obtain a bachelors in
Computer Science /Computer
Engineering/Game Design. He currently
works at Ross, but recently got a job at Wells
Fargo.
Natalia
Marquez
Natalia Marques (‘10) is entering her
3rd year at Sonoma State University.
She is finishing her G.E and prerequisites for nursing. She obtained
her CNA this summer because it is
a requirement for Nursing. She is
very interested in doing Respiratory
Therapy and is planning to minor
in Spanish and Women and Gender
Studies.
 Josiah Nikkel (‘10) just finished playing
Josiah
Nikkel
two years of semi-professional hockey
with the Fresno Monsters. Josiah was
leading scorer his 1st year and 2nd year
and had a great time for the two seasons.
He traveled to many different places.
Commentators would find out about what
school he went to and knew he played
basketball. This summer, he moved back
and started working. In the next couple
weeks, he will be attending Santa Rosa
Junior College and playing for the hockey
team. He will be attending college for the
first time and is very excited about it.

Maritza
Ortiz
Maritza Ortiz (‘10) will be graduating this upcoming May from Santa Rosa
Junior College, and will obtain 2 associates degrees in Social and Behavioral
Sciences and Anthropology. She is undecided where she will be transferring
to next fall, but would like to attend Miami University(in Ohio) or Seattle
University to pursue her bachelors degrees in social work and cultural
anthropology.
After obtaining her bachelors degrees, she will either obtain her
LCSW(Licensed Clinical Social Worker) or a masters in anthropology. A
LCSW would allow her to work in hospitals, while a masters in Anthropology
would enable her to travel to other countries and study their cultural norms.
The JC brought many experiences into her life. During her first year at the
JC, she was an AB 540 student. That experience made her appreciate and
fight for what she has and wanted to acquire. Nonetheless, she obtain
various scholarships that paid for her education. It has been a year and a half
in which her financial situation has improved because she is not AB 540 any
more. When she feels like giving up ,she remembers all the struggles that she
went through before and that keeps her going. To this day, she has not
wasted any money out of her pocket at the JC.
This will be her second year working with CalSERVES/AmeriCorps at Taylor
Mountain Elementary. Here she assists in the educational development of
students K-12 and has had experiences that provided her with an
understanding of what she will be doing with social work. In the near future,
she will become a certified HIV tester, giving her more advantages of getting
an internship or a job related to her career goals.
Nadia
Paniagua
Nadia Paniagua (‘10) is currently attending
her third year at Sonoma State University.
She will be double majoring in Sociology
and Women and Gender Studies. She only
needs one more course to complete her
GE and she only needs a couple more
units in order to receive her bachelors in
Women and Gender Studies. She plans to
graduate in May 2014 and then work with
women and children.
Anthony
Patino
Anthony Patino (‘10) is currently
attending the Santa Rosa Junior
College. He is taking a wide array of
classes at the JC to help him find out
what major he would like to pursue.
He plans to transfer to University of the
Pacific after be finishes his General
Education units.
 Michelle Patrick (’10) is a full-time
Mich elle
Patrick
student at Santa Rosa Junior College
and is working at K-mart. She is
working towards obtaining her AA in
Business Administration and a
certificate in Business Marketing.
She plans to open her own business
one day.
 “It is a lot of work to go to school full
time and work but after a while it got
a lot easier.”
 Mireya Pinell-Cruz (‘10) will be going into her third
Mireya
Pinell-Cruz
year at UC San Diego. She is double majoring in
International Studies (tracks: anthropology and
political science) and Linguistics/Language Studies
(concentration: Spanish). She will be studying
abroad for 11 months in Barcelona, Spain. She is the
co-chair of Ballet Folklorico La Joya de Mexico,
plays intramural volleyball, and is a member of
Conjunto Nepantla. She was also a member of
MEChA and CARAS (Central Americans Raising
Awareness in Solidarity). After graduation, she
plans to do one or more of the following: attend
Amalia Hernandez' folklorico school in Mexico
City, go on a Fullbright fellowship to somewhere in
Latin America, join the Peace Corps, or take a fifth
year to minor in dance. She plans to pursue a career
in social justice and eventually plans to get a PhD in
Anthropology.
 Jimmie Roberts (‘10) will be an incoming
Jimmie
Roberts
junior for the Fall 2012 semester at the
University of the Pacific and plans to
graduate May of 2014. She plans on
getting her Bachelor's of Science in
Business Administration with a
concentration in finance. She is hoping
to be an AVID tutor in the Lodi Unified
School District for the 2012-2013 school
year.
 Cindy Sayavongsuek (‘10) is studying
Accounting at Empire College in Santa
Rosa. She just passed her Federal
Income Tax exam with an A and plans on
completing her bookkeeping
certification next.
Cindy
Sayav ongsuek
 Edwin Tinoco (‘10) is currently
Edwin
Tinoco
attending Santa Rosa Junior
College to become an accountant.
He is also working with low
voltage items such as installing
surround sound systems and
programming remote controls for
a local company.
.
 Jesus Barajas (‘11) is attending
Jesus
Barajas
Northern Arizona for his second year.
He is majoring in Criminology and
Criminal Justice. After graduation, he
plans on attending law school. He is
currently in a fraternity called Delta
Tau Delta and planning to join the
club soccer team.
 Janice Castro (’11) will be starting her
Janice
Castro
second year at UCLA. For this coming
school year she plans to apply to be a
volunteer at the UCLA hospital. Her
degree is in PreMicrobiology,
Immunology & Molecular Genetics,
but she is contemplating changing it
to Psychobiology.
 “This past year I have learned many
valuable life lessons, and I'm striving
to reach what looks impossible…
getting a medical degree:)”

Sand ra
Cuev as
I completed my first year at Saint Mary's with great grades and met a
lot of new people. Throughout my year, I struggled with being away
for the first time and being "independent" financially and otherwise.
Being at a private school, I encountered a lot of students who didn't
have to worry about their finances and had enough money to cover all
of their tuition, and still have nice laptops and phones and even cars.
It was intimidating going to a school that cost so much money
because I knew it would be a struggle to afford it. Fortunately, I found
various scholarships and didn't worry so much about cost of living. I
met people through classes, my dorm, and even some clubs I joined.
My greatest achievement so far has been discovering a new passion:
Ethnic Studies! Although I am still a Psychology major and plan to
specialize in Personality Psych, and eventually get my PhD, I found a
new passion in Ethnic Studies. The intro class opened my eyes to the
history/struggles and realities of minorities in the US. Because of the
inspiration my friends and professor gave me, I decided to minor in
Ethnic Studies as well (unfortunately there's no major or I would
definitely double major!). It is becoming a new goal of mine to
become an advocate for Ethnic Studies and rights and I intend to get
involved in a student council for Ethnic Studies and help to push for it
to become a greater department and eventually major at Saint Mary's.
I learned a lot this year, and found passions to get involved in during
my time at Saint Mary's. Although I may be paying a lot more for my
schooling, I think I'm receiving a greater benefit than most and I
encourage current and future students at RUP to give private schools a
fair shot. If you really want it, you can cover any college expense.
Good luck in high school and with your future college searches!
 Maria Dominguez (‘11) is entering her
Maria
Dominguez
second year at Sonoma State. She is a
Business Administration major and
plans to minor in Spanish. She has
been working at the Boys and Girls
Club of Central Sonoma County, the
Sheppard site, since she began college.
She loves working with the
community she was raised in and
helping little ones grow. She plans to
finish her Bachelors at Sonoma State
and then move on to take courses to
become an event planner.
 Azucena Esparza (‘11) is currently
attending Santa Rosa Junior College
and loving it! She has been taking
CSU General Education classes so that
she can transfer to Sonoma State
University in two years. She plans to
major in Kinesiology.
Azucena
Esparz a
 Nataly Estupiñan (‘11) has
transferred from Sac State to SRJC
where she will finish her General
Education courses and then
transfer to SSU. She is currently
searching for a job and is very
interested in the field of Nutrition.
Nataly
Estup i ña n
 Jose Flores (‘11) is attending his
Jose
Flores
second year at Santa Rosa Junior
College. He is trying to finish up
his General Education so that he
can transfer to Sonoma State
University or another four year
university. He works as a tech
assistant for a veterinary hospital
and is loving all of information he
is learning. He just purchased his
first car. In March 2012, Jose flew a
plane around Bodega Bay, the
Buddhist temple and then landed
the plane (with some help).
 Darin Grayer (‘11) will be going into his
Darin
Grayer
second year at the Santa Rosa Junior
College. He “grey shirted” in
basketball last year, but will actually
play this upcoming year. So he is very
excited. He will be taking four classes
at the JC. He hopes to obtain a
scholarship to a four year university.
 Lucero Guerrero (‘11) will be starting
Lucero
Guerrero
her second year at Sonoma State
University. Her major is Psychology
and her minor is Spanish. She is
currently working at Lola’s Market,
but will also be working as an assistant
soccer coach for Roseland University
Prep for the 2012-2013 school year (an
endeavor she is very excited about).
 Jackie Leon (‘11) will be entering her second year at
Jackie
Leon
Sonoma State University. She has been very busy
with cheerleading and joining clubs and activities
that interest her. She has been working at the
Boys and Girls Club at Roseland Elementary
School and absolutely loves it. She plans to obtain
a major that will allow her to work with kids as
well as a minor in Spanish. Jackie will be starting
an internship with “Make-A-Wish Foundation”
 “While working at the club, I met a 7 year old boy
who has been struggling with poverty and family
issues. It's amazing how I can change his whole
attitude with a hug or a small talk. He made me
realize how much I enjoy working and helping
kids. However I'm not sure which way to go now or
what to major in! There is just so many options
when it comes to working with kids. Hopefully I
figure it out soon.”
 Avi Luna (’11) will be starting her
Avi
Luna
second year at the Santa Rosa Junior
College. She is still undecided about
her major but knows that she wants to
obtain a minor in Spanish because
she already has all the units needed to
do so. She plans to be at the JC for two
more years and then transfer to a four
year university. Since Oct 2011 she has
been working at a little girls clothing
store called Justice in the Santa Rosa
Mall.
 Sarah Maldonado (‘11) is going into
Sarah
Mald onad o
her second year at Sonoma State
University. She is planning on
finishing her GE this year and is
excited to start her major in
Administration and Marketing in
Wine Business and minor in Spanish.
She has been working at Gymboree
for a year now but is trying to find
another job that would, one day,
benefit her major.
 Cristian Martinez (‘11) is entering his
Cristian
Martinez
second year at Sonoma State
University as an Economics major
with a concentration in Finance. He
originally was a Business
Administration major, but the
Economics Department Chair
encouraged him to switch to an
economics major because of the
increased chance of landing a better
job with better pay. He is attempting
to a get a job in the banking sector
and, eventually, wants to work for an
investment firm or work as a
financial analyst for a huge
corporation.
 Pablo Ochoa (‘11) is going into his
Pablo
Ochoa
second year at the University of Nevada,
Reno where he is majoring in
Neuroscience. It is not an easy degree to
acquire but he feels it will be worth all
the work and sleepless nights. After he
finishes his undergrad at UNR, he plans
on attending Med School. Pablo is very
involved in the community and
campus.
 Jessica Patino (‘11) will be starting
Jessica
Patino
her second year at Sonoma State
University. She is currently employed
as an activity assistant in a nursing
home. She loves her job because she
gets to work with elderly people who
teach her a lot of stuff. She plays
bingo, reads the newspaper, does
coffee socials, watches movies, and
recently watched the Olympics with
them. She enjoys listening to their
stories. She plans to major in
Sociology with a focus on family
violence or aging. She also plans on
minoring in Spanish.
 Yanet Peralta (‘11) will be attending
Yanet
Peralta
Sonoma State University for her second
year. She is currently undeclared. She is
taking any GE classes that seem
interesting in hopes that she might be
interested in pursing that major. She
plans to minor in Spanish. She has been
working throughout the summer and
plans on working this school year.
 She says “My first semester was pretty
easy to handle. My second semester I
slacked off a little and my grades were
not what I expected. However, I did
learn from that and not letting that
happen again.”
Julio
Rodriguez

Well I cannot compare my accomplishments to the ones listed by all these fellow students, but I am
equally proud of what I have discovered and will continue working towards.
I am happy that I finished my first year at Sonoma State University this past spring while majoring in
Psychology and minoring in Spanish. In these ten months I discovered impacting educational, social,
and personal experiences in this institution, all of which have shaped me as a person very handsomely.
While here I formed part of the Child Development Club, a group whose purpose was to work in an
interactive and psychological way with kindergarten students and other children from the community. I
enjoyed my involvement in the Best Buddies club as well, which is a group of students whose goal is to
create a one-to-one relationship with individuals who have mental disabilities.
I am an AB 540 student, which disallows me to work or be involved in as much resume-builder
opportunities, this is one of the reasons why during this summer I only had the chance of taking two
summer courses at the Santa Rosa Junior College, both of which I passed very satisfactorily. Despite this
barrier, however, this year I was one of the thousands of proud students who received the news of the
recent decision of Secretary Napolitano in passing the Differed Action executive order, which will allow
selected undocumented students to receive a work-permit and a protection of not being deported for
two years with a subject of a renewal process. This is definitely a true privilege for me, and I am
definitely looking forward to start the application once I am able to in this month.
Manifestations just as this one give me courage and motivation to not be afraid of the change I have
made to my education plans, which include transferring from Sonoma State to the Santa Rosa Junior
College starting this fall. I have made this decision mainly after realizing I should have not given up my
dream of attending U.C. Davis or Berkeley because of my fear of not affording the tuition. I intend to
begin a new academic and social journey while at the JC, which has started quite pleasantly.
This fall I will be taking five classes, eighteen units. Along with these courses I am still analyzing my
chances of succeeding while having a job, if I am able to. Very few people have told me that balancing
this schedule is possible, a difficulty for which I am conscious of. I was thinking minoring in human
development or counseling would be greatly beneficial too, but realistically, I am currently doing what I
am only fully able to accomplish.
If I find the possibilities, I will love to work in some way as an activist for the DREAM Act along with
students with similar stories to mine, work on a field related to psychology, look for internships related
to either of my career choices, and why not, look for a badminton team I could join.
 Cesar Ruiz (‘11) is attending Santa
Rosa Junior College and is enrolled
in 16 units for the fall and will also be
working two jobs. He works full
time at The Children’s Place in the
mall as well as landscaping on the
weekends.
Cesar
Ruiz
 Samuel Salazar (‘11) is taking classes
Samuel
Salaz ar
at the Santa Rosa Junior College and
is slowly figuring out what he wants
to do with his life. He is pretty sure
that he would like to major in
Sociology. This summer, he started
working at Justice, a clothing store
for tween girls. He wants to become a
teacher in the future and this job
seems to be a great start towards
preparing him for what is to come.
Jasmin
Solorio
Jasmin Solorio (‘11) will be starting her
second year at SSU. She is still undecided
about choosing a major, but she know
that she wants a career that involves
working with children and a minor in
Spanish. She is currently working at the
Sonoma County Fair and once the fair
ends she plans to start looking for a new
job. She is now more motivated to work
because she is starting to like the idea of
getting a paycheck every two weeks.
Christina
T latilp a
Christina Tlatilpa (‘11) is currently a
sophomore at Cal Poly and absolutely
loves the education she has received
from the university. Their "Learn by
Doing" motto is definitely
implemented in every class she has
taken at Cal Poly. She is a Sociology
major and was thinking of
transferring into the Psychology
department. However, since she
would like to be a licensed Clinical
Social Worker she has decided to stay
in the Sociology department and
enhance her major with a Psychology
minor.
 Andres Vigil (‘11) is at the Santa Rosa
Andres
Vigil
Junior College. He is focusing on his
classes and doing everything that
needs to be done to transfer to a four
year college. He plans on attending
San Diego State University or one of
the California State Universities.
.
 Mario Yepez (‘11) will be a sophomore
Mario
Yepez
at UC Davis this fall. Currently he is
pursuing a Bachelor of Science in
Computer Science and Engineering.
He recently discovered a newfound
interest in Physics and is considering
a double major in Physics and CSE.
Mario just obtain a position in the
Office of Graduate Studies as a
technical support person.
 Michelle Flores (‘12) will be starting her
Michelle
Flores
first year at Sonoma State University on
the 21st of this month. She will be
majoring in nursing and is thinking
about minoring in Spanish. As she
starts this semester, she hopes to get
involved with the activities offered at
SSU.
 Jaime Gonzales (‘12) has enlisted in
the U.S. Army but will not be
leaving to basic combat training
until next August. So until then he
is working at Sheppard Elementary
as a yard duty. After finishing his 3
years of service he plans to become
a police officer for Santa Rosa.
Jaime
Gonz ales
 Alexis Orozco (‘12) will be attending
Santa Rosa Junior College in October
to become a Certified Nursing
Assistant, CNA . He is really proud of
the fact that he was able to get all the
classes that he wanted . He would like
to thank R.U.P for all the help they
gave him.
 Jessica Tlatilpa (‘12) will be starting her
first year of college at Santa Rosa Junior
College in the fall. She has enrolled in
the certificate program for law
enforcement and looks forward to her
classes.
Jessica
T latilp a
 Dalia Zaragoza (‘12) will be attending
UC Berkeley in the Fall. She just
completed a summer program that will
help the transition from high school to
college.
Dalia
Zaragoz a
 Edith Jimenez Jaimes, Mario Yepez
 Janice Castro
 Jemery Morales,
 Joanna Martinez
 Mireya Pinell-Cruz
 Elvina Patino, Christina Tlatilpa,
David Vinas
 Sambo Chhoeung, Nataly Estupinan
 Brian Munoz, Rubi Rodriguez
 Canchola, Ruby
 Eloy Camacho, Mireya Chavez, Adriana Chavez,
Maria Dominguez Gonzalez, Sarah Durham,
Yadira Esparza, Diana Gonzalez, Bryan Iturbe Garcia,
Jacqueline Leon, Sarah Maldonado,
Natalia Marquez, Cristian Martinez, Cristo Mendoza,
Jasmin Solorio, Juanita Tenorio, Nadia Paniagua,
Eliezer Anguiano, Jessica Patino, Julio Rodriguez,
Lucero Guerrero, Marilu Rodriguez, Rafa Farias,
Yanet Peralta,
 Sandra Cuevas Garcia, Mehari Haile
 Fernando Carranza, Jimmie Roberts
 Garcia, Miguel
 Lupe Cornejo
 Pablo Ochoa
 Moriah Hernandez
 Trina Abayon,
 Anthony Inong
 Palacios, Yadira
 Nancy Aguinaga, America Arciga, Jasmin Avalos, Bryan Bautista, Eva
Cabrera, Cristavel Camacho, Kimhou Cheap, Cindy Contreras, Omar
Cortez, Edgar Delgado, Patricio Estupinan, Ivy Garcia, Lorena
Garduno, Jesus Gonzalez, Jose Guzman, Andres Hernandez, Reina
Huerta Roman, Joaquin Iturbe, Jacqueline Leon, Juan Lopez, Manuel
Lugo, Avighail Luna, Andres Vigil , Deyce Zavala, Edgar Navarro,
Gerardo Navarro, Mayra Nepita, Paola Padilla, Arturo Palmerin Diaz,
Delia Palmerin Diaz, Anthony Patino, Bianca Patrick, Michelle Patrick,
Stephany Rivas, Mayra Rodriguez, Cesar Ruiz , Samuel Salazar , Angel
Salgado, Sergio Santiago, Edwin Tinoco, Christian Velazquez, Andres
Vigil , Deyce Zavala, Lorena Garduno, Maritza Ortiz, Candy Ayala,
Darin Grayer, Etram Kahsay, Francisco Salgado, Jesus Barajas, Jesus
Lopez, Joaquin Iturbe, Juan Villegas, Kiera Miramontes, Tanisha Moore,
Elizabeth Marin, Maria Martinez, Candy Ayala, Cesar Ruiz, Darin
Grayer, Etram Kahsay, Francisco Salgado, Jesus Barajas, Jesus Lopez,
Joaquin Iturbe, Jose Flores, Juan Villegas, Kiera Miramontes, Marilu
Rodriguez, Sergio Santiago, Tanisha Moore.
 Cindy Sayavongsuek (Accounting),
Liz Esparza
 Daniel Hughes (Aviation)
 Alaina Chenette-Barton
(Phlebotomist)