Thursday, 6/5/97 ‘Inspirational Seniors’ merit praise for
virtues Graduates sacrifice to reach goals not measured by GPAs
Alicia was a friend I had met through work. Like most students,
she went to school, had a part-time job, and participated in
community service activities. But when in her fifth year as a
psychology student, the financial aid office said her grant monies
had run out and that she had reached maximum loan amounts, instead
of asking her parents to take on a loan, Alicia commuted. From San
Bernardino. She woke up to catch the 5:15 a.m. vanpool, and
scheduled her classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays when she could.
She slept over at friends’ apartments during finals weeks and
around midterms. Alicia did this for a year, and at graduation, no
one but Alicia, her family and her friends knew of the hardships
she went through to complete her degree. Sometime next week, the
College Honors nerds, the Summas, the Magmas, and the Cums will
wear their cords, and various other academic accomplishments will
be recognized. But what about students like Alicia? What about the
students whose sacrifices go unacknowledged, whose accomplishments
are not measured by their GPAs? We forget that sometimes life gets
in the way, that events happen which are beyond our control and
make the pursuit of a degree more difficult. We need Faith,
Strength, Perseverance, Hard Work, and Encouragement in order to
get through the crises of our lives. In order to acknowledge
seniors who have overcome significant obstacles in pursuit of their
degrees, and to inspire students who may find themselves in similar
situations, I’d like to recognize the following "Inspirational
Seniors." Faith: Adriahna Prothro (psychology) In the fall of 1993,
Adriahna was an average UCLA student. Sadly, her life would change
drastically the night of the USC-UCLA game. She decided to attend a
radio-sponsored event that evening, but within five minutes of
arriving at the parking lot, Adriahna was shot by a stray bullet in
a drive-by shooting. The bullet tore through her esophagus, so for
three months Adriahna could neither eat nor speak. It would be
almost two years before she would return to UCLA in the summer of
1995. Many faced with a similar tragedy may have given up. Although
paralyzed and limited in physical ability, Adriahna is quick to
remind you that her intelligence remains intact. Adriahna thanks
God for her life and feels she must pursue her education. A strong
belief in God and faith in her abilities have sustained Adriahna
throughout this difficult time. Adriahna would like to thank her
family and friends for their constant love and support, and all
those who showed support and helped her to recover from her
injuries. As Adriahna graduates from UCLA she would like to remind
us that "Education may cause financial and mental pain, but in both
monetary and life value, it will repay every cost one hundred fold.
Thank you, UCLA family, for allowing me the opportunity to cash in
on that one hundred fold, as you’ve demonstrated your kindness to
me." In closing Adriahna adds, "When you earn the degree, that’s
the sweetness of it. Letting yourself know – not just family and
friends, but to make yourself proud – that I did it." Strength:
Sylvia Johnson (English) Those who know Sylvia Johnson may be
surprised to know of the personal trials and hardships she has
faced. Sylvia has often been a source of strength for those around
her. Coming to UCLA as a freshman in 1993, Sylvia knew that
financing her education would be difficult. Sylvia’s father has
been sick with diabetes and its complications since she was 8 years
old. This has increased the stress for her mother, who has been the
main financial support since that time. Sylvia’s father became very
ill her sophomore year following a kidney transplant. In the fall
of her junior year, her father’s health grew more complicated, and
he entered the hospital. Within days of beginning classes in fall
1995, Sylvia suffered a great personal loss. Her grandfather was
diagnosed with prostrate cancer and died within two months. Her
uncle subsequently passed away before Thanksgiving at a time when
Sylvia still feared for her father’s life. Sustaining great
personal loss, most other students would have withdrawn from UCLA
for the quarter. While Sylvia admits she lost her purpose in school
for awhile, she continued with her studies. As an only child, it
was especially hard to be separated from her mother in Modesto and
her father, who was hospitalized in Palo Alto. As well as being
emotionally draining, the situation created financial strains on
the family. Knowing her visits would help in his recovery, Sylvia
returned home every weekend to see her father. Seeing him in
renewed spirits kept Sylvia motivated in school. Because of
financial concerns and family responsibilities, many in the same
situation may have opted to quit school and try to help
financially. But Sylvia’s father never would have allowed it. His
main joy has been to watch his daughter pursue her education and
work to achieve her goal of attending law school. Sylvia sees her
education and attendance at law school this fall as the fulfillment
of her father’s wishes. For this reason, she has focused on her
academic goals. This has not been without sacrifice. To alleviate
some of the financial pressure her mother bears, and to free
herself of financial worries, Sylvia has worked two jobs for an
average of 30 hours per week this past year. As she graduates,
Sylvia would like to tell others who find themselves in a similar
situation: "Just when you think things can’t get any worse, that’s
when things become drastically better." Her father’s presence at
graduation, the achievement of her UCLA degree, and her future in
law is the fulfillment of many lifelong dreams. Perseverance:
Jessie Dominguez (communications studies) Sometimes fate presents
opportunities in the shape of difficulties. This is the situation
that Jesse Dominguez found himself in, when after 21 years at the
General Motors plant he was about to lose his job because of
massive plant closings. As a junior representative and labor
leader, as well as a witness to multiple lay-offs, Jessie was well
aware that an education would provide more job security. He took
this opportunity to begin his life-long dream of attending a
university. As a husband and father of three, the decision to go
back to college involved many sacrifices on behalf of the entire
family. In fall of 1992 Jessie began taking classes at Valley
College. Within 3 years he had graduated with honors and been
accepted at his dream school – UCLA. He began his UCLA career
through the Transfer Student Program and continued to work part
time. Like many students, he doubted his abilities in a new
environment, but found encouragement from his counselors, family
and friends. The belief in his own abilities, the dream of a UCLA
degree, and the promise of a better future for himself and his
children have kept him going and pulled him through periods of
difficulty and self-doubt. Jessie has always believed that
education is the great equalizer, and that with an education, you
can achieve anything. He hopes he can give back to the community by
being a role model and example for younger people, offering
encouragement to other returning students and using his degree and
experience in the labor unions to bring about a more just and
equitable society. As he graduates, he would like to remind
everyone to keep pursuing their dreams and to believe in
themselves. His advice for returning students and all students is
to "Believe that you can accomplish all that you set out to do. The
greatest obstacles are the ones you place upon yourself." He would
also like to thank the entire Academic Advancement Program (AAP) –
director, counselors, peer counselors and office staff – for caring
and creating a home at UCLA. Hard Work: Tina Houston (theater arts)
Tina Houston is no stranger to hard work. Except for her first
quarter as a freshman, Tina has taken 18 to 20 units every quarter.
This heavy course load has allowed Tina to graduate after only four
years. Financial concerns have made the goal of graduating in four
years an economic imperative. The course work is significant alone,
until you realize that each 2-unit theater production class, which
Tina has taken consistently, requires roughly 25 hours of rehearsal
per week. A typical day for Tina begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 11
p.m. This involves a full day of classes, work in the afternoon,
and rehearsal at night, leaving her with very little time to study.
Yet Tina has maintained a healthy GPA and will pursue a Master’s
degree at Harvard. As she graduates, Tina would like to thank the
Lord for the opportunity to attend UCLA. She credits her faith as a
strong force in her achievements. She would like to thank Adrianna
Delia from AAP, and her family and friends for their love and
understanding. Encouragement: Melvy Murguia (English, with a
specialization in women’s studies) It hasn’t been easy. But Melvy
Murguia has made it through. As a single mother of two, Melvy has
learned to manage on her own. A few years ago, she owned her own
business, provided for her children and took care of herself.
Although her business provided for her family and gave her free
time, Melvy knew it was not what she wanted to do with her life.
Planning for her family’s future, and with a renewed value in
education, Melvy began the transition from her career to life as a
college student. As a mom and a full-time student, and with a work
load of 30 to 40 hours a week, Melvy does the work of three women.
But she has found the encouragement and the drive within herself to
pursue her dream and to achieve her goal. When asked what has kept
her going through the transition to UCLA, Melvy automatically
mentions her kids. She cites them as the driving force and the
reason she has remained persistent in her goals. The desire to give
them a happy home and provide for them has been her main motivation
for continuing at UCLA. She advises students going through
difficult periods to share their concerns and their circumstances
with their professors and those who can help them. She reminds us
that no matter how bleak some of our problems can seem, most are
repairable. Melvy would like to thank her children, Justin and
Meghan, for being her inspiration, her pride and joy and for
keeping her going. She thanks her AAP counselor for being a good
friend, and her professors for understanding the multiple demands
of her life. She feels that without this understanding, she could
not have succeeded academically. She thanks the AAP program for its
understanding and encouragement. I know that there are more
students out there with similar stories. I know that every degree
is four or five or six years worth of obstacles and triumphs, pain
and joy. I hope the Daily Bruin will continue this recognition, and
will help to inspire those who have had difficulties. These five
people prove that it can be done. I wish them and the class of 1997
good luck in all their endeavors. Mimi Guzman Guzman thanks all
those who helped her, in small and large ways, to earn her degree.
She can be reached at nguzman@ucla.edu.