Amazing Students

On Friday, our dept. selected five finalists to submit for the Foundation to process as this year's ESL Resident Scholarship recipients. In all, 11 colleagues recommended 14 amazing students to be considered for the special award. Here is what the teachers wrote about the five winners:

From Katrina Tamura, NESL 303 teacher:
I nominate Zoila Amador for the ESL Resident Scholarship. Zoila is an outstanding student who never misses a day or an assignment. She is a leader in the classroom and acts as a mentor to her classmates in need. Although she maintains a busy work schedule, she attends Palomar College ESL classes 6 days a week (General ESL, Computers, and Citizenship). She is a competent self-advocate and a truly self-made success in life. (Additional note by the teacher: Although the following bio refers to her residency status, I did not solicit that information. I got this information from her response to class discussion questions: What obstacles have you faced? How did you over come them?)

When Zoila was a child, she dreamed of becoming a dressmaker or a nurse. However, her parents didn’t believe in educating women. Zoila says that she was sent to live with her uncle when she was 2 years old. She returned to her parents’ home only to serve as the household servant. Her uncle died in 1979 and she was left with nobody to call family. This same year, she met her future husband. They eloped in 1980. Zoila was then 17 years old. She and her husband decided to come to the United States. They were met with many unexpected challenges and obstacles. They were forced to live in the hills without shelter and suffered thirst and hunger for the first few months they were here. They didn’t speak English either, but Zoila and her husband were determined to work, live, and have a family in the United States.

By 1983, Zoila was the adoring mother of two. She now faced the challenge of working and taking care of her two young children at the same time. Saving money for her family’s future was a great motivator for Zoila. She says that this was difficult, but not impossible.

In 1987, Zoila and her husband received their green cards. She then learned how to drive a car and got her drivers license. Next, Zoila and her husband bought their house. For many years, Zoila continued to work hard to build solid foundation for her family. This, Zoila says, is why she never went to school.

Now, Zoila’s children are grown up and self-sufficient. She is ready to pursue the education that, as a child, she was told she could never have. She now has time for school and has set new goals for herself. She wants to learn English grammar and how to use the computer. She would like to explore a career in nursing. In addition, she wants to become a citizen of this country. Zoila has faced many challenges and has reached every goal she has made for herself. I have no doubt that she will be a role model for other students at Palomar as she pursues her new goal of receiving an education.

From John Mullens, ESL 35 teacher:
It is my opinion that Abigail Avila is an excellent choice for a resident scholarship. She is one of my best students, if not the best. She has yet to miss class, and she’s a model student in class. Ms. Avila is a very enthusiastic student who is always willing to participate in class and offer support to her fellow classmates. She has a desire to get a B.A. in the future; therefore, this scholarship would help her to achieve that purpose, as well as encourage her in whatever future endeavors she may pursue.

Also from Tracy Fung, ESL 20 and ESL 34 teacher:
I would like to nominate Abigail Avila for the ESL Resident Scholarship. Last semester Abigail successfully completed my ESL 34 class, and this semester she is taking my ESL 20 class and proving again to be one of the top students. Abigail is never absent and always an energetic, enthusiastic addition to my classes. She can always be counted on to participate, as well as to put extra effort into completing assignments. Her grades are consistently high, and she is a dedicated, hard-working student. She is one of the few night students who takes more than one class per semester, and she currently studies for 4 hours two nights a week and 2.5 hours the other two nights a week. This does not detract from her commitment to each of her classes, however. Abigail is a model student and worthy of receiving a scholarship to recognize her hard work.

From Joanna Murphy, NESL 301 teacher:
I would like to nominate Omar Bello for the ESL Resident Scholarship. Omar was an accounting student at a university in Mexico. He worked as an accountant in Mexico but the salary was very low. He came here to earn more money so he can help his family in Mexico. He is in my level one class and is an excellent student. His attendance is very good; his tests grades, high, and he is very helpful to the other students. He finishes his work fast and then tries to help his classmates. His aspirations are to perfect himself here - in English and in accounting so he can work professionally. I think he would be a deserving recipient of the scholarship.

From Elena Lattarulo, ESL 36 teacher:
I would like to recommend Pablo Lorenzo for the ESL scholarship. Pablo is a quiet but hard-working student. In spite of his shyness, he is a pleasure to have in class as he frequently volunteers to answer the most difficult questions. He is patient with other students and goes above and beyond the call in order to stay after class to lend a helping hand. Pablo consistently receives the highest scores on quizzes and tests. His attendance is outstanding and in spite of a heavy work schedule never misses a beat.

From Marianne Uribe, NESL 300 teacher:
For my computer class, I nominate Saturnino Alonso Reyes. He is an excellent, hardworking, and very deserving student. He comes to class consistently and is motivated to do well in class. He takes every effort to do his best, helps others while in class, and serves as a role model to other students.

Listed below are the other 9 nominees and their teachers:

• Mareli Cruz, recommended by Marianne Uribe, NESL 300 teacher
• Daniella Jordan, recommended by John Mullens, ESL 35 teacher
• Miguel Ramirez, recommended by Jan Lenhert, NESL 303 teacher
• Alejandro Sanchez, recommended by Terri McMurtry, NESL 302 teacher
• Omar Santos, recommended by Elena Lattarulo, ESL 36 teacher
• Maria del Carmen Sosa, recommended by Elizabeth Lohr, NESL 303 teacher
• Laura Valdez, recommended by Terri McMurtry, NESL 302 teacher
• Ileana Valencia, recommended by Susana Davis, NESL 301 teacher
• Maria Venegas, recommended by Heather Weldele, NESL 302 teacher.

Please congratulate our finalists as well as all the nominees. These are all role models we need in our classes. It is my hope that their examples will continue to shine. In the coming weeks, we will most likely showcase some of their stories on our dept. web site.

My heartfelt appreciation also goes to all the colleagues who have taken the time to identify their best students and write the bios and recommendations. I hope with your continued nurturing and encouragement, your finalist will not let us down, your nominees will realize that it's already a great honor to be recommended, and your other students will learn from your best student and work together to have a successful semester.