Jose “Manny” Garcia was born in Mexico with a physical disability and entered the United States when he was very young. After graduating from Santa Ana Valley High School in fall 2004, he enrolled in Santa Ana College where he is majoring in computer science. His plans include becoming a computer programmer, helping his family, becoming self-reliant and encouraging others with disabilities to pursue their educational goals.

Dolores Gil, a single mother of two, has maintained a compiled 3.1 GPA and plans to transfer to a California State University campus in fall 2009, where she wants to pursue a human services degree with the goal of becoming a social worker or therapist. Gil’s personal motto is: “Do what your counselor says!” She attributes her success to focused persistence and the support she received from her counselors and the college’s EOPS/CARE team (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services/Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education).

Guadalupe Cazares lives her personal motto, “Live every day like it is your last and always give your best,” not only in her studies at Santa Ana College, where her goal is to obtain a degree in political science and to become an active community leader in Santa Ana, but also as a volunteer for SAC’s Outreach Program and in her training to compete in the Long Beach Marathon. Cazares is a model student who is admired for her perseverance and self-determination.

Holanda Manzanarez’ goal is to major in Nutrition at Cal Poly Pomona University. She has earned a 3.74 GPA though she has struggled to cover the cost of her educational fees and related expenses. She was selected for the SAC mentor/mentee transfer program, and the USDA Partnership for Transfer Success initiative. Manzanarez, who excelled in the Freshman Experience program, currently works as a math tutor at SAC, and is an active member of the Science, Spanish and IDEAS clubs on campus.

And a special salute to the Staff of el Don…

…past and present, who continue to produce an award-winning student newspaper that was inducted into the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame at the National College Media Convention held Oct. 29-Nov. 2 in Kansas City, MO. Former el don News Editor Martin Syjuco, now a student at Chapman University, won “Reporter of the Year,” an award based on a writer’s three best single news or feature stories published in a college newspaper during the competition year.

The California Newspaper Publishers Association also named el Don as its First Place General Excellence Winner in the Two-Year College category at its annual Better Newspapers Contest in November. It is el Don’s sixth consecutive first place honor.