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She’s the first, but she doesn’t expect to be the last.

As a first-generation college student, and non-native English speaker, Lizette Perez Flores is redefining her family’s legacy – and her own future – with her Â鶹´«Ã½ education.

Â鶹´«Ã½ Professor Emily Liu has been named a Teacher of the Year finalist by the Orange County Office of Education (OCDE).

Â鶹´«Ã½ student Brittany Kester has been named a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. As a recipient of the award, she will receive up to $55,000 annually for up to three years to complete her bachelor's degree at the college or university of her choice.

Â鶹´«Ã½ student Anna Nahm is one of 15 Phi Theta Kappa members selected as a 2022 Guistwhite Scholar and will receive a $5,000 scholarship for baccalaureate studies.

Winners were chosen from among 2,700 applicants nationwide, and their selection was based on academic excellence, leadership accomplishments, and engagement in Phi Theta Kappa programs. They will also receive a commemorative medallion.

Malerie Pattugalan knew she wanted to return to college but wasn’t sure how to navigate the responsibilities of a full-time job, the financial duties of living alone, and the additional pressure of new coursework requirements. But when her sister graduated from a local college, and her mother enrolled at Â鶹´«Ã½ soon after, Malerie was inspired to pursue her education and the Puente Program was there to support her along the way.

Â鶹´«Ã½ dual enrollment student Rodrigo Marconell created a Snapchat Augmented Reality (AR) lens for the NexusEdge Snapchat Lens Studio program, which has received over 500,000 views. In less than a week's time, Marconell's "Killer Klown" lens has been shared more than 8,250 times on the social media platform.

Three Â鶹´«Ã½ Interactive Media Arts students were selected as finalists for the, which took place on Saturday, April 30. Student Alex Puh won 3rd place along with the Software Engineering and Intercollegiate Collaboration award. Wenjun Yang won Most Unique Game World.  

Congratulations to Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Teachers of the Year for the 2021-22 academic year who were recognized by the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees on April 18. The Teacher of the Year program identifies and honors exemplary teachers, and highlights educational innovation, student learning, and the rewards of teaching.

Emily Liu: Outstanding Full-Time Teacher of the Year

Lauren Heyden always did her best thinking out on the trails. So when it came time to ruminate on a career path, it was only natural that her mind rambled toward environmental sustainability.

Before enrolling at Â鶹´«Ã½, Heyden spent her time backpacking, hiking, and traveling the Sierra Nevadas, and beyond. She was happiest exploring nature, but felt inclined to do more. She wanted to make a difference.