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Two �鶹��ý students have received scholarships and recognition through award programs administered and supported by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Zifang Shi has been named a 2025 and a , while Thuong Nguyen has been named a 2025 .

Myron Soyangco's journey into higher education began with disappointment. 

After his parents suddenly announced in 2008 that his family would be moving from the Philippines to California, Soyangco had a decision to make. He had just graduated from high school in his home country with a stellar academic record, but it was too late to enroll at a four-year American university as he’d wanted to. His choices were to redo his senior year in high school (“and who wants to do that?” he says) or enroll at �鶹��ý.  

Irvine native Aleyna Luick arrived at �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) lit by a spark of curiosity and the determination and resilience to stay focused on developing a clear vision for her future. A first-generation student herself, she had heard the college described as a “transformative experience” by high school counselors and former classmates alike.

For third-year �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) biology and chemistry student Steve Salinas, success is not just about grades — it’s about creating opportunities, building connections, and giving back to the community. With plans to graduate this spring with an associate degree in biology (Steve already holds an associate degree from �鶹��ý in chemistry), this first-generation college student is well on his way to a career in medicine.

Michelle Chen didn’t take the road most traveled, and that’s exactly why her story stands out. A 2023 graduate of �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý), Michelle transferred to UCLA’s prestigious Design Media Arts (DMA) program, a major with an acceptance rate of just 5 percent.  “The year I was accepted, they only took 15 transfer students out of hundreds of applicants,” Michelle says.

�鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) celebrated another successful year of its 4th Annual Idea Pitch Competition in November, drawing creative talent and entrepreneurial spirit from across the campus. The two-round competition challenged students to pitch innovative product or service ideas, resulting in over 50 submissions from more than 12 different disciplines. The competition kicked off with students submitting 60-second video pitches that outlined the problems they aimed to solve, their creative solutions, and target customers.

�鶹��ý’s Model United Nations team won two Outstanding Delegation awards at the National Model UN Conference held in Washington, D.C. (NMUN DC) last month. The awards mark a decade of excellence for the �鶹��ý MUN team, now winning the top award at NMUN DC 10 years in a row. �鶹��ý was the only community college, out of the 35 schools in attendance, to win two top awards. 

�鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) hosted its inaugural Partners and Pancakes Breakfast on Tuesday, December 3, bringing together more than 100 guests, including esteemed members of the college, local business leaders, and community partners. The event, held at �鶹��ý at , celebrated the college's role in workforce development and marked the kickoff of �鶹��ý’s 40th anniversary celebration. 

Ann Reichling, now 72, graduated from high school in 1970 during a period of significant unrest on college campuses.

“I was on track to go to college, but when Kent State happened, I said ‘I’m not going’,” she recalls, referring to the Ohio university where four students were killed and nine injured after National Guards shot into a crowd of people protesting the war in Vietnam.