DIPLOMA NOT THE ONLY PRIZE.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. M. SODDERS Staff Writer Three years ago, Fatima Lopez was a newly divorced single mom looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a way to support her son, Christian, now 7. She had married young and knew her high school education hadn't been the best. A college degree was the next logical step, but she was intimidated by the thought of enrolling in a four-year university, particularly after being out of school for several years. So she chose Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. . ``There was no other way,'' said Lopez, 24, of Canoga Park. ``I'm not (artistically) talented, I'm not business savvy. I knew I had to have a college education to make a good living for myself and my son.'' On Wednesday, Lopez walked through Swisher swisher Sexology A regional term for a really queer queer, not that there's anything wrong with that Park with 450 other graduates, ready to transfer to California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an . But instead of becoming an elementary school teacher -- her original goal -- Lopez, who earned a 3.52 grade-point average at Pierce, now dreams of becoming a college professor. ``I am leaving here so confident and well-prepared for CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge ,'' Lopez said. ``I even found out I could have gotten into UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , and I never would have even considered applying for it.'' More than 5,000 students are expected to attend commencement exercises at the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is the community college district serving Los Angeles, California and some of its neighboring cities. In addition to typical college aged students, the LACCD also serves adults of all ages. this week. Mission, Pierce and Los Angeles Valley held their ceremonies on Wednesday. Some students are graduating with associate's degrees and transferring to four-year universities. Others have completed certificates that will enable them to get promoted, switch careers or enhance their job skills. ``Most of our students make huge personal sacrifices in order to achieve their goals,'' said Angela Echeverri, a biology and chemistry professor at Mission who also serves as Faculty Senate president. ``They have to balance their educational pursuits with many other things: families, a job, personal obstacles, language barriers, even financial shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw. Shortcomings may also be:
The biggest surprise for Lopez was how much support she received from Pierce faculty and staff. ``There are so many people here to help the students,'' she said. Pierce student Galen Osborne, 18, of Los Angeles also will be transferring to a four-year college this fall, to play football and major in computer or sound engineering. He enrolled at Pierce last fall and took classes year-round, budgeting his time and balancing work, football practice and school. ``Your whole life opens up,'' he said. ``Community college will get you where you want to go, but you've got to put in the energy.'' lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3663 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) A graduate waves to friends during Mission College's 31st annual commencement at the Sylmar campus on Wednesday. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer (2) Harriet Goldware-Sorkin, 58, of Northridge, speaks to the graduates during the L.A. Pierce College graduation ceremony Wednesday evening. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News (3) Graduates Tina Piroomian, Rita Harutunian and Azie Dabiri, from left, check out a picture of themselves on the back of a digital camera before commencement ceremonies at Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was on Wednesday. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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