Below is just a sampling of some of those stories:

• Carol Higgins, B.A., Theatre Arts
  Carol Higgins is about to embark on the second chapter of her life, or as she likes to call it, "a rebirth."

  Little did Higgins know eight years ago that she was to become a young widow, left alone to raise her two children, Cory, 11, and Chelsey, 7.

  "When something like that happens, you rethink the quality of your life," Higgins said of the death of her husband, Mike. "You realize life is so short, you have to grab right now and try to do all the things you want to do."

  For Higgins, that meant getting a college degree. "I realized that I had no choice but to move forward and create a new dream for myself and my family," she said. So, in 2002 at the age of 39, Higgins enrolled in CSUN.

  "Being in a place where I was surrounded by people who were anticipating the future really helped me through that time," said Higgins.

  Higgins soon found herself constantly multi-tasking, trying to be the best student she could, as well as remaining a hands-on mother. She quickly grew accustomed to "eating, sleeping and studying in the car" while juggling the commute from Santa Clarita to CSUN, playing "chauffeur" to her children and trying her best, as she put it, to "indulge myself in as much of the theatre experience as I could."

  "At first, I wondered how a woman my age, a widow with two children, would fit into the college lifestyle. I realized, though, that I shouldn't care about what society thinks my life should be like. I was going to do the best I could, and in doing that, I walked away with gold," Higgins said.

  Obtaining a degree in theatre arts, Higgins' passion lies in all aspects of theatre, both on-stage and behind the scenes. She is currently acting as director of development for The Theatre Project of Santa Clarita Valley, a company dedicated to bringing Broadway-style musicals to the community.

  "Through my experiences, I've realized that life just happens the way it should happen," said Higgins.

  Higgins will graduate cum laude on her 43rd birthday, Wednesday, May 31, at 8:00 a.m. on the Oviatt Library Lawn at the College of Arts, Media, and Communication ceremony.

• Natalia Koteva, B.S., Health Education
  Following her husband from Bulgaria to America in 2001, Natalia Koteva embarked on a life-changing journey that eventually led her to CSUN. Once in California, the loneliness that a foreign land can bring began to sink in. She decided to take action and enrolled in ESL classes, slowly gaining confidence as she learned English.

  "Once I was in America, I was so excited that I had the opportunity to study anything and everything I wanted," said Koteva, 27. "I always had an interest in health education because I had seen my mother in such pain while growing up, but I had been unable to pursue that because getting into the medical field as a woman was nearly impossible [in Bulgaria]."

  Koteva enrolled in CSUN in 2003 and immediately began to juggle the roles of student, mother, wife and counselor at the Klotz Student Health Center. She found herself rushing home on breaks to nurse her newborn daughter, then rushing back to class. She also became coordinator of the Education and Resources on Sexuality (EROS) Program at CSUN, as well as a volunteer at Healing Touch Physical Therapy and Fitness Center in West Hills.

  Although Koteva's marriage dissolved, she remained undaunted. She rigorously pursued her goals, and will graduate with honors this month, finishing her degree in three years.

  "Growing up with communism and a corrupt bureaucracy really made me question what I wanted when I arrived in America," said Koteva. "In Bulgaria, the doctors wouldn't take care of you unless you provided money under the table. For me, it's not about money. I just want to be able to help my loved ones and others. That's how I know I will grow as a person."

  Koteva will be back at CSUN this fall, pursuing a master's degree in physical therapy. Her ultimate goal is to one day specialize in pediatrics, "Children shouldn't have to suffer, whether it be from accidents or birth defects," she noted.

  Koteva will take part in two graduation ceremonies -- the Honor's Convocation on Tuesday, May 30, at 6:00 p.m. on the University Club Lawn as well as the College of Health and Human Development's ceremony on Wednesday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m. on the Oviatt Library Lawn.

• Carlos Moran, B.A., Chicano Studies
  Carlos Moran, 23, has spent the majority of his life adapting to transition. As a child he had to learn to adjust to life in America, emigrating from Mexico at the age of 4. Later, Moran, along with his four siblings, was forced to blend into the numerous foster families in which they were separately placed.

  "Being stripped away from those you love the most is so hard," Moran said. "It caused me to constantly view life negatively; negativity became what I was most comfortable with. I felt that I was never truly a part of the foster homes I grew up in. The families usually already had kids of their own who they treated better, so I eventually turned to drugs, gangs and aggressive behavior."

  Graduating next week with a double major in Chicano studies and child and adolescent development, along with a minor in psychology, the turning point in Moran's life was when he saw his younger siblings emulating his destructive behavior.

  "What hit me most was when my younger brother started reflecting my actions," recalled Moran. "I felt that I was his father figure and suddenly I saw him reliving my poor decisions and I felt so ashamed. I knew instantly that I had to work against those negative factors that had influence over him."

  Moran changed his behavior, graduated from high school, and began coursework at Cal State Northridge in 2001. He spent his years at CSUN immersed in his studies and activities, becoming chair of MEChA, and working off-campus at Rancho San Antonio, a residential treatment facility designed to rehabilitate male juvenile offenders.

  Upon graduation, Moran plans to join the foster care system again however, this time it will be as parent to his three younger siblings. He hopes to adopt his two youngest brothers and sister, and along with his 20-year-old brother, Ivan, bring the whole family back together. He will then continue his education at USC in the fall, pursuing a master's degree in social work.

  "My goal is to eventually establish a school and community center in a low-income neighborhood that specifically addresses the issues of gang violence, drugs and teen pregnancy," Moran said.

  Moran will take part in the College of Humanities graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. on the Oviatt Library Lawn in the middle of campus.

• Yolanda Vazquez, B.A., Spanish Languages and Culture
  When Yolanda Vazquez got married at 19, she felt she was on the way to a bright future with her husband. As Vazquez became a victim of domestic violence, her outlook on life drastically changed. When the verbal and physical abuse escalated, Vazquez, now 33, knew she had to leave.

  "As a young girl I used to love life and be proud of who I was," said Vazquez. "Soon into my marriage I started believing that I wasn't worth anything because of the way my husband used to speak to me. It got so bad that I couldn't even eat the foods I liked because he didn't like the smell."

  Though she had no place to go, Vazquez took her two-year-old daughter Joceleen and began a new life, getting a job at an auto supply store while struggling to make ends meet. Vazquez knew she had to do more. She decided to finish the journey she had begun years ago at Los Angeles Valley College and enrolled at CSUN, much to her father's dismay.

  "My father didn't want me to attend college because he feared I would become too liberal and that I would neglect my daughter," said Vazquez.

  Knowing that a college degree was the doorway to a better future for herself and Joceleen, Vazquez decided to prove to her father that she was capable of being both a committed mother and a committed student.

  Plagued by constant aggravation from her ex-husband, Vazquez did her best to remain focused on her studies and her daughter. In addition to an already hectic life, she started tutoring students privately and got a job as a teacher's assistant for third grade special education students.

  "CSUN opened up my mind and allowed me to become a more independent person. Before college, I felt helpless, like I was in a little cage. Now I know that I although I can't break the past, I can make a change," said Vazquez.

  "I really want to encourage students to love who they are," said Vazquez. "When I moved to Burbank from Mexico when I was 15, the students at my new school made me feel ashamed when I spoke Spanish. My goal now is to help children identify and be proud of their culture, whatever it may be."

  Vazquez graduated from CSUN in the spring of 2005 with a degree in liberal studies. She returned to CSUN that fall to pursue a double major, and will receive a degree in Spanish languages and culture next week.

• Christopher Vergien, B.S., Physics
  Christopher Vergien has spent the past 13 years serving in the United States Air Force. While stationed in South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Vergien never relinquished his dream of obtaining a college education. Now, at the age of 31, after many "sleepless nights," Vergien will graduate second in his class from CSUN with a B.S. in physics.

  In compliance with the U.S. Air Force ROTC Airman Education and Commissioning Program, Vergien was allotted three years to obtain his degree, placing a strict time constraint on the already rigorous study of physics. In addition, he was required to commute weekly to UCLA for ROTC classes, a key part of the commissioning process. Taking classes at CSUN, as well as required aerospace studies classes at UCLA, Vergien found himself handling up to 22 units per semester.

  "I arrived at Los Angeles Air Force Base one week prior to the beginning of the term," said Vergien. "Needless to say, my first semester was hectic as my wife and I waited another full month to receive my household items. When I arrived at CSUN, I was impressed with the campus and the various amenities it provided students. I did not think that I could ever become a physicist in the Air Force, but CSUN allowed me to fulfill my dream."

  With perseverance, the support of fellow students and a specifically designed course schedule, Vergien successfully completed his degree. A month after he graduates from CSUN, he will commission in the Air Force on June 24. Immediately after that, Vergien will be transferred to Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and begin working for the Air Force Research Laboratory as a physicist in the space division.

  Vergien hopes eventually to attend graduate school at the Air Force Institute of Technology and, after his tenure in the military, either work in the aerospace industry or teach.

  "I don't know where my life is going to lead me," said Vergien, who is about to be a new father. "But, I'm excited to find out."

  Vergien will graduate with honors in the College of Science and Mathematics commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 31, at 4:00 p.m. on the University Club Lawn.

• Cheryl Weir, B.A., Journalism
  "Baptism by fire" is the way Cheryl Weir describes her life experiences so far. Though only 27, she has accomplished more professionally than most. However, according to Weir, that never resonated well because she had only been able to do so "through family connections and not on her own terms." Weir decided to create her own life and to do that, she would need a college degree.

  As a child in Belize, Weir was quite familiar with politics, her uncle being mayor of the nation's capital, Belmopan, and her best friend's father the country's prime minister. So, when Weir moved to New York to go to school, it wasn't surprising that she was asked by Belize's ambassador to represent her country at the United Nations. Weir accepted, and at the mere age of 20, headed Belize's table in the main body of the United Nations' third committee, at the U.N.'s 56th session in the fall of 2001.

  "I remember distinctly three countries arguing for days over whether to use the word ‘urge' or ‘encourage.' It was then and there that I learned the true power of words," Weir said.

  Weir also distinctly remembers September 11, 2001. When asked what New York was like during that month, Weir responds, "dead." "There was a look of shock on everyone's face," she said.

  The "shock" of September 11 forced Weir to consider her true goals. She knew she wanted to pursue public relations and felt that Los Angeles was the premiere local for that. She set out on her own again, enrolling in CSUN's journalism department in the spring of 2002 on the advice of colleagues at the U.N., fulfilling the dream of the man who had raised her, her grandfather.

  "I think since my grandfather never graduated from high school, he was extremely proud of me," said Weir. "I know he waited until he knew my brother and I were going to finish college before he died. My grandfather was my world. All the strength I have and everything I am is because of him," she continued.

  She hopes to continue her education by getting a master's degree in Business Administration, finding a public relations career in the entertainment industry, and one day, returning to Belize to open a movie studio.

  Weir will not take part in commencement exercises due to a family obligation.