California State University, NorthridgeCalifornia State University, Northridge
May 17, 1996
Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler,
Director of News and Information, or
Stacy Peterson,
Ast. to the Director of News and Information,
(818) 885-2130
Here is a short list of some of the extraordinary graduates:
She soon mastered the language, as well as other classes. She became a Dean's List honor student, and was runner-up for Miss Deaf CSUNian. Chaplick recently completed an internship for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee in Atlanta working with the public relations department. She went into the community and spoke about hearing impairments and the paralympics.
Chaplick will graduate with the School of Communication, Health and Human Services on Thursday, May 30 at 8 a.m. on the Oviatt Lawn.
But four years have made a difference. Grigoryants has mastered English, has a 3.9 grade point average and will be going on to Darmouth Medical School in New Hampshire in the fall. While at Northridge, Grigoryants help conducted research on plant inhibitors and co-authored a paper presented last year at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Physiology.
Despite his heavy course load, Grigoryants also works full time as a clinical assistant at Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills. He says all this hard work keeps him disciplined so he can become a doctor. He will graduate at 11:30 a.m on May 31 as part of the School of Science and Mathematics commencement ceremony at the University Club.
Liang was born in Pakistan and migrated to the U.S. fourteen years ago. He credits his uncle, a retired Brigadier General of the Pakistani Air Forces (which is unusual since he is Chinese) as his inspiration and role model.
Liang will graduate with the school of Science and Mathematics at 11:30 a.m. in the University Club.
She had been in the program for only a year when she was hospitalized and underwent major surgery for cancer. Shortly after she recovered, she suffered heart failure. But Lucero, who now has a pacemake, didn't let medical problems get n the way of her eduation. She maintained a full course load through her recovery.
Lucero, 73, now teaches English as a second language and is developing her thesis on accent reduction into a book.
Lucero will receive her graduate degree on May 29 at 8 a.m. in the School of Humanities commencement ceremony on the Oviatt Lawn.
Newman's college experience has been a series of starts and stops, staring with Valley College in 1960. In the succeeding years, she also attended Long Beach City College, Los Angeles City College and Mission College. She eventually settled on Valley College in 1972. She had a brief stint at Northridge in 1983 before coming here for good in 1992. Throughout all this, Newman worked full time for the U.S. Postal Service.
Newman is graduating with a 3.92 grade point average. She plans to continue on at the university to get a graduate degree in communicative disorders.
Suenaga is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average, which she maintained throughout her college years despite working part time and raising a teen-aged daughter. She currently volunteers with the Los Angeles County Probation Department with the teen court diversion program for first-time offenders.
When Suenaga graduated from high school, she was five months pregnant. Her plans to attend college were put on hold for several years. Eventually, she took classes at Mission College in Sylmar, graduating in 1992 as valedictorian. She transferred to Northridge that year, dropping out a short time later to take care of her terminally ill father. But she returned to Northridge to complete her education.
Suenaga will take part in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences' commencement on the Oviatt Lawn at 4:30 p.m. on May 29.
He initially transferred to Kentucky State University and played football. But he developed yellow jaundice as a result of the bullet, which remained in his liver, and returned home to Los Angeles.
He enrolled at Cal State Northridge in 1992, determined to get a degree in recreational therapy. While here, he played on the Matador football team. He said he once had dreams of becoming a professional football player, but the shooting made him realize that "football doesn't last forever."
Thomas currently works with the emotionally and developmentally disabled the Elysian Park Adaptive Recreation Center. He also teaches weightlifting for paraplegics. After graduation, Thomas will intern at St. John's Hospital and Medical Center in Santa Monica.
Thomas will take part in the School of Communication, Health and Human Services commencement ceremony on the Oviatt Lawn at 8 a.m. on May 30.
Tong has won several awards and was a CSUN nominee for the California Society of CPAs Award, which recognizes the top five accounting students in Los Angeles. She is also a leader in Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting honorary fraternity, where she has held officer positions. She maintained an overall GPA of 3.67 while at Northridge. Following graduation, she will begin work with Arthur Andersen LLP, one of the Big-Six accounting firms.
Tong willtake part of the Business Administration and Economics commencement ceremony May 31 at 8 a.m. on the Oviatt Lawn.
The 1994 Northridge Earthquake left her and her son in an apartment without electricity and gas while they were battling a respiratory illness that eventually put her in the hospital. A few months later, her mother and son were in a traffic accident that left her mother with debilitating injuries. About that same time, Wilson's father was the victim of a random drive-by shooting. He survived, but now walks with a cane.
Wilson supports her mother and her son by working part-time for the CSUN's School of Education and with whatever is left over from her Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship, a federal teaching grant that has since been eliminated. ,p> Throughout it all, Wilson said she never gave up her dream. She said she had to finish her education for her son, and for herself. Wilson, who has bachelor's degrees in Liberal Studies and Pan African Studies from Northridge, will receive her masters degree at 11 a.m. May 30 at the University Club.