Crafton Hills College Class of 2009 celebrates commencement

Now, she is an Honors Student planning on attending the University of Redlands and majoring in education.

"Life is only as hard as you make it," she said. She also told the audience that one of the truths in life is the quote, "Smile, Jesus loves you."

Miller advised the students not to fear failure. "Often we miss an opportunity because we hesitate to think too much," she said. "Sometimes, you need to swallow your fear and take a leap of faith. If you fail, well good for you. Therein lies another opportunity for success."

She advised the students "to have no regrets. If you're going to do something, do it all the way."

The keynote speaker was Redlands Police Chief Jim Bueermann, who is a 1977 CHC alumnus. At CHC, Bueermann majored in administration of justice.

"Crafton Hills gave me a notion of the future," Bueermann said. "I knew that either I grabbed the future at that point, or I would watch it go by me."

CHC was the beginning of more education and what would be a long and successful career for Bueermann in law enforcement.

Bueemann told the students to never allow people to control where they are in life. He used the previous speaker, Selena Miller, as an example, saying, "She took control of her own destiny and where she is going."

Bueermann also spoke about the impact of technology on the world, saying that for at least first half of his career, computers were not in the workplace. Now computers are common, and the capabilities of computers are changing the world constantly.

"I've never seen this rate of change before," he said, adding that it is
difficult to plan too far in advance with the rapid changes happening in technology.

He advised the graduates to be aware and ready for this constant change. He noted that IBM has predicted that in the near future, the world's knowledge "will double every 11 hours."

Bueermann also mentioned the economic crisis and the need for the graduates to be prepared to address it. He emphasized the importance of an education in today's world and the ability to view crisis situations as opportunities for new ideas and positive change. He advised the students to donate their time to their communities and to the success of future generations.

Referring to a famous quote, Bueermann said "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

Liberal arts graduate Julie Johnson of Yucaipa, who entered college 15 years after high school, is one who has taken control of her own destiny. In addition to working towards her career goals, Johnson wanted to set an example for her children about the importance of hard work and pursuing one's dreams.

"I am the second child of eight to attend college, I'm a single mother of six with health issues, and I want my children to know that there is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it," said Johnson of Yucaipa.

Johnson was diagnosed with Chron's and has multiple health issues, including diabetes and a heart condition. While attending CHC over the past four years, Johnson was hospitalized several times, having both minor and major surgeries. She also underwent chemotherapy, which caused her to be ill while attending college. Yet, she never gave up.

"I didn't quit," Johnson said. "I never missed a homework assignment or went below honors. I didn't allow my illnesses to take control of my education. It just made me work harder toward my goal. I wanted to be a mom my children could be proud of."

Johnson's dream is to open a family candy store. In order to do this, she felt a bachelor of arts (BA) degree in business administration would be helpful, so her next goal is to transfer to a four-year university and complete her BA.

Johnson has strong family support system that has enabled her to succeed in college.

"My mom was also a single mom that worked and showed us that giving up isn't an option," Johnson said. "As a child I saw my mom work three jobs just to keep us together as a family."

Johnson is very sentimental about graduating. "I worked hard to achieve this goal," Johnson said. "I want others to understand that you're never too old to attend college. At Crafton everyone will welcome you with open arms. If you start to feel overwhelmed, someone will be there to catch you and put you back on your feet."

Many, many members of Johnson's extremely proud family attended the commencement to support her, including her kids and mom.

Nineteen-year-old Jeanaye Mason of Highland, a chemistry major, expressed being a little nervous and very excited just prior to the commencement ceremony.

"This is a new step forward in my career path," said Mason, who plans to attend Cal Poly in Pomona.

At the recent CHC Honors Convocation, Mason was awarded the Harry C. Berger Memorial Scholarship and was recognized as an Honors Student for earning a 3.6 grade point average.

Mason initially chose to attend CHC because she liked the idea of smaller classes.

"I wasn't ready to 'jump into' a big university yet," she said. "I am accomplishing this one step at a time. Getting an education gives you an advantage over the competition in finding jobs."

"It's good to take advantage of every opportunity when you get it."
Mason appreciated having instructors who had actual experience in their respective fields.

"They've been in these experiences," she said. "They had stories relating to their fields, and it made it easier to understand."

Mason is interested in a career in pharmaceuticals or in exploring renewable energy sources.
"Congratulations to my fellow graduates and good luck to you on your future endeavors, whatever you do," Mason said.

Jack Price, 25 of Redlands, is another proud graduate from the class of 2009. "This is a first step to a bachelor's and a master's degree," said Price, who majored in administration of justice. "This is a big accomplishment towards the future."

Price is interested in attending California State University in San Bernardino (CSUSB) to pursue a degree in computer science. His goal is to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Price served with the student senate as the editor, writer, and photographer for the CHC student newsletter, The Advisor, for more than a year.

"We accomplished a lot as a team," Price said. "There are a lot of great individuals. For anyone going to college, get involved in a club, student government, or some other organization. That's how you're going to make friends and build networking skills. It will make college that much more of an enjoyable experience."

As a single, independent student, Price believes the affordability of CHC and the assistance of financial aid was a great asset to his success. He recommended that anyone attending college check the financial assistance possibilities.

"Financial aid helped pay for all the tuition and books," he said. "Filing for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Aid) is essential. You have nothing to lose."

Twenty-two-year-old Redlands graduate Julio Vazquez, who majored in Administration of Justice, became the first college graduate in his family.

Vazquez took a long road to this proud moment. He was born in Mexico City, and like many families in Latin America, his parents left him behind and came to the United States in search of a better life.

During his childhood, Vasquez lived in a tough neighborhood full of gangs. Before his great grandfather passed away, he told Julio that he didn't want him to end up in jail or dead like so many other young men. He told Julio he would be proud if Julio became a doctor or a lawyer. His great grandfather's request had a profound impact on him.

At the age of 12, his parents returned for him, and he came to the United States, where he learned the language and culture. He worked alongside his uncles for several years in the family landscape business. He became a United States citizen in 2003. Vazquez graduated from Redlands East Valley High School and chose CHC as his first step in college.

"This graduation means a new chapter in my life," said Vazquez, who plans on attending CSUSB and pursue a career in criminal justice. "With the economy the way it is right now, a college education is important. People who are more educated can get better jobs."

While at CHC, Vazquez served as a student ambassador in the Financial Aid Outreach Office.

"This is very emotional," he said. "I never thought in a million years that I would graduate in the U.S. and make a totally different life.

Vazquez's proud parents and uncles were on hand to see this important day in his life.

Fifty-seven-year-old Jane Porter of Redlands, a psychology major, decided to re-enter college later in life and get into career that could help people. Porter described commencement day as "almost surreal."

"I cried a lot," said Porter, whose mom, nieces, and nephews traveled from back east for the commencement. "My father has passed, but I can feel his hand on my shoulder."

Porter has followed a long and perilous road to this moment in her life, including an incident where she nearly froze to death in the local mountains. When she was found unconscious, she was rushed to the hospital with severe hypothermia and was on life support for two weeks.

She recalls a moment when her body was shutting down and everyone thought she was going to die.

"I tried saying a prayer I once knew," she said. "I suddenly felt real intense heat in my midsection. From that point, everything started healing."

During the ordeal, she recalled how much people helped her, from the medical staff to friends and family. Over time, she recovered fully.

"It showed how much people loved me when I hadn't loved myself," she said. "It made me care about myself and showed me that I was worth believing in. Once you believe in yourself, you can go all the way."

Porter decided to go back to college and signed up at CHC in 2005. She is interested in psychology and the concept of writing as therapy.

"When you write from the soul, you can get all that negative energy out," she said.

As regards getting her diploma, Porter said, "I have the love and support of my family and friends and won't let anything stop me now."

"It's so great," she said. "But anybody can do that if they want to. They just need to follow a dream. You just need to believe in yourself."

Twenty-one-year-old Stefan Colvey of Redlands, a math major, plans to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and major in engineering.

"Crafton gave me the opportunity to explore my academic skills and allowed me to truly find the major I wanted to pursue," said Colvey, who earned a 3.5 grade point average. "Education is important to broaden your horizons and expand on your knowledge."

Colvey was also involved in the college's associated student government, serving as the vice president of external affairs and the student trustee.

"My education and participation in leadership allowed me to build confidence," Colvey said. Colvey noted the difficult era that the new graduates were entering, and believed it was important for the new graduates to meet the challenges.

"We have a duty as educated individuals to improve the quality of life for everyone," he said. "We need to leave a better world for future graduates."

Twenty-five-year-old Deseree Marenco of Banning, an Honors student with a 3.5 grade point average, plans on attending the University of Salamanca in Spain. Her goal is to become a teacher and teach English as a second language.

She originally visited Spain in the spring of 2008 as part of a "Study Abroad" program offered at CHC and led by English Professor Kris Aquistapace.

"The experience was so eye opening," Marenco said. "I felt like I gained some of my independence there."

Regarding her experiences at CHC, Marenco described the professors as being "phenomenal," and appreciated that the teachers had experience in the fields they taught.

"I felt like they knew about their field and wanted to teach me and lead me in the right direction," she said. "They helped me accomplish a lot of my goals. I discovered that I love learning. If I could, I would go to school the rest of my life. Even when I have a career, I'll still keep going back to school."