International Focus

2017- 2 0 1 8 IN THIS ISSUE

Meet the ISP Staff . . . p. 1-2

University Transfers . . . p. 3

Student Diversity . . . p. 4

Meet Our Athletes . . . p. 5-6

Current Students . . . p. 7-8

OPT & Transfer Students . . . p. 9-10 International Students Program 9200 Valley View Street Letters from our Alumni . . P.11-12 Cypress, CA 90630 Scholarship Winners . . . p.13 (714) 484-7049

www.cypresscollege.edu Year-End Celebration . . . p.14 INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Meet the ISP Staff Yongmi Han, Manager

Before coming to Cypress College in the fall of 2005, I worked at two different English language schools from 2000-2005. Prior to that, I spent almost 5 years teaching and living in Seoul, Korea, where I became interested in working with foreign or international students.

My educational background is in biology and art history, but I enjoy working with international students here at Cypress, assisting them with their pursuit of higher education in the United States, and witnessing their successes in transferring to universities or obtaining their degrees here to enrich their professional careers back home. I enjoy hiking, travelling, baking and reading. Gina Marrocco, Administrative Assistant

After graduating from Cypress High School, I attended Cypress College. I completed an Associate Degree in Business Administration. While attending Cypress College, I worked part-time in the Business Computer Lab. My Computer Information Systems Professor, Donna Woo, was responsible for the lab. I kept in contact with Professor Woo and my Academic Counselor, Don Tyrell after graduating. They had such an impact on my life!

I was hired at Cypress College in 2001, for an Administrative Assistant position in the Center for Intercultural Understanding. This position transitioned into my current position as Administrative Assistant II for the International Students Program. We had 35 international students at that time. It has been exciting to see the program grow and meet so many wonderful students from all over the world!

My husband and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. My son attended Cypress College and is currently in his senior year at Whittier College. I enjoy travelling, off-roading and swimming. Deepa Tharani, Adjunct Counselor

Before beginning my journey as an Adjunct Counselor at Cypress College four years ago, I worked for the Directorate of Education, Government of Delhi, India, for over 20 years as a Psychologist, Educational and Vocational Guidance Counselor, and the District Coordinator for the States Disabled Students Programs and Services. My educational background is in Clinical Psychology and Educational Counseling and upon relocation to California, I continue to work in the area of Counseling and Student Success. At Cypress College, I have worked as an SEM, Basic Skills, Transfer, and Probation Counselor. I have also coordinated the Colleges’ Success Factors Index Program. As an International Students Program counselor, I enjoy working with a culturally diverse student population from different parts of the world, helping them acclimatize to the US culture and education system, and achieve their academic goals of earning associate degrees, and/or transfer to their desired university. As a former International student, I am able to empathize with some of the struggles our students may experience and feel blessed to be able to assist them in their academic endeavors. On the personal front: My husband, Anil, is a Captain in an International Airline and I love to join him on his flights when schedule permits. I have two daughters, Serena, a medical student and Tanya, a biology major at UCLA. I like to read, watch movies, travel, and party with friends and family. - 1 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 ISP Office Student Assistants

Jene Viray - Philippines

Being an international student myself , I personally know and have experienced the struggles of applying abroad. Moreover, working in the ISP office allowed me to have first hand experience and the opportunity to help other international students who wish to attend Cypress College. This is my favorite part of my job here. I am majoring in Communications and being in the office enhanced my communication skills and has helped me Hung Anh Phan - Vietnam understand its importance. I have been with ISP Office for almost 2 years now, and what I can say during that Chi Nguyen - Vietnam period is that I see myself constantly learning and growing as time goes by. ISP Office has given me an opportunity to Working in the ISP Office as a Student develop and improve my professional as Assistant has been one of the greatest well as communication skills in an office college experiences for me so far. Since I setting. The nature of my job is to assist my have never worked in an office fellow international students, so courtesy environment before, it was challenging, and diplomacy are always a priority and but with the help of my supervisors, requirement. Since each student has a Yongmi and Gina, who have had years different background and personality, you of experience in the field, I felt more must always treat them with respect. As a confident and supported. I managed to result, this job has greatly improved my pick up tips and learned different types interpersonal communication skill. In of skills from them that would definitely addition, working here allows me to be beneficial to me in my career later. befriend and connect with students from The most fun part of this job is the all over the world, which is a very humbling opportunity to encounter students of experience. I am very grateful to be given diverse cultural backgrounds and an opportunity to be a part of the ISP expand my circle of friends all around Office for the past 2 years. Also, this is my the globe. As a travel enthusiast myself, last semester working here so I cannot deny meeting students from different parts of the fact of how much I am going to miss the world and hearing their stories always this place. Thank you my lovely coworkers encourages me to get out of my comfort (Jene & Chi) and my respected supervisors zone and start my own adventures. (Yongmi & Gina). It has been an amazing journey!

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Transfers to 4-Year Universities 2016-2017

Last Name First I. Country Major University

Bui H. Vietnam Accounting CSUF MBA/International Do A. Vietnam CSU San Marcos Business Jung S. Korea Art/Illustration Queens College, NY

Im J. Korea Math UCI

Kim J. Korea Apparel Production Cal Poly Pomona Environmental & Civil Kwon K. Korea Cal Poly Pomona Engineering Le T. Vietnam Physics Ithaca College, NY

Nguyen D. Vietnam Aerospace Engineering CSULB

Nguyen L. Vietnam Health Administration CSULB

Nguyen T Vietnam Biology UCR

Park S. Korea Economics UCSD

Tan B. Singapore English UCLA

Vun L. Cambodia Computer Science CSULA

Yi L. Korea Philosophy UCI

Wang A. Argentina Business Purdue Univ., IN

- 3 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 ISP Countries

Fall 2017 Spring 2018 Fall 2017 Spring 2018

Albania 1 1 45 44 Korea

Argentina 1 1 Lebanon

Armenia 1 1 3 3 Malaysia

Australia 2 1 3 3 Myanmar

Belgium 1 1 3 3 Nepal

Belize 1 1 1 1 Netherlands

Brazil 1 1 Nigeria

Cambodia 2 3 1 1 Palestine

Canada 3 3 5 6 Philippines

China 5 5 Romania

Colombia 1 1 1 Russia

Congo 2 1 Saudi Arabia

Denmark 2 1 South Africa

France 3 2 1 1 Sri Lanka

Germany 1 2 1 1 Switzerland

Greece 1 1 3 Taiwan

Hong Kong 1 2 3 3 Thailand

India 2 2 1 1 Tunisia

Indonesia 2 2 5 4 United Kingdom

Japan 12 13 64 54 Vietnam Jordan 5 4 188 177 Total

- 4 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Meet Our Athletes

Baseball Sophomore Cypress College baseball standout Trevor Fonseca was awarded his first Charger of the Week this season. Former Cypress College baseball player and 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame electee, Trevor Hoffman, presented Fonseca with the award while visiting the campus during Thursday's practice. The sophomore outfielder has helped guide the Chargers to a 4-3 overall record, while leading the team with a .550 AVG and .679 OBP this season. Trevor Fonseca

Vancouver, Canada

My two years at Cypress College have been an amazing experience, both academically and athletically. There are many excellent programs and classes offered here, and the opportunity to play for Coach Pickler and the rest of the coaching staff is one of the main reasons I came to Cypress. They do a great job in preparing their players for the next level, and there is always a competitive environment the moment you step on the field. Next year I will be moving on to play baseball and study business at Houston Baptist University. I look forward to starting a new chapter of my life as I continue to grow as a baseball player and person.

- 5 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018

Tennis

Tomas Bella Alexander Hagon (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (Kent, United Kingdom)

Thomas Davies Erik Jorsal (Monmounthshire, Wales) (Queensland, Australia)

Gertjan De Wilder Remmerswaal Ingmar (Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium) (Utrecht, Netherlands)

Giovanni Fragalle Simon Jan (Sao Paulo, Brazil) (Koblenz, Germany) Johan Wennerholm (Smaland, Sweden)

Golf

Georgios Bris (Athens, Greece) David Marris (Suffolk, United Ying-Shih Chang Kingdom) (Taipei, Taiwan)

Andrew Thomson (Lanark, Scotland) Burt Gildenhuys (Heidelberg, South Africa)

Men’s Basketball Swim & Dive

Denzel Tchougang Takumi Ameku (Geneva, Switzerland) (Okinawa, Japan)

- 6 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 The International Club

Officers

(Top left to bottom right) Kahoko Kono Uriel Aragon Carlos Ventura Andrew Moreno Shiori Takato Marie Gallardo

Summer 2017 Fall 2017 1st Club Meeting Beach Outing

- 7 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Student Spotlight Ross Mitra

My name is Ross. My first semester here in Cypress College was Spring 2016. I live in my uncle’s house in Corona, which is about an hour drive from the campus. When I first came here in United States, I wasn’t driving so I chose a college close to my uncle’s work. I can absolutely say that I made a right choice, and even though I can drive myself now, I never want to transfer to any other colleges closer to our house. I love the surroundings of this campus, the services they offer to help international students, the professors as well as the quality of education they give. My major is Health Information Technology and I got accepted in the program last Fall 2017. I am currently working in the Math Learning Center as a tutor. It is a great experience because I work and learn at the same time. Every single time that I help students to solve math problems or prepare for their exams, I learn something too. We also have different trainings throughout the semester that help us develop our skills as tutors. So, if you are a math person who wants to work, help other students, and have fun at the same time, MLC is the best place for that. I hope to finish my AS degree by 2019. After that, I will look for a job to do my OPT. I’m still trying to figure out what to do next, but I am also considering taking a bachelor’s degree. Each semester I have been here in Cypress College is truly memorable and full of learning. I will surely remember all the lessons I learned (both academically and career-related) wherever I will go in the future.

Pheng Ang Chiv

My name is Pheng Ang Chiv, currently pursuing my higher education as an International Student in Cypress College. I originally come from Cambodia, a country where life is so much different compared to what I have right now. Having an opportunity to study in the U.S. has been the biggest blessing of my life as it helped me grow personally and academically. Being a culturally diverse institution, Cypress College has provided me many great opportunities to foster my soft skills through networking with a diverse group of people. Thanks to that, I have been offered a position as a Supplemental Instruction Leader (SI Leader) of Calculus II whose job is to assist students with math problems. The job is challenging as an international student, but all thanks to my supportive mentors, professors, and friendly faculty who are willing to help me in any circumstances, I enjoy being an SI leader. I believe this opportunity is helping me to develop my professionalism in the workplace, which is also crucial for my resume when I transfer to a 4-year university. My future goal is to transfer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in pursuit of my Computer Science degree.

Minh Nguyen

I am Minh Nguyen. I first attended Cypress College in Fall 2015. As a Biomedical Engineering major, I went straight to taking all the science courses in the beginning. It was a challenging semester, especially for freshman. However, I did not get through it all by myself. I took advantage of the services available on campus. One thing I remembered the most is joining International Club where I was able to express my feelings and talk to people who were just like me, studying overseas and standing on their own feet. Their support was available to help students succeed. After two semesters, I was chosen to be a one-on-one tutor for Math, Chemistry and Physics in the Learning Resource Center. And now I am currently an SI leader (Supplemental Instruction) for Math 150B. It is the greatest experience I have ever had in my life. I have the opportunity to share my knowledge, to help other students and to solve math problems. My pleasure of being a tutor and an SI leader is seeing students smiling when they improved after every exam. When they tell me, they get a great score, it also means I am doing an excellent job. Moreover, this is also an opportunity for me to develop my communication skills. I really appreciate all the Cypress College faculty who contribute their own time to provide and open this great opportunity to everyone, especially to International Students. My goal, which has been the ambition and inspiration of my life, is to be a life science and biotechnological researcher. I am transferring to UC Irvine in Fall 2019. For every semester I have studied and worked at Cypress College, I have learned something new. This memorable time will be there with me along the way to achieve my final goal.

- 8 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Looking Ahead Hung Anh Phan

I have been a part of Cypress College for the past 3 years and let me tell you about the privilege of coming to this campus. In my opinion, going to college in general should not exclusively be about finding a job, but also be about finding yourself and your passion, which is deeply overlooked these days. You should be able to find a passion that expresses your true self, amplifies your strengths and most importantly, generates happiness. Cypress College gave me that, and I am extremely grateful. I found myself deeply passionate in Human Nutrition and I aspired to be a Registered Dietitian. Cypress College has helped me build a strong foundation for my career and I am so ready to tackle whatever obstacle I might encounter when I transfer to University of Houston, TX in Fall 2018. In addition, I have made plenty of friendships, obtained a wide variety of knowledge, and strengthened myself professionally and culturally. Thank you Cypress College! Forever a Charger. Maximilien Blancaneaux Hi, I am Maximilien Blancaneaux, I am from Paris, France and I came to Cypress College in the fall 2016 and got my associate degree at the end of the fall 2017. I did an Associate Degree in Kinesiology. I think coming to Cypress College was the best choice of my life so far. I was so blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to be part of an amazing College like Cypress. I loved my time there, I actually miss it. Cypress is near everything, you can have the beach, the mountain, and the weather is unbelievable. I was a student athlete during my time there; I was part of the tennis team. Playing tennis almost every single day and get a great education is something that I love to do and that many people should be looking forward to do as well. I am thankful for all the opportunities and achievements than I accomplished at Cypress College. I played on an amazing tennis team and obtained good grades as well. We had a great tennis year, we finished second out of all Southern California Junior Colleges and I finished second as single player in California. I am thankful for Cypress College because I was recruited by Boise State and they offered me a good scholarship. Going to a NCAA Division 1 school was my goal and purpose for three years, so being in Boise State this semester feels like an accomplishment. My life is almost the same as when I was at Cypress, the only difference is that we travel more for the tennis matches. I am thankful that I went to a great academic school like Cypress because it helped me to be ready for my classes at Boise State. I am so excited to participate in the graduation ceremony at Cypress College in May 2018; it is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time.

- 9 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Optional Practical Training John Rey I started at Cypress College in the Spring semester of 2014 and decided to pursue an Associate of Arts Degree in Photography. Before coming to Cypress College, back in Germany, I used to work at a small company in my hometown that manufactures wooden crates and trunks in all sizes to protect expensive equipment during transportation. After that I worked at one of the Mercedes-Benz factories just a couple miles away from my hometown where my job was to check if large motor parts had deformed during the heat treatment process. So after being used to such labor intensive jobs it felt nice to be back in school, especially in sunny Southern California! I started off taking a combination of photography classes and General Education classes, which I had to complete in order to fulfill all the requirements for my AA degree. Towards the end of my time at Cypress College, I had already completed most of my GE requirements so my days on campus revolved mostly around taking photos for different photo classes. I also started working in the International Students Office in my last two semesters and enjoyed coming in contact with so many students from all over the world. Since I was not planning on transferring to a university to continue my studies in photography, I decided to do an OPT after I graduated. I was curious what it was like to have a full-time job in the U.S. and if there were any significant differences between working here and back in my home country. About two months before I graduated I met with Yongmi to go over what was needed and what I had to do to apply for my OPT. It turned out to be a fairly straight forward application process. About three months later I received my OPT card and I quickly found a great job just a few miles away from Cypress College in Cerritos. I started working at a company called R1 Concepts which sells brake parts over the internet for almost any car ever built. Currently we are two photographers and our main job is to take and edit product pictures of all the parts in front of white background for the online catalog. In addition, we create many of the pictures for our company’s social media accounts like Instagram and Facebook. Overall I did not notice too many differences between working in Germany and working here. One thing that stood out to me was the focus on clearly defined core values which is something I have never seen at any other company. R1 Concepts is still a fairly young company and have people from different backgrounds. The diversity of people reminds me a lot of Cypress College and it is something that I always enjoyed about it. Now that my OPT is about to end, I had to think of what I want to do after my OPT. Working as a photographer for a company has many advantages since it is much easier to fully focus on the photography part but it lacks the flexibility in the constantly changing challenges of different projects of a photographer. In order to become a successful photographer on your own, I believe that having business and marketing skills is just as important as having excellent photography skills. This is why I decided to return to Cypress College and pursue an Associate degree in Small Business Management in Fall 2018.

- 10 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Letters from our Alumni

- 11 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018

- 12 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018

Congratulations to the 2017-2018 ISP Scholarship Winners!

Left to right: Hung Anh Phan, Chae Eun Lee

Kim, Myeongseob Lee, Chae Eun (UCSB) (Associate Degree)

Win, Kyaw Htet Phan, Hung Anh (AA/Transfer) (University of Houston, TX)

- 13 - INTERNATIONAL FOCUS 2017 - 2018

- 14 - Resources for International Students

Health Center - (714) 484-7361 The Cypress College Health Center is a full service clinic, which means that services are provided by a Family Practice/Internal Medicine Physician, Certified Family Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurse and MFCC Therapist. Almost all services are covered by student health fees. Services include: - First Aid & Emergency Care - Health Assessments (blood pressure screening & vision screening) - Personal Health Counseling & Referrals - Family Planning Services and many other services

Learning Resource Center (LRC) - (714) 484-7193

The LRC offers the following services to currently enrolled Cypress College students: - Tutorial Services - English Success Center (ESC) - Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) - Supplemental Instruction (SI)

Transfer Center - (714) 484-7182

The Transfer Center assists students in their transition from Cypress College to a four-year institution. Services include: - Individual counseling - Guidance in choosing a transfer institution - Transfer Planning Classes, Workshops, and Assistance - Transfer Fairs featuring University Representatives - Scholarship Information and many other services

North Orange County Community College District

Cheryl A. Marshall, Chancellor Board of Trustees: Ryan Bent, Stephen Blount, Jeffrey. P. Brown, Barbara Dunsheath, Ed Lopez, Molly McClanahan, and Jacqueline Rodarte

Cypress College JoAnna Schilling, Ed.D., President

9200 Valley View St. Cypress, CA 90630 www.cypresscollege.edu (714) 484-7000