Website: www.palomar.edu/triosss Office Phone Number: 760-744-1150 Ext. 2761 1140 WEST MISSION ROAD , TCB-1, SAN MARCOS, CA 92069 December 2015 Students Transferring & Reaching Success Melissa Duncanson, Program Assistant, Ext. 2761 Shawna Larson, Program Assistant/Intern, Ext. 2761 Isabella Feldman, Adjunct Counselor, [email protected] Felicia Tican, Adjunct Counselor, ſt[email protected] Jamila Schmidt, Adjunct Counselor, [email protected] Calvin One Deer, Director , Ext. 3679 Pay Rodriguez, Lead Coordinator, Ext. 3678 Yolanda Catano, Coordinator, Ext. 2761 Jullisa Camacho, Office Assistant, Ext. 2761 Anabel Camacho, Office Assistant, Ext. 2761 Markus Berrien, Program Assistant, Ext 2761 TRIO/SSS STAFF DIRECTORY Message from the Director: Some people say they never get a break. In college, we get many academic calendar breaks, including the one between the Fall and Spring semesters. There are two keys to a suc- cessful break: 1) take time to focus on you; and 2) take time to organize, plan, and advance your studies. The first of these seems simple, yet with today's busy lives, and especially during the holidays, the break can be gone before you know it. So, make plans now to figure out what you want to do for you, put it in a calendar, and "make a date with yourself or others"! Just do it! Have fun, work out, take a hike, take a day trip , or make a new friend. It is important you get the rest, relaxation, and social time you need. Find some time for you, balance it with your holiday commitments, and plan to focus on what you need to stay healthy, wise, and well-balanced. The second of these is more challenging, especially as this time is considered a break. You do, however, need to take time to organize and plan for Spring semester. Plan your education, especially researching transfer universities, majors, careers, etc. Organize your school schedule, especially if you work or plan to work next semester. So, take a break, enjoy the holidays, be safe, and have fun! Also, make some time to do any educational activities that will help you get ahead for 2015! Calvin One Deer, Director Grant Funded Student Programs [email protected] Photos from the Memory Workshop held on 10/28/15 Alumni Spotlight What have you been up to lately? After attending Palomar College, I transferred to UCSB. At first, I was very nervous; it was my first time away from home, and I knew no one. Within a month, I final- ly got the hang of the quarter system, and made friends from the clubs I joined. It’s amazing how fast my junior and senior year went by. Upon graduation, I reminisced about my first days as a transfer student. I am proud to say I am the first woman in my family to say I have graduated from college. Do you feel TRiO/SSS helped you get where you are now? How so? Absolutely. As a first-generation college student, and low-income, I knew my parents didn’t have the financial ability to send me to college. I always thought after high school I would just get a full time job. My father found out about the TRiO/SSS program and told me I should apply. Once I was accepted into the TRiO/SSS program the counselors immediately set me up with an education plan for my major. For me, the best part of the TRiO/SSS program was the counselors. Back in high school, no one supported me having educational goals, but the TRiO/SSS counselors believed in me and showed me all the opportunities I needed to be a successful student. What is next for you? Where do you see yourself in five years? The next step for me is graduate school. I was accepted into the M.S. program at CSUEB for Educational Leadership. I am excited to start this upcoming January. In the next five years I plan to have my Master’s degree and keep working at a college. My passion is help- ing students, and I want them to know all of the opportunities that are available to them. Any suggestions for current Palomar TRiO/SSS students? I know school can be tough sometimes, but stay in school. If you have a goal, write it down and follow it. You have to create a vision for your future, and TRiO/SSS can help you do that! GET A BREAK & GET AHEAD Danielle Guerra: TRiO/SSS Class of 2012 B.A. Sociology, A.A. Arts and Humanities, A.A. Social and Behavioral Science, A.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences, IGETC Certificate