Congratulations, ELN Scholars!

This year, ELN presented scholarships to three outstanding students at Glendale Community College (GCC), each of whom will be transferring in the fall semester. Congratulations, students!

Narvik Mousamoghaddam wasn’t thrilled, initially, about community college. But as a committed student, he quickly found opportunities to learn and grow. He joined the GCC Scholars Program, which allowed him to participate in research on solar power for Los Angeles County. He also tutored mathematics, which really inspired him. “To be able to witness the turning point in a student’s understanding gives me great joy. I am currently exploring this career option; I will be conducting research in the coming in months to see if the PhD and teaching route is right for me.” Narvik was accepted to UCLA to study math and economics, and will transfer in Fall 2019.

Ninette Simonian took advantage of community college to figure out her education path — without racking up enormous debt. She applied for the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program, and after completing the online component with stellar marks, she was invited to spend a week at a NASA facility. While there, she had the opportunity to shadow and talk with a wide range of NASA employees. She learned about the variety of majors that NASA looks for (hint: it’s not just engineering!), and discovered that interdisciplinary majors are are in high demand. “This program gave me the confidence to apply for more places and opportunities,” she said. “There is always a possibility for success and connections.” Ninette was accepted to UCLA to study cognitive science and will transfer in Fall 2019.

Samantha Skodje moved to Los Angeles from Minnesota. She had started a four-year program directly after high school, but soon realized that her heart wasn’t in it. She landed at Glendale Community College (GCC) a few years later, where she was able to tailor her educational path and find her passion for psychology. In her final year at GCC, she was a full-time student while also working two jobs — and she still made the Dean’s List and remained involved in the Honors Society. “I am motivated to learn as much as I can.... It has been a struggle, but I am working as hard as I can to make my dreams come true.” Samantha was accepted to UCLA to study psychology and will transfer in Fall 2019.
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