A few weeks back, we wrote about CSN student Carlos Holguin, who was named the Regents’ Scholar for this academic year.
Well, it turns out that Holguin isn’t just an accomplished musician and hard-working student. He’s also a heck of a public speaker. In fact, he’ll be giving the commencement speech at this year’s CSN graduation ceremony, set for May 19 at the Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus.
But you know what else? CSN has lots of great speakers who came close to sitting in Holguin’s shoes.
Eight graduating students auditioned for the role, and each of them told compelling stories about their journey to, and through, college.
CSN students celebrate during the 2013 graduation ceremonies.
Barbara Gordon told of how she walked away from her high school graduation 26 years ago. But through the support of her professors and others, she endured, now she’s about to earn a college degree.
Jaklin Guyumjyan recalled how she came to America as a child, fulfilling a dream. The dream didn’t end there, either. She continued living it at CSN.
Amielee Leftridge called CSN a playground, and said she learned valuable life lessons here. She encouraged the other graduates to become the same kind of role models they found in their professors at CSN.
Veronica Moubarek said she was insecure when she started at CSN. But her professors helped her overcome that. Now, as she prepares to graduate, she wants to become a doctor.
Nina Nititadakul said she almost dropped out of high school, didn’t participate in graduation ceremonies, and didn’t know what to do with her life. But at CSN, she found direction. So much, in fact, that she knows she’ll miss it greatly.
LuChana Nunley was also uncertain about her future. She married, raised a family, enrolled at CSN almost 20 years ago, and just kept going until she finally finished.
Jose de Jesus Pulido Mancilla delivered a speech in which he talked of changing his major multiple times, procrastinating when he shouldn’t, but finally succeeding by overcoming the fear he had over being an undocumented immigrant. He learned, he said, to refuse to become a victim of his circumstances.
That’s just eight of our graduates, ready to take on the world. Watch out for the other 2,000-plus.