Remember to put your own text here (same as alt text)Cal Poly Pomona recognizes outstanding student achievement through the President’s Council Scholars program. Considered the most prestigious scholarship series at the university, President's Council Scholarships have been awarded to 20 undergraduate and four graduate students, who represent each of the academic colleges.
Founded in 1983, the program awards a select group of students each year based on academic and co-curricular excellence rather than need. Recipients must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and demonstrate significant contributions to the community during their university years. Each of the endowed scholarships is named by its benefactor and provides a $2,500 award for the recipient.
The President’s Council is a group of business and community leaders who excel in their professional fields and demonstrate a record of public service. For the past 23 years, the council has played an active role in improving educational, cultural and social life at the university. The council serves as the major support group for the president and brings university concerns to the attention of civic, government, and business leaders throughout the region and the state.
The 24 recipients of the 2007 President’s Council Scholarships were recognized and their awards conferred in a ceremony held on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at Kellogg West.
A PDF version of the program is provided here: President's Council Scholars Conferral Program (PDF, 1mb; Download Free Adobe Acrobat Reader )
The 2007 President’s Council Scholars are:
Terra Mack anticipates graduating in winter 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in apparel merchandise & management. After obtaining a master’s in business administration, she would ultimately like to start a career in the retail industry as a fashion merchandiser. Terra has received numerous awards for her academic excellence and is consistently on the dean’s academic honor roll. She is involved in the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, serving as the public relations chair responsible for fundraising events as well as coordinating activities with other sororities and fraternities. She is also involved in the Apparel Merchandise and Management Association, which helps promote the program as well as participate in off-campus activities such as the MAGIC fashion show in Las Vegas. Terra also volunteers and participates in various community service activities such as the Full Circle Outreach Christian Rehabilitation Center in Norco, the Los Alisos Intermediate School during Drug Free Week and the Race for the Cure in Pasadena.
With a bachelor’s degree in accounting with an emphasis on taxation accounting, Laura Wood expects to graduate in June 2008. After taking the CPA exam next summer, she plans to spend time traveling in Europe. In the long term, she would like to obtain a master’s in business administration then pursue a doctoral degree. Within 10 years, Laura expects to own her own tax accounting firm with an emphasis on assisting individuals and governments from third-world countries. As a missionary and financial advisor, she seeks to improve the lives of people in countries less fortunate. Laura is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and has been awarded many scholastic awards and scholarships. Her campus and church activities include helping with the AIDS Walk L.A., volunteering as a statistics tutor at Pasadena City College, as well as counseling teens at Camp Cedar Falls.
Currently pursuing a double major in international business and marketing, Terrina Kagoo expects to graduate in June 2008 from the College of Business Administration. She speaks three languages fluently — German, English and Tamil — but would like to improve her Spanish and French as well as learn Chinese and Arabic. Learning so many languages will certainly serve Terrina well as she is eager to work for a multinational company. After some work experience, she plans to continue her education with a master’s degree in business administration. As a Kellogg University Honors Scholar, she has participated with events such as International Education Week and the annual Showcase of Excellence. The English & Foreign Languages Department recruited Terrina to serve as a volunteer tutor to assist students struggling with in German. When she returns to India for the holidays, Terrina participates with a team of volunteers who serve meals at a local orphanage and home for the elderly.
Alexa Lowry has gained a tremendous interest in development and fundraising efforts as a student assistant for the University Advancement Division. In fact, upon graduation next June with a degree in Finance, Real Estate & Law, Alexa hopes to work as a development associate at the university. To help her advance her fundraising skills another notch, she hopes to obtain a master’s in business administration. Alexa has received numerous scholastic awards and scholarships and has been on the Dean’s honor roll several times. She is a member of the Golden Key Honour Society and the Finance, Real Estate & Law Honor Society, and is involved with the Student Alumni Association, Golden Key Honour Society and Students in Free Enterprise. For the past two years, she has been the event chair for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event held on campus, which raised more than $30,000 last year. Alexa also participates in a variety of community service projects with her church.
While working full-time on campus in the ReEntry and Women’s Resource Center, Tomi Sena plans to graduate with a degree in liberal studies in June 2009. She will continue her education at Cal Poly Pomona to earn a master’s of special education degree along with a teaching credential. Tomi would like intern at a school district, teaching children with special needs, and eventually becoming a special education teacher. Her knowledge of American Sign Language will enable her to communicate and teach students with speech difficulties. Tomi has been acknowledged for her academic achievements through various scholarship awards and has consistently been recognized on the dean’s honor roll for several years. As a single parent of a high school student, Tomi juggles full-time work and school schedules. Despite the hectic schedule, she manages to set aside time to teach sign language to a severely autistic and deaf young man. Volunteering at Vernon Middle School has given her an opportunity to provide tutoring assistance to students with minor learning disabilities.
In June 2008, Alan Duran will earn two bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering. He is interested in becoming a lead engineer in the biomedical engineering field. Alan hopes one day to obtain a master’s degree and ultimately a doctoral degree. He is an active member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential program as well as the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering (SHSE). Currently, he is the fundraising chair for SHSE and was successful in tripling contribution revenue from the previous year; he is also this year’s regional leadership development conference representative. As a volunteer since high school for the Student Tutoring and Mentoring program through the San Gabriel Valley School District, Alan has tutored many elementary and middle school students in all academic areas. He also volunteers with the Advancing Careers in Education outreach program to attract high school students to engineering careers.
Nhatran Do arrived in the United States almost five years ago from Vietnam and has made a commitment to working harder than other students by overcoming language differences. She will be the first in her family to receive a college degree. As a transfer student, she was consistently recognized on the president’s and dean’s honor rolls at Orange Coast Community College. In her first year at Cal Poly Pomona, she was acknowledged on the president’s and Equal Opportunity Program honors lists. A civil engineering major, Nhatran intends to graduate in summer 2008 and pursue a career with a small construction engineering firm. Eventually, she hopes to obtain her engineering license, travel and work in developing countries, ultimately gain employment with Cal Trans. As a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, she enjoys interacting with fellow students and participating in industry events. She also tutors children in her temple in math and the Vietnamese culture. She enjoys playing badminton and is interested in starting a club on campus.
Jesse Ornelas plans to graduate in June 2008 with a degree in electrical and computer engineering. Seeking employment in engineering design, he hopes to ultimately work in the micro chip technology field, then continue his education by obtaining a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He strives for academic achievement, having been on the dean’s honor roll every quarter for the past two years, and is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Jesse participates with campus events such as the Engineering High Tech Job Fair and has assisted with events for the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering, as well as serving as a facilitator for the Maximizing Engineering Potential program. He also serves his fellow students by providing tutoring in math, physics, and statistics. During high school football season, Jesse and his stepfather volunteer at Ontario Christian High School where Jesse attended. The Ornelas family brings the sound equipment and provides the microphones, sound and music for home football games.
Jonathan Ibera moved from the Philippines to California to join his family. He was ranked number one out of 191 graduating students from Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila and graduated magna cum laude. Jonathan received several prestigious scholarships, awards, and was successful in winning many national engineering, math and science contests. Before starting his graduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, Jonathan was employed in the Philippines as a product development engineer at Intel Technology, Inc. He has experience in electronics and communications design, electrical instrumentation, design validation and testing hardware design. Jonathan was instrumental in launching a “Math Research Team” for his high school, which was designed to improve the math skills of the students to prepare them for collegelevel courses. He also pioneered at his alma mater the “Instrumentation and Robotics Research Team” developed to engage students in creating imaginative engineering projects. After graduating in the fall of 2008, Jonathan hopes to become a successful entrepreneur by starting his own engineering design firm.
Marco Covarrubias is enrolled in the master’s program in communications engineering. With an associate degree in computer science from Santa Monica College and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from UCLA, Marco is undoubtedly committed to educational excellence and high academic standards. After graduation in June 2008, he intends pursue a master’s in business administration, then to start his own technology company. As a member of Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, and several professional associations including the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering and IEEE, Marco is engaged in organizing and attending club activities, industry shows, leadership workshops and fundraising events. As a first generation student from Mexico, he is keenly aware of his social responsibility to younger Hispanic students. Marco is active in recruiting high school students to the engineering field and enjoys providing guidance in navigating the college process. He also provides math and science tutoring at a local library. Through his community church, he helps organize holiday dinners for low income families.
Kyle Krause is majoring in mechanical engineering and plans to graduate in June 2009. Over the past few summers, Kyle has gained some hands-on experience working for Halliburton Energy Services as an intern in the oilfield cementing and hydraulic fracturing departments. He is interested in pursuing a career in the energy or manufacturing business fields and plans to own a manufacturing firm of his own. Not only has Kyle chosen a demanding major, but he is also a studentathlete who plays on the Men’s Basketball Team, juggling his academic and athletic obligations with honor. He is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and has received various scholastic and athletic scholarships. He is an active student on campus and has volunteered at many campus-wide events. As an active member of the Future Farmers of America organization, Kyle was involved in many community activities with the Salvation Army, highway cleaning projects and canned food drives. Last year, he traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, where he worked with a local community center that served disadvantaged residents by providing healthcare, education, food, and Bible study lessons.
A transfer student from Long Beach City College, Hector Solis will be graduating in June 2008 with a degree in urban and regional planning. After graduation, Hector hopes to seek employment with a local city government and desires to develop smart growth communities focused on affordable housing for low income families. He also plans to obtain a master’s degree. As a community college student, Hector received several awards for outstanding academic achievement as well has for community service. He has continued to excel at Cal Poly Pomona by receiving recognition on the President’s honor roll, dean’s honor roll as well as several awards in his field of study. Hector is a member of the Kellogg University Honors program, Golden Key International Honour Society and Southern California Planning Congress. He is also the current president of the American Planning Student Association. In his community, Hector is involved in clean-up projects at Seal Beach and Long Beach; food distribution for the Christ Chapel Food Bank in Long Beach; and a volunteer internship with the City of Los Angeles Planning Department.
With a double major in philosophy and mathematics, Jose Ortiz expects to graduate in spring 2008. He plans to attend law school and is interested in environmental law and human rights advocacy. His future includes obtaining a doctoral degree in philosophy with a long- term goal of becoming a law school professor. Jose has been successful in applying and being selected to two very competitive and prestigious programs. He will represent the university in the Law Fellows Outreach program at UCLA School of Law, which is aimed at mentoring students from divergent backgrounds to apply and attend law school. He was also selected for a 10-week judicial internship with the Los Angeles Superior Court during the upcoming winter quarter. Academic achievements include recognition on the dean’s honor roll for the College of Science; member of the Golden Key International Honour Society; Phi Sigma Tau (philosophy honors society); Mu Alpha Theta (mathematics honor society); and Phi Theta Kappa.
Zainab Mustapha is a graduate student in the master’s program majoring in clinical psychology. She ultimately hopes to seek a doctorate degree in clinical counseling on her way to helping couples as well as hospice patients dealing with end-of-life issues. As a registered nurse working at the coronary intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center, Zainab sees families struggling with pain and loss on a daily basis. Her experience has inspired her to continue her education to help patients struggling with difficult situations. In 1985, she graduated with honors from nursing school in Ghana and graduated cum laude last June with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In addition to her school work, the working mother remarkably finds time to volunteer in the community: tutoring K-12 students through the university’s Ennis Cosby Friendmobile; fundraising for the American Heart Association’s Los Angeles 5K Walk; participating in the Revlon Cancer Walk; as well as teaching children first aid skills every summer at the Catalina Island Camps.
As a political science major, Claudia Cervantes will graduate in June 2008 and plans to obtain a bilingual teaching credential on her way to becoming a social sciences teacher at the high school level. With English as her second language, Claudia is inspired to help other immigrant students overcome language barriers and succeed in this country. Eventually, she aspires to attend law school and specialize in immigration law. Claudia has received various academic achievement awards and is very active in honor societies such as Alpha Gamma Sigma, Phi Theta Kappa, and the Golden Key International Honour Society. She attends Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where she volunteers with fundraising events, food drives, and youth programs. She also tutors high school students and encourages them to pursue higher education.
Currently enrolled in the master’s program in clinical psychology, Darunee Wongstaponpat will graduate in June 2008. With a career goal of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist, she envisions working with community centers and educational institutions to provide free premarital and couples workshops in low-income communities. While obtaining her undergraduate degree in business from Cal State Fullerton, her academic achievements include participating in the research-based McNair Scholars Program in 2004 as well as receiving the prestigious President’s Leadership Award. Through her church activities, Darunee established a community service group that contributes nearly 500 community service hours in project ranging from feeding the homeless, sorting food at the L.A. Regional Food Bank, beach clean-ups to spending time with senior citizens. She would like to add a fundraising component to the group’s activities to provide support for children’s organizations such as UNICEF and World Vision.
Once kinesiology major Gwendolyne Mendoza graduates in June 2008, she plans to attend the University of Southern California with the goal of attaining a doctorate in physical therapy. Gwendolyne aspires to become a pediatric physical therapist to help children in need of rehabilitation. At Chaffey Community College, she received various academic achievement awards, was recognized on the dean’s honor roll, and received a transfer student scholarship. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society at Cal Poly Pomona and was also recognized on the dean’s honor roll. Gwendolyne is a volunteer at the university’s Children’s Center where she has an opportunity to read to the children as well as promote physical activity. She has had the opportunity to network with other students and recruit new students in the Kinesiology Health Promotion Club. She volunteers at Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center, where she assists therapists who are helping patients improve their daily physical functions. She also serves as a translator for Spanish- speaking patients.
Jennifer Woo is majoring in communication and plans to graduate in June 2009 and ultimately receive a master’s degree in business administration. She would like to work in the marketing or entertainment industries with an emphasis on digital media. Jennifer is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society, Golden Key International Honour Society and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Involved with one of the university’s most beloved traditions, the Cal Poly Rose Float program, Jennifer has served in several key leadership positions, including currently serving as president of the Rose Float Club. She has participated on annual planning committees to include the Lunar New Year Planning Committee and the Asia & the Pacific Islanders Heritage Month Planning Committee. Jennifer helped coordinate a community service-learning project between the Diamond Bar Chinese School and Cal Poly Pomona to provide tutoring sessions to Chinese speaking students. She interned for Adelphia Communications where she had the opportunity to film community sporting events for a local cable show.
Recently admitted to the McNair Scholars Program, which mentors and supports under-represented students and prepares them for success in postgraduate studies, Victor Fierro has been successful in achieving his academic goals at Cal Poly Pomona. In June 2008, Victor will graduate with a degree in gender, ethnicity and multicultural studies. Because of the inspiration and support he received from his professors at Cal Poly Pomona, he would like to have that kind of impact on his students one day. Therefore, he will enroll in a graduate program with the eventual goal of becoming a college professor. He is very involved with club outreach activities that include tutoring and mentoring local K-12 schoolchildren, as well as bringing high school students from low-income areas to campus to experience the university. Victor tutors students in English, math and science at the local Boys and Girls Club. He also volunteers at the Pomona Day Labor Center where he provides tutoring in English, basic computer and communication skills.
A transfer student from Pasadena City College, Nicole Goodwin will graduate in June 2008 with a degree in theater. Her passion is in theater design and ultimately sees herself becoming a film designer. She plans to attend graduate school for scenic and costume design. For the two past years, Nicole has worked every quarter in the Cal Poly Pomona theater department in various roles from set designer, assistant stage manager, props designer, several crew positions, to costume designer. Working on productions at Cal Poly Pomona and Mt. San Antonio College has provided Nicole with invaluable hands-on experience. This summer, she was excited to attend the Prague Quadrennial, a show featuring the top theater designers in the world. Nicole has been acknowledged on the dean’s honor roll every quarter for the past two years. Other campus activities include serving as vice president for Alpha Psi Omega.
Lisa Morales plans to graduate in June 2008 with a degree in mathematics from the College of Science. As a Kellogg University Honors Scholar, she is consistently recognized on the mathematics department honor roll and was also listed on the President’s honor roll in 2005-06. Based on encouragement she has received from her professors at Cal Poly Pomona, Lisa intends to further her education toward a doctoral degree and become a college professor. She has attended several mathematics conferences, workshops and colloquiums, winning an impressive poster session award for research she conducted last summer. Lisa has participated in various Honors College events such as the Showcase of Excellence and freshmen orientation sessions. She served as a volunteer for the Science Olympiad last winter and as well as the Math Counts Competition for junior high students this summer. Twice a week, she provides calculus tutoring at the all-female high school she attended in Pomona. Lisa takes the opportunity to encourage these young women to consider a college education as well as promoting math and science majors.
As soon as Chris Karim graduates in June 2008 with a degree in hospitality management, he hopes to gain work experience in the event planning and restaurant segments of the hospitality industry. Ultimately, Chris aspires to open a fine dining establishment of his own. He has received several scholarships as well as an academic achievement award. As an elected senator in student government, Chris represents the student body for the Collins School and is a voting member of the Intercollegiate Athletics Board. A new club was chartered at the Collins School, Association of Student Event Planners, where Chris has been appointed as the director of social activities. He also participates on the Club Managers Association of America and served on the conference planning committee. The annual Collins School Harvest Auction event relies heavily on student participation, and Chris has volunteered to work at this event for the past three years. Aside from Collins School activities, he is very involved with his church community where he serves as a youth group leader.
With an undergraduate degree in fine arts from the State University of New York and a master of fine arts from UCLA, Gordon Haines will add a master’s degree in landscape architecture to his resume when he graduates in June 2009. Gordon aspires to begin his career at a landscape architecture firm that connects architecture, design and art fields. Ultimately, he would like to become a teacher of landscape architecture with an emphasis on improving open space and recreational opportunities. Of particular interest to Gordon are deserted industrial areas around Southern California known as “brownfields.” Since these sites contain on-site contaminants and present design challenges, Gordon is very interested in preserving and improving them. Along with fellow landscape architecture students, they are participating in the Corazon home building project in Baja California where lowcost building materials will be used to provide sustainable housing. Gordon also serves on the university’s Climate Commitment Task Force.
After graduating with a degree in biology in June 2008, Tiffany Leung plans to pursue her childhood dream of attending medical school with the ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. She currently volunteers at Citrus Valley Medical Center and coordinates volunteers for the clinical care extender program. She also provides hand-on patient care and interacts with doctors and nurses on a weekly basis. Tiffany has consistently been recognized on the President’s honor roll and the dean’s honor roll, has been a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, and has received a community service learning achievement award for her work with the BioTrek program. As a team leader for the BioTrek learning facility, she enjoys promoting environmental awareness to future science majors. She also works in the chemistry department as a faculty assistant/teaching associate assisting faculty with research projects as well as tutoring fellow students. Tiffany volunteers at the Westhoff Elementary School with annual events such as their Family Fun Night and Culture Fair.
