Leslie Gates

Presented by: Natasha Mancuso

Hello, I nominate my student, Leslie Gates, for the BSS Excellence Award. Leslie took three marketing courses from me this year and, upon completion of the last course this Spring Quarter, she will be one of the first students to receive the Certificate in Digital Marketing at Foothill College. In the course of the year, I got to know Leslie as an outstanding student. Her commitment to her studies is only surpassed by her passion for understanding the material deeply and authentically. Leslie earned an A in each class while working full-time as a legal secretary and raising three sons as a single mother. Meeting Leslie was a highlight of my year. I often meet students that shine in one assignment or another, but it is the sustained performance, the unwavering commitment and a deep resolve to succeed, that makes Leslie stand out among her peers.

Kristina Starr

Presented by: Sara Seyedin

Both Ngoc & Kristina are motivated and diligent students with great leadership capabilities. I observed them during the Zoom meetings. They have excellent interpersonal skills and exert great professionalism toward their classmates and faculty. They do not feel entitled and are very focused and committed to succeed in the course.

Pavel Savgira

Presented by: Brian Evans

Pavel aced Political Economy and is in the process of acing Global Economics. Like Oleksandra, I am choosing Pavel not so much for mastery of the content – which is complete – but for the positive impact on classmates. For a quick example, there was a student with a learning disability that clearly had difficulty presenting some material. When I went to view the discussion posts – which were not mandatory – Pavel had a made a point to praise the student for their contribution. So this is beyond just economics, this is to acknowledge Pavel’s humanity. His ability to see and support others in their academic journey. Thank you Pavel.

Felicia Herron

Presented by: Amber Wittner

Felicia is a driven and inquisitive student. As a Mac user and current Apple employee, she has handled using GIS software via a Foothill College virtual machine for most of her GIST coursework. Troubleshooting and learning the methods of data management prove challenging for most and Felicia has mastered the art of asking technical questions. Her personable demeanor and participation in virtual office hours encouraged others to review material and become more interactive in class sessions. With a B.S. in Environmental Science from Sonoma State University, Felicia plans to transition to a more environmental land-based GIS Career with her GIST certificate! We wish you the best and welcome to the #GeoGeek club!

Sarah Mercado

Presented by: K. Allison Meezan

GIS Careers and Professionalism Award for GIS Excellence: Sarah Mercado is a student in the GIST Certificate program and took several classes from me. They are detail oriented and creates visually stunning maps. In their final project in GIST 12, Sarah analyzed data to from Strong Workforce High School/Community College partnerships to find schools in the Bay Area that would be best to forge new partnerships. Sam has been instrumental in building the GIST Student club this year and has been a guiding force in the club’s entry to the Research and Service Leadership symposium. I look forward to seeing the amazing things that Sarah Mercado accomplishes in the future!

Jodi Stewart

Presented by: Dr. Alexis Aguilar

After a long absence, Jodi decided to return to college. She felt some insecurity since returning to school as an adult “can be scary” However, at Foothill she found instructors who were very accessible and responsive. She took a Self-Assessment class that helped narrow down her interests based on her passions and skills, leading her to decide to get her degree in GIST. In my Mapping and Spatial Reasoning class she was always very diligent and actively engaged. She met with me regularly to make sure she was doing her best possible work. Her final project was a carefully researched and attractive series of online maps describing stream pollution in San Mateo county. She loves that the Foothill GIST program is fully online giving her the flexibility she needs to successfully complete her degree. She wishes to combine her previous education in Environmental Studies with GIS to remain in the environmental field. Jodi wants to use the training she’s receiving at Foothill to help her find creative solutions to problems currently faced by the earth’s natural systems.

Brian De La Cruz-Munoz

Presented by: Dr. Falk Cammin

Brian De La Cruz-Munoz is a serious scholar, whose curiosity and engagement leads him to excel. Brian explores beyond the obvious and finds connections that open up new and unexpected ways to think about the course material. Brian deserves this recognition because he enriches the learning experience of his fellow students.

Ari Friedman

Presented by: Dr. Mona Rawal

Ari is an outstanding student with a great passion for Philosophy. His brilliance in Philosophical debates, discussions and essays stands out very distinctly from his assignments. Ari is one student that makes a Philosophy professor love their job. Ari's contribution to class discussions is noteworthy. Ari will prove to make the best of the best with his aptitude for philosophy , wherever he takes it to the next level. I wish him good luck, he is a student who brings honor to the philosophy department.

Sam Phatey

Presented by: Kerri Ryer

Sam Phatey is a change maker. Despite his many struggles, his passion for education and his community have helped him overcome all obstacles. As Sam says, “Education is the surest way to change not just ones life, but that of others who you come across, the people in your community, and those in your nation.”

A refugee from Gambia, Mr. Phatey has dedicated his academic and professional life to improving the lives of other refugees, and he has already made a significant impact. He is a board member at Voice for Refugee Action Fund alongside former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, who was an architect of the U.S. Refugee Bill. Along with his work with the Refugee Congress, Mr. Phatey has been engaging in direct lobbying for refugees and dreamers at the Capitol since 2013.

His work in both Introduction to American Politics and International Relations demonstrated a commitment to public service that is informed by sound scholarship. In Intro to AP he examined the relationship between media reporting on refugees and presidential elections using a mixed methods approach. Specifically, his work demonstrated the importance of the media differentiating between refugee resettlement and immigration. In IR, he wrote a compelling policy brief that urged the United States to improve diplomatic relations with Africa and focus its efforts on economic development.

Mr. Phatey is clearly on a trajectory to becoming one of the world’s best diplomats. His passion for economic diplomacy and aspirations to negotiate fair trade for developing countries makes me hopeful for our future. I cannot wait to see what he accomplishes next in the global context and for Africa.

Thyra Cobbs

Presented by: Ben Stefonik

With the goal of obtaining a PhD in Psychology or Ethnic Studies, Thyra would like to teach and conduct research as a college professor. Already, Thyra is a visionary scholar who is deeply committed to advocacy and justice. She is particularly passionate about uplifting the Black community and promoting the beauty, the history, and the intellectual richness of African cultures. Thyra has the skill set to change hearts and to open minds: she’s smart, funny, compassionate, bold, and importantly, she has the courage to speak truth to power. As we know, learning in the classroom is a two-way street, and Thyra is one of those students who has taught me a lot. I am better for knowing her. And I have no doubt that the world will benefit from her contributions. Thyra will be attending UCLA fall 2021 and I’m incredibly proud of her as a scholar and a friend.

Eleni Stogianni

Presented by: Dr. Eta Lin

It’s been a pleasure having Eleni Stogianni serve as an embedded tutor in my Research Methods and Statistics classes. These classes have a reputation of being challenging and Eleni is able to put the students at ease; she is incredibly patient, friendly, intelligent, kind, and empathic. Eleni exudes positive energy and it is infectious. My students are appreciative of her support, patience, knowledge, and her willingness to go the extra mile in helping them. She has helped me immensely in my hybrid classes, especially in navigating the technological challenges! In addition, Eleni represents Foothill College as our Psi Beta national honor society representative at regional meetings. Eleni also conducted an ambitious research project focused on the impact of mindfulness and self-compassion on mental health during the pandemic. She presented her research poster at the Western Psychological Association conference, Central Florida Psychology Summit, Research & Service Symposium, and the American Psychological Association conference. Eleni serves as a research assistant on three different projects at the Social Neuroscience laboratory and on media & personality both at Stanford University and at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF. In her “spare time,” she volunteers at the Suicide and Crisis Center in San Jose. She is graduating in June and she plans to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology. I am going to miss her enthusiastic presence in my classes, our weekly thoughtful chats about research, and her warmth and optimistic nature!

Sasha Volos

Presented by: Ben Stefonik

Deep thinker. These are the first words that leap to mind when describing Sasha. Sasha delights in the messy, nuanced, non-linear nature of the intellectual work we call scholarship. During summer 2020, Sasha approached me (before she was even officially a Foothill student!) with three well-developed research proposals for the Research and Service Leadership Symposium. Throughout the year, we collaborated as she developed her project on the connections between evolution, neuroscience, and social media. I have been impressed with the depth of thought and creativity Sasha brings to her work. She has a knack for framing topics in interesting and innovative ways, and she pairs this attribute with a passion for craftsmanship. Phoning it in is not in her vocabulary – she continually strives for excellence in all she does. Sasha has great potential within academics and beyond and it is my honor to nominate her for this award.

Alex Luna

2021 Intern of the Year - Transferring to Stanford

Supervisor – Bethany Nichols, PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology, under Dr. Michelle Jackson Bethany said: “As my research assistant, Alex has shown an unparalleled ability to engage with others with deep empathy, and he has shown a voracious appetite to develop new skills and take advantage of opportunities. Alex works alongside me to conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with survivors of sexual assault. These interviews are challenging, and they take an immense amount of empathy and focus. During these interviews, I have watched Alex deeply listen and gently question individuals with traumatic experiences of sexual assault, histories of substance addiction, or involvement with human trafficking and organized crime. During these interviews, Alex shows a deep curiosity to understand people’s lives. Alex has mastered the ability to question, challenge, and think alongside others until these stories and opinions are brought into the light. Alex has also shown a voracious hunger for new skills and opportunities during our research project. At every research meeting, Alex continues to amaze me. He goes above and beyond in every research task I give him. I truly consider him as an intellectual collaborator more so than a research intern."

Iman Haq

Intern of the Year Finalist - Transferring to UCLA

Supervisor – Monique Harrison, PhD Candidate, Sociology of Education, Graduate School of Education, under Dr. Mitchell Stevens Monique said: I would like to nominate Iman Haq as intern of the year. She has spent the year contributing to our lab in multiple ways - transcribing interviews, coding transcripts, and helping with the logistics of interviews throughout the year. She has gone above and beyond and now stepped into a leadership role where she is designing and leading a training for the incoming interns this summer on coding transcripts based on her experience as an intern (and her expertise as a coder). She is a delight to work with and has made our research better! She is always reliable, thoughtful, and an excellent team member.

Priya Vasu

Priya Vasu exudes service leadership! As the student Trustee for Foothill College Ms. Vasu spent countless hours advocating for students both within our district and across the state. At the state level, Ms. Vasu has played a key role in advocating for the Student Trustee Full Rights Initiative as an active member of the student trustee caucus of the Student Senate of California Community Colleges. Over the past year, she held a series of student needs town halls where she brought the community together to discuss and remedy a variety of issues including, but not limited too, COVID and policing.

Ms. Vasu’s contributions to our community are endless. As a founding member of CORE, Ms. Vasu led a workshop on opening day with over 500 faculty, staff, and admin in attendance. At the workshop she advocated for a more equitable learning environment and actively demonstrated what service leadership looks like. Ms. Vasu was also an author of the Student Demand Letter, a document that has already begun to change our college community for the better. During her time as a Faculty Association Political Action Committee intern Ms. Vasu successfully advocated for a district wide housing Taskforce where those who are most likely to be served have a seat at the decision-making table. It should come as no surprise, that Ms. Vasu was selected for the NCORE student scholar program.

Not only is Ms. Vasu a remarkable student leader, as a triple major in sociology, social justice studies, and the humanities, she has emerged as a leading scholar. Using Foothill as a case study, she conducted original research on shared governance, and presented it at the Research and Service Leadership Symposium. She has plans to present this research at NCORE as well. Did I mention Ms. Vasu is also involved in sociology of education research at Stanford? She holds an internship in the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences program at Stanford and is currently working as a research assistant for a graduate student studying college identify formation.

For all of her contributions to our community, it is with great pleasure that I submit this nomination of Ms. Vasu to be recognized as the Service Leadership Award winner this year.