From Challenges to Triumphs

Juan Cruz Parisi Sitjar

Juan Curz Parisi Sitjar faced adversity early in life. At five, his family moved to Spain after his father was nearly killed by gunfire at work in Argentina.

At 15, he earned money by tutoring when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and his father lost his job after a work injury. He did volunteer work to cover his soccer fees.

He again assimilated into a foreign culture when he moved to the U.S. to play soccer for GGC.

“Adaptation was complicated, but I am glad it happened here,” he said, noting GGC’s diversity. “That made things easier.” He worked as a resident assistant in Housing, and went from not understanding a word in class to achieving a 4.0 GPA in five of his nine semesters.

Overcoming an ACL injury, he became team captain his last three seasons, earning 1st Team All-Conference and All-American honors. He also volunteered as a youth soccer league coach. With a degree in exercise science and a minor in business administration, Parisi Sitjar plans to coach soccer, eventually at the college level.

“Even though my life hasn’t been easy, I am thankful for everything that happened to me,” he said. “Without those experiences, I would not be here – the first college graduate of my family!”

Kevin Becerra-Cordoza

At GGC, Kevin Becerra-Cardoza took every opportunity to learn and grow. He participated in the Student Government Association, Organization for Latin American Students, Volleyball Club, four national honor societies, study abroad and more.

“My involvement helped drive my passion for helping others, leadership and self-love as a Latino student,” he said. “Serving as a student ambassador and orientation leader allowed me to create meaningful impacts on incoming students and interact with local leaders and government officials.”

He received the Goizueta Aspirational Recruitment Scholarship and the Goizueta Success Retention Scholarship, enabling him to graduate debt-free.

“My educational journey was full of support from professors, wonderful experiences and a greater sense of self-identity,” he said. “As a first-generation student, graduating college was a dream most dear to myself and my family.”

Becerra-Cardoza earned a degree in political science and is pursuing a master’s in criminal justice at Kennesaw State University. He plans to become an FBI agent or a criminal law attorney.

Chenanniah Mac-Cephas

As a child in Nigeria, Chenanniah Mac-Cephas wanted to be one of the youngest lawyers to pass the bar exam, but when her family moved to the U.S., the extra work she’d done abroad to skip a grade didn’t count in the U.S. system. So, she took summer classes, started high school at 12, graduated at 16, and then enrolled at GGC.

After learning that being a patent law attorney required a science background, she chose to study information technology (IT). After only a few classes and encouragement from IT professors, she was hooked on it.

Mac-Cephas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in IT with a minor in film.

“Change is not your enemy or a villain,” she said. “You will end up right where you belong despite any uncertainty you may feel. It is okay for plans to change because on the other side of change is opportunity.”

Now a software developer, Mac-Cephas still plans to pursue a law degree and hopes to produce short films.

Floyee Gresham

Floyee Gresham was working as a paraprofessional when she heard about GGC’s paraprofessional track for its special education degree, including evening and Saturday classes.

“I said, ‘Sign me up!’ One must know how to meet the needs of students in all aspects of education, but in special education, you must know how to meet the needs of students of varying exceptionalities and, in some cases, multiple exceptionalities.”

Of course, Gresham had to become a student again.

“I was overwhelmed and sometimes felt out of place, but I always had the help and support of my professors, classmates, husband and family. That means more to me than anyone can imagine because college is hard – and being a full-time student, having a full-time job and being a parent makes things a little more difficult.”

Gresham also earned a minor in religious studies and an honor society membership.

“These past few years here at GGC have taught me so much about who I am as a person and an educator,” she said. “I am so glad I could complete that milestone at a college that I love. I am proof that anything is possible with dedication, support and perseverance.”

Sydney Pelaez

Sydney Pelaez of Tampa, Florida, chose to play softball for GGC because of its small classes.

“This was a school that I thought would push me to succeed and set me up for my future after college,” she said. “With small class sizes, I knew I would be forced to participate, and I would also know my professors and not just be a number.”

She immersed herself in campus life, lived in student housing, gained confidence in class and made many friends. She became a starter on the softball team, which finished fourth at the NAIA World Series. She became director of athletics for the Student Government Association and got involved with the Council for Student Athletes. In her last season, she was named to Academic All-Americans of the Year.

Pelaez earned a degree in political science, a double concentration in international relations and public administration and a minor in criminal justice/criminology. She is pursuing a master’s in political science, specializing in international security, at George Mason University.

“If you set difficult goals and work to achieve them, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”

Camille Covarrubias

Camille Covarrubias moved to Georgia after violence seeped into her hometown in Venezuela, where she was in nursing school. Unfortunately, her Venezuelan college credits were non-transferable. She would have to start over.

“That hit me like a ton of bricks, but I was determined,” she said. After struggling at a larger institution, she came to GGC. She stayed because of how welcoming it was.

“The diversity around campus made my experience a lot less intimidating and incredibly interesting.”

Unable to get into GGC’s nursing program, Covarrubias entered the new health science program, which offered a patient navigator concentration – a perfect fit.

“I naturally enjoy helping people. Patient navigation is advocating for patients and helping them decrease any burden that is preventing their wellness, which I strongly believe is very important in health care.”

Covarrubias is pursuing a master’s in nursing at Emory University and said she owes her success at GGC to her many caring professors.

“None of my plans happened as I planned them. However, I trusted God and followed his lead, and I could not be happier with how my life is turning out.”

Sam Kaplan

Sam Kaplan, 72, ran a cleaning service and a telemarketing company. He worked in customer service and even drove a taxi. But he never considered college, until ...

“I was riding down 316 and heard on the radio that GGC was offering a degree that involved script writing. My car seemed to have developed automatic steering and I pulled off on Collins Hill Road. Five minutes later, I was registering for the fall semester.”

His journey wasn’t easy. He hadn’t been to school in 50 years and had to relearn how to study. He was nervous about fitting in with students 50 years younger than him, but he found commonalities and strengthened bonds among both students and faculty.

When Kaplan walked across the commencement stage to receive his degree in cinema and media arts production, his biggest fan was in the audience – his 99-year-old mother.

“I’m the first of my seven siblings to earn a degree,” he said. “She’s excited, happy and proud.”

Nana Oppong

Nana Afia Serwaa Oppong chose Georgia Gwinnett because of its small class sizes, but she knew that building relationships with her classmates would be essential to her success as an international student from Ghana.

This was an easy task at GGC, starting in her very first class when the students all wanted to know about each other. In her second class, she found that she shared the same culture and background with her professor.

“I started to feel at home, even though I was 5,500 miles away from Ghana,” she said.

Oppong said she had some advice for her younger self.

“Do not let where you come from be a barrier to you, and do not be afraid to try new things. Do not be afraid to ask questions because it is through those answers you will find your way,” she said. ”Use your degree to define who you are, what you can achieve and the places you can go. Let your hunger and passion to achieve greater things drive you forward.”

Oppong earned a degree in criminal justice/criminology with a minor in information technology. She plans to work in forensics and further her education.

Alexis McMillian

As a young child in foster care, Alexis McMillian’s life changed when she was adopted. And while her mom worked, her grandmother watched her, always with a film playing.

“From animation to dramas to international films, she opened up that world for me,” said McMillian. By high school, she knew she wouldn’t always just watch movies – she would make them. She enrolled at GGC to major in cinema and media arts production just as the pandemic began, so she adapted to online learning. When restrictions lifted, she was eager to form connections on campus.

“Having previously stepped into a new family, I found attending GGC to be a familiar experience,” she said.

She worked three jobs, including resident assistant in Housing, while in school. She graduated at age 20 with a 4.0 GPA, and spoke on behalf of her class at spring commencement.

“No writer gets to produce their first script,” McMillian told her class. “Rewrites are inevitable. No matter where you go, never forget that you have the power to rewrite your story – as many times as it takes – for you to fulfill all of your hopes and dreams.”

McMillian plans to work in digital media and marketing and pursue a graduate degree.