Two San Diego Mesa College students are among the top students enrolled in California’s 112 community colleges. Sarah Taha and Judith Jaime are two of the 30 students from 24 community colleges selected to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society’s 2015 All-California Academic First Team. They were honored at the PTK awards luncheon in Sacramento on April 7.
Both are immigrant students who excelled despite challenges and adversity, and both are in search of futures where they can help others.
“Sarah and Judith are perfect examples of the power of resilience, and a model of Mesa students who succeed despite adversity,” said Dr. Pamela Luster, president.
Sarah’s journey is a remarkable one. She grew up in Iraq, where the mere will to study and learn was considered a sinful act. At 14, she had already witnessed war, and studied under the fear of death, bombs and kidnappings.
Sarah was a senior in high school in November of 2006, when her father was shot and killed by terrorists as punishment for allowing her two brothers to work as interpreters with the U.S. forces. Her family was displaced; her education came to a halt.
She went into a deep depression. Eventually, the family found their way to America through a special immigration visa, and Sarah found her way to Mesa.
“My community college experience can best be described as riding a rescue ship to salvation,” says Sarah. “As a refugee looking for knowledge and self-confidence, Mesa College became a golden opportunity that provided me with low tuition cost and equal access to education regardless of my immigrant status, race, and native language.”
Sarah, now 26 and a resident of La Mesa, has GPA of 4.0 and plans to transfer to UC Berkeley to study business administration. She hopes to become a social entrepreneur, and already has ideas for an international enterprise that imports tea grown in Iraq and other Persian Gulf countries to help bolster those communities. Locally, she has volunteered to raise funds and awareness of the hungry and shelter-deprived.
Judith Jaime’s journey is also remarkable. The 37-year-old Linda Vista resident grew up the seventh of 11 children in small town of Tenancingo, Mexico, where she says “investing in women is considered a waste.” At 12, she was forced to quit school to work in the flower fields from dusk to dawn. Somehow, she eventually made it out. In 2013, divorced and raising two sons on her own, she enrolled in English and math classes at Mesa so she could help her sons with homework. Encouraged by her ESOL counselors and math faculty, she found support and discovered a passion.
“It was my professors and counselors who encouraged me, showed me that help was available, and convinced me I could do it,” says Judith. “Mesa has become my home and has provided me with the strong academic and financial support to stay in school…. Nothing is special about my story, but what makes it outstanding is the people who have supported me, believed in me, and have pushed me to dare.”
With a GPA of 4.0, Judith’s next goal of many is to transfer with an Associate’s degree in biology. She’s aiming for a career in biomedicine and the medical sciences.
The mission of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students, and to provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming.
The selection of the All-California first, second and third teams was based on scores nominees received from the Phi Theta Kappa judges at the national level. Colin Skinner of San Diego Miramar College was one of 31 additional students were named to the second team, and City College’s Mauricio Marquez Palencia was one of 31 named to the third team.
During the California awards ceremony a handful of students were named to the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa 2014 All-American Community College Scholarship Team. Last year, 12 Californians were selected and awarded generous scholarships. Among them was Mesa College’s Sarah Farmer.