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| For Immediate Release | Contact: Frances Squire |
| May 15 , 2009 | Phone: (559) 934-2134 |
WHCL President Don Warkentin presents President's Award to Claudia Walthing.
WHCL President’s Award goes to Claudia Walthing
Claudia Walthing gives new meaning to the term “successful re-entry college student.”
Honored last week with West Hills College Lemoore’s highest student award, the President’s Award, she has amazed all with her commitment to her classes, the college and the community, according to WHCL President Don Warkentin.
When Claudia started classes at WHCL in the spring of 2002, she was recovering from surgery that removed one-fourth of her brain. Severe epileptic seizures that had started when she was a child and gotten progressively worse made the extreme surgery necessary. She had the surgery in May of 2001 and has been seizure free since.
She was also the single mother of a young son, Jesus, who is now 17 and a junior at Lemoore High School.
During her time at West Hills, she has served as Associated Student Government president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary.
Claudia took up marathon running as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training and completed the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon last June and is planning to run in it again next month She also joined the WHCL cross country team this year and ran in the Southern California championships.
Involved in Students in Free Enterprise, Claudia received a Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow Award at the Honors Brunch last week.
And on top of everything else, she finds time to volunteer in the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) lab over 32 hours a week.
When asked what advise she would have for other re-entry students, Claudia said, “There is no limit if you want to go forward and follow your dreams. Just do the best at everything you do.”
There were many other awards and scholarships given to over 100 students during the event: Academic Senate Awards went to Andres Fox, George Muoz, Armando Calderon, Kelly Cortez, Ulices Gonzales, Travis Kihnke, Liliana Ochoa, Mathew Verhage, Kimberley Burk, Dionicia Guzman, Dian Sprague, Alejandra Carlos, Denise Westlund, Kimberly Marktins, Tiffany Martins, Christina Thissen and Tiffany Westover in the areas of administration of justice, arts and letters, career technical education, child development, counseling, health and wellness and social science.
T.E.A.M Teach Future Teacher Awards went to Elizabeth Cruz and Liliana Ochoa.
Dean’s Awards-Student Services went to Eva McPherson, Laura Minero and Amanda Willis.
Dean’s Award-Educational Services-Luis Lewis.
Jeff Klawitter received the Service Learning Award.
Disabled Students Program and Services, Student of the Year, Mathew Kitts.
EOPS, Student of the Year, Kelly Cortez.
CARE, Student of the Year, Elizabeth Marmolejo.
CalWORKS, Students of the Year, Rejeana Clar, and Diana Garcia.
C.A.M.P. Director’s Award, Mariana Martinez.
C.A.M.P. Golden Eagle Award, Cintya Dominguez.
C.A.M.P. Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, Maricsa Davalos.
Nursing Program Academic Achievement, Kelly Pleger.
Nursing Program Leadership Award, Sara Mcguigan.
TRiO Achiever Awards went to Jose Mendoza, Maria Mosqueda, Breida Puentes and Ruben Tinajero.
Outstanding Academic Achievement, Chasety Reynolds.
TRiO Director’s Award, Maria Hernandez.
TRiO Golden Eagle Award, Clemente Mata.
Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow Award, Jacqueline Davis and Claudia Walthing.
Tutor Recognition Awards-Phylicia Attles, Brian Bearden, Kimberley Burke, Brandi Ellis, Uriel Gutierrez, Katherine Hardin, Yao Hevi, Kathy Jordan, Saida Kent, Alisha Mae Lopez, Michael Navarro, Jacob Rayburn, Emily Roosevelt, Brian Tucker and Jacob Miles Villa.
Veteran’s Academic Awards went to Robert Cisnero, Jeff Klawitter and Cristina Rico.
Active Duty Academic Awards-Shawn Bland, John Butler, Alejandra Carlos, Julian Castilleja, Shaun Eggleston, Rachel Mangune, Reyzul Martinez-Aguirre, Catrina Mueller-Leonhard, Jose Murillo, Jon Rockey and Robert Thurlow.
Student Government Association awarded Jacqueline Depue with the SGA President Award.
President’s Scholars included Cassondra Areias, Heather Ashcroft, Daniel Augusto, Kaitlyn Brazil, Shaundalin Brown, Ariana Caballero, Evan Calhoun, Jennifer Dean, Alyssa DeMatto, Corey Dihel, Sarah James, Jenna Lemos, Ana Llamas, Alma Martinez, Malissa Mendes, Laura Minero, Jordan Myers, Liliana Ochoa, Janette Ospital, Jenna Overmyer, Janaye Pierce, Amber Purdy, Erika Ramos, Jacob Rayburn, Lilia Reyna, Maria Roa, Emily Roosevelt, Emmeline Rubio, Monica Ruiz, Colby Semas, Courtney Vigil, Mathew Warren and Marrissabeth Yost.
Engineering Scholars included Kathleen Beard, Taylor Booth, Rafael Carmona, Stephen Chism, Jeffrey Gilkey, Garrett Gudgel, Tyler West and Ian Williams.
A number of memorial scholarships were given including Alda Diniz Memorial-Anthony Alves; Marlon R. Hall Jr. Memorial Scholarship-Michael Ellis; Stephanie Lyles Memorial-Jonathan Lopez; Steve Blanco Jr. Memorial Scholarship; Theresa Anne Mendes Memorial Scholarship; Vernice E. and Ruth I. Thomsen Memorial-Leticia Cervantes, Cristina Rojas and Nora Saleh.
Other scholarship awarded included Addington Partnership-Linda Balcazar; Bernard Osher Foundation-Angel Isidoro, Pamela Kopenhefer, Jason Lozano, Maria Reynosa and Elizabeth Viana; Chevron-Justin Renner; Chevron Energy for Learning Scholarship-Beatrice Aguayo, Timothy Binford, Justin Daluz, Wilnay Franklin and Thomas Johnson; Community Education Scholarship-Kimberley Burk and Jose Cardenas; California School Employees Association Scholarship-Ryan Simas; Gary Scherer Scholarship-Thomas Clelland; Kay & Gene Yenger Endowed Scholarship-Colten Ivans; Nick and Edna Ivans Scholarship-Amy Teeters; Norine Oliver Scholarship-Rejeana Clark; Padilla Family Scholarship-Steven Fulleylove; Robert & Collete Keller Scholarship-Jaime Ramirez; Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow Scholarship-Patricia Love; WHCL Culinary & Arts Scholarship-Francisco Carrillo; WHCL Faculty Association-Stacie Young; West Hills Community College Foundation Book Voucher Scholarship for WHCL/NAS-Rebekah Lawrence.
West Hills Community College Foundation Scholarships were awarded to Kelly Allen, Daniel Baker, Lisa Coplin, Denita Davis, Maria Enrique, Vanessa Johns, Mlyeisha Johnson, Trevor Leal, Sarah Madrid, Clemente Mata, Ana Ordaz, Samantha Pepin, Kendy Rios, Alyssa Roberts, Jesus Ruiz, Devin Scott, Melody Thomas, Amanda Willis, Jessica Wise and Raul Yerena.
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West Hills Community College District serves the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and is part of the California Community College System. Its two colleges, West Hills College Coalinga, which includes North District Center, Firebaugh, and West Hills College Lemoore, serve more than 7,000 students on campus and online each semester.