Community Partnerships - Golden West College

Community
Partnerships
page 4
Doyle School of Nursing
& Health Services
Dedication
page 9
A Swingin’ Musical Star:
Tom Kubis
page 6
Rustler Round-Up
Fall Season in Review
page 2
International
Students
What is Home?
page 10
WINTER 2009 ISSUE
GWC Alumnus
Stephanie Pollaro
page 2

On The COver
On Th e CO v e r
GWC Alumnus
Stephanie Pollaro
Alumnus Stephanie Pollaro, daughter of Norma Pollaro,
presented a program on campus last November on Human
Trafficking: ( Modern Day Slavery) that we thought our
readers would find interesting. We are always happy to hear
from our alumni.
Stephanie informed the audience that Human Trafficking
represents the third largest source of profit for organized
crime, after drugs and guns, generating billions of dollars
each year. Stephanie spent the last year in India, working
with survivors of human trafficking. She is the founder of
“International Sanctuary,” a non-profit organization
working to bring hope to girls rescued from human
trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
Wavelength asked Stephanie to tell us about her career path
that eventually led her to form this organization.
After graduating from GWC in 1996, I transferred to Cal State
Northridge, declared my major in Speech Communication
and received a B.A. in Speech Communication. From there,
I transferred to Cal State Long Beach where I received an
M.S. in Counseling. After receiving my M.S., I stayed on and
worked as a health profession advisor at Long Beach. This
was a good choice for me, because I became very excited
about being able to use my counseling skills.
It was during my stay at Long Beach that I learned about
human trafficking. My eyes were opened to the world of
slavery, especially in India. The more I researched the topic
the more passionate I became. I took several trips to India
and finally decided that I had to commit to the country,
so I moved there for a year, working with a grass roots
organization. I decided that the area I wanted to work with
was the area of survivors of human trafficking. That is when
I decided to start my own organization.
Continued on page 3
2 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009
2008 Fall Season in Review
By Danny Johnson
GWC Sports Information Officer
The Golden West College Athletic Department has housed at least one new State Championships
trophy in 28 of the past 31 years. Since 1966 Golden West College has been marked as the
most successful Athletic Program in the State. The Rustlers are proud owners of 72 State
Championships, 163 Conference Championships, and 365 All American Selections.
Fall Season Review:
Rustler Round-Up
Men’s Water Polo – 33-2 capturing the Orange Empire Championships, Southern
California Championships, and the 2008 State Championships. Head Coach Scott Taylor
coached his seventh consecutive Conference Championship, his seventh consecutive Southern
California Championship, and his second State Title.
Football – made their mark on the newly established American Mountain Conference
with a record of 5-2. The Rustlers defeated LA Harbor, SD Mesa, Compton, San Bernardino
Valley, Mt. San Jacinto, and Saddleback in what was their most successful season in over two
decades.
Men’s soccer – took on the challenge of being in the toughest conference in the state.
The 5-13-4 Rustlers were plagued with injuries throughout the season. Under the direction of
Matt Wells, the men’s program has already bounced back and is ready for the 2009 campaign.
WoMen’s Volleyball – defeated Orange Coast College in the first round of conference
play. With the success of their season, they qualified for regional playoffs eliminating San
Diego Mesa in the first round, but were knocked out in the second round by the 2007 State
Champions, El Camino.

WoMen’s Water Polo – under the direction of Kyle Kopp, the Lady Rustlers found
themselves vying for a spot for the State Championship Tournament. The Rustlers finished
third in conference and were knocked out of the regional tournament in the second round by
2007 State Champions, Riverside. Despite missing the state playoffs, Kopp and his team are
back at it, rebuilding and training again for another State Championship run.
WoMen’s soccer – The Lady Rustlers posted more wins in the 2008 season than in any
other time in school history. Eliminating soccer powerhouses such as Santa Ana, Saddleback,
and Irvine Valley. The women are on their way to their most successful season. The team is in
their early stages of building a successful soccer program that will house the prominent female
soccer players in the county.
cross country – with multiple invitational competitions on their season schedule,
both the men and women programs left their mark and proudly represented Golden West. The
men and women teams concluded yet another successful season.
support your rustlers this spring! Current Schedules can be found at
www.goldenwestcollege.edu/athletics
Stephanie Pollaro
Continued from page 2
In my case, I work with the survivors who have been
sexually exploited. The traffickers hold these girls and take
them from their village or other countries, holding them as
slaves to make a profit from rape. Today there are 27 million
people enslaved and that is a conservative estimate. Sexual
exploitation is the most common fate. Some are also held
in bonded labor, agriculture and brick making. Some are
held in domestic servitude. They are beaten, starved and
don’t have any rights as human beings. It is estimated that
of the 27 million held worldwide, 15 to 20 million are on the
Indian Sub Continent.
The government of India is one of the few actually trying
to do something about this epidemic. They could do much
better, but they are dealing with a high level of corruption in
government. Many government officials and police are tied
into trafficking. It is an uphill battle trying to get convictions
against traffickers, pimps and brothel owners. Some of the
other countries still say it does not happen.
Tell us about International Sanctuary
We train rescued girls to make jewelry, which, in turn, we
sell. We help them develop the skills that they possess to
produce a product that is marketable in the US. By giving
them a job skill we are able to show them an alternative
to the life style they have been living. We work to restore
their dignity and self worth.
Our organization is just two years old; we are not large at
all. It took most of the first year to go through the long
process of filing paper work to get our non-profit status. We
started producing jewelry for sale about ten months ago.
We work with fifty minor girls, ranging in age from thirteen
to eighteen years old. My co-founder is Wendy Hicks, my
mom, Norma Pollaro is on the board, and we have many
volunteers that help in many ways.
We operate both in India and the United States. We work
out of two homes in Bombay where we train the girls in the
art of making jewelry. Our eventual goal is to open training
centers in other countries.
Editor’s note: If you would like to know more about this
organization, “International Sanctuary,” you can contact
Stephanie at her e-mail address: spollaro@isanctuary.org
Website: www.isanctuary.org
Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009 3

Th e Pr e s i d e n T ’s CO r n e r
Golden West College … a
California Community College
By President Wes Bryan
I would like to share with you some short stories about several of the Community Partnerships
in which GWC is currently engaged. After reading how your community college is partnering
with other service organizations you might be interested in developing a partnership project also.
I would welcome your call because we are, after all, your college.
Students in the El Viento Program, enjoying a day of sailing
Huntington beach chamber
of commerce
The HB Chamber Mission statement explains that
it “is the leader of and catalyst for plans, strategies,
programs and services that promote a favorable
business climate, improve the quality of life, and
support the orderly growth and development of our City.” Some of their
objectives include;
• To coordinate the efforts of commerce, industry and the professions
in maintaining and strengthening a sound and healthy business
climate in the Huntington Beach area.
• To sponsor aggressive programs of work and stimulate activities
which will provide for full development and employment of our
human and economic resources.
• To provide creative business leadership and effective coordination
of all interested parties in solving community problems and in
initiating constructive community action.
These goals are certainly compatible with the college’s own objectives
for our community and underscore why we find this an important
partnership. It is why our college Presidents have frequently served on
the Board of Directors and why we encourage college participation in
4 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR Fa l l 20082009
el Viento
El Viento’s mission is to provide children and young adults with
opportunities for success in life. These successes are the result of long term
relationships developed together within an environment of mutual trust
and respect, teamwork, learning, and skills and leadership development.
This commitment begins with parents and students in fourth grade and
continues through community college. Partners in this endeavor include Oak View Elementary
School, Ocean View School District, Huntington Beach Unified High School District and the
Coast Community College District – who have a shared mission to help these students help
themselves.
Golden West College has been very happy to host two graduations. In 2006, the first class of
fourth graders graduated from high school and entered college and in 2008 the second class
graduated and started college. In March of 2008, El Viento invited the ninth group of twenty-five
children into our program. This is a significant milestone for us as our program now serves close
to 200 students and their families. Their success is the community’s success and a testament to
the effectiveness of community partnership and leadership. Golden West College is proud to have
been part of this program since its inception by its founding visionaries - Ellen Shockro and Jack
Shaw, Founders of El Viento.
Huntington Beach elected officials, Chamber of Commerce, Golden West College, and
Miss Huntington Beach Outstanding Teen participated in the ribbon-cutting at the
dedication of the Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle School of Nursing and Health Services
Building.
events such as the Transportation Committee, Surf City Connection,
Economic Conference, Planning Conference, Green Expo, Leadership
Academy and other chamber activities. We know that our success as
a community and a college are inherently linked together and so this
partnership is one of mutual respect and developing friendships.

Ground breaking ceremony for California’s first Boys & Girls Club on a college campus
the boys & Girls clubs of Huntington Valley
child Development center
In 2005, Golden West College formalized its relationship with the
Huntington Valley Boys & Girls Club. The college was seeking a licensed
child care program partner that would provide our students, staff and
community members competent child care with an accredited child
development curriculum at an affordable cost. We wanted to provide
programs for infants as young as six weeks old through pre-kindergarten.
This NAEYC Accredited Learning Center implements curriculum that
helps children participate in developmentally appropriate activities
within a warm and supportive environment, led by caring adults trained
in Early Childhood Education.
The center has an educational philosophy compatible with our
community college. We both believe that as students successfully learn
the pleasures of doing things for themselves, while learning to act safely,
value property and respect the rights of others, they will develop a
positive self-concept. Ideally these life lessons begin in childhood and
mature in the early stages of adulthood. It’s this shared goal that makes
this partnership so successful and has encouraged both of us to work at
expanding our community partnership. Now we have a shared goal of
building California’s first Boys & Girls Club on a college campus!
new boys & Girls club
This new club will include a state-of-the-art school age youth facility, an
eight classroom child development preschool, and a full-sized gymnasium.
When fully operational it will serve up to 2,500 kids a year with nearly
70% of those kids coming from low-moderate income households. The
Boys & Girls Club will help parents do the right thing—go back to school
and go to work to provide for their kids. These families need programs
like ours—homework help, tutoring, leadership programs, sports leagues,
licensed preschool programs, and tons more. Being on a college campus
sets a different tone and creates a long term vision. This is another way
this community college is partnering with our community.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER SCHOOL AGE CLUB
GYMNASIUM
twilight education Project
Three evenings a week big yellow school buses pull up in front of the Child
Development Center at Golden West College and parents and children get
off these buses to go to “College”. Children are provided homework help,
recreation and crafts while parents take classes in English, Parenting and
Life skills. This partnership project helps immigrant families gain the
language skills they need to succeed in our community. The program
is growing: we have added a 4th bus route and are reaching 75 more
children and parents from Oak View. Recently, we conducted a survey of
participating parents that showed great results. Because of the Twilight
program, 73% of parents have become more involved in their children’s
education, 69% feel more able to help with their children’s homework,
73% say they understand more when they talk to their children’s health
care providers, and 54% say they understand more when their children
are talking to their English-speaking friends. This shows that the adult
component of the program is helping participants become better
equipped to be parents in this community, which ultimately makes a
huge difference for the kids.
+++++++++++++++++
In conclusion
It is always a risk to call attention to three community
partnerships out of many. However, I hope you have been able
to see through these examples that as a community college
we have mutual goals with many service organizations in our
area. In these times of stretched resources, joining our hands
for the common good is often a more effective way to provide
assistance to those in need.
Wav eWav l e n g e t l h e nWInteR g t h Fa l l 2009 2008 5

A Swingin’
Musical
Star:Tom Kubis
by Martie Ramm Engle
Musical arranging is defined as “the art of
preparing and adapting an already written
musical composition for presentation in other
than its original form. Arranging is the art of
giving an existing melody musical variety.”
With this lofty definition in mind, Golden
West College can boast that for nearly 30
years, a superstar in the world of music, jazz,
composing and musical arranging has been
a part of the GWC music faculty. Our own
musical superstar? None other than Tom
Kubis, winner of the 2008 Los Angeles
Jazz Society Composer/Arranger Award
presented in an awards ceremony this past
October by jazz legend Jack Sheldon. Kubis
has just been announced as the recipient of
the Distinguished Alumni Award in Music
from California State University, Long
Beach to be presented in May 2009.
Is there something special about Golden West
College that keeps Tom Kubis teaching here
since 1978? “I first came here in 1978 when
Dave Anthony and others wanted someone
who could teach arranging and composing,”
states Tom Kubis. “That is why I was hired.
They were all my friends. I really enjoy
teaching and have had great students. And,
the college is in Huntington Beach, the world’s
greatest city.”
Kubis, an outstanding flute and saxophone
player, has become one of the most sought
after big band and jazz composers and
arranger in the world of professional music.
Born in Los Angeles, Tom was raised in
6 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009
Huntington Beach and attended Orange
Coast College where he studied under
Doc Rutherford. He then studied music
composition at California State University,
Long Beach before hitting the road for many
years as a working musician. He performed
on saxophone with jazz greats such as Jack
Sheldon, Arturo Sandoval, Louis Bellson, and
Cat Anderson–to name a few. Soon, however,
his performing career became secondary to
his burgeoning career as a composer and an
arranger.
And what an arranger! His musical
arrangements illustrate the contemporary
big band sound and have been performed
at virtually every major jazz festival in
the world including the Playboy Jazz
Festival, the Montreaux Jazz Festival and
the Berkeley Jazz Festival. As a member of
the faculty at Golden West College, he was
commissioned to write the finale for the
International Association of Jazz Educator’s
annual convention in New Orleans. The piece
was written and performed by jazz legends
such as Branford Marsalis, John Faddis, Clark
Terry, and Randy Brecker.

“I get to write, work with and be friends with
the greatest people on the planet,” declares Mr.
Kubis. It would be no exaggeration to claim
that his musical arrangements have been
played in just about any city that has a big
band and have been embraced worldwide by
both professional and college musicians. “My
arrangements are all over the world.”
As a composer, Kubis composes a new song
every day as part of his daily ritual. Most of
the arrangements he creates for school bands
are his own compositions and arrangements.
Tom was TV icon and musician Steve Allen’s
arranger for the last seven years of Mr. Allen’s
life, arranging over 100 of Steve Allen’s tunes
which ended up as ten original CD’s of Steve
Allen material. He spent five years arranging
and playing for singer Helen Reddy. He
arranged and conducted “The Jackie Gleason
30-Year Reunion Special” and “The Bob
Newhart 20-Year Anniversary” both at CBS.
His work was featured as part of the Kennedy
Center’s “Beyond Category Series” as a World
Premiere concert featuring music by Tony
Award-winning Broadway composer Cy
Coleman, lyrics by Oscar-winning songwriters
Alan and Marilyn Bergman and starring
vocalists Patti Austin, Steve Tyrell, and Lillias
White. Tom also conducted his arrangements
with jazz great Jack Sheldon in performance
at Carnegie Hall in New York City and more
recently, performed with his big band for two
nights with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra at
the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
For anyone who loves the big band and
jazz sound, Tom’s work with and for so
many great musicians and entertainers is
positively overwhelming. You can pair
Tom Kubis with Jack Sheldon, Merv
Griffen, Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Alan
Bergman, Louis Bellson, Chuck Findley, Frank
Rossolino and Pete Christlieb and the results
are nothing short of fantastic.
Unfortunately, not everything Tom Kubis has
written has been recorded and not everything
he has recorded has been published. Beginning
with his first recording leading his own band
Slightly Off the Ground (1989) to one of his
latest, A Jazz Musician’s Christmas, listening
to Tom Kubis create music magic is as easy as
your nearest CD. There are literally hundreds
of CDs available where Tom’s arrangements
can be heard. Even better, you can catch him
with his students performing live and local
at Golden West College each fall and spring
as well as in concerts and clinic all over the
world. In Southern California, Tom Kubis and
his Big Band perform at the Jazz Bakery and
Tom regularly performs (yes, performs) on the
sax, trumpet and piano at the Balboa Bay Club
in Newport Beach.
Does jazz have a future? Tom Kubis remains
positive. “There are always new people coming
up all over the planet and there are new, truly
gifted jazz musicians who will make a name
for themselves. There are great musicians
everywhere.” Everywhere happily includes
Golden West College where bold musical
statements are made every time Tom Kubis
lifts his baton. Golden West College is proud
to claim him as “one of our own.”
Upcoming Events
RASHOMON
Directed by Tom Amen
March 6 - 15 • Stage West Theater
BEYOND THERAPY
Directed by Martie Ramm
May 1 - 10 • Stage West Theater
WHAT THE BELLHOP SAW
Directed by Tom Amen
June 19 - 28 • Stage West Theater
Theater Box Office
714-895-8150
www.gwctheater.com
Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009 7

Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle School of Nursing
and Health Services Building
Construction is complete. The campus held a grand opening in November.
Not only does this beautiful building house the Nursing Program, but
also the Student Health Center. The Foundation was fortunate enough to
obtain $1,000,000 from the Doyle Foundation for a naming opportunity.
The official name is the Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle School of
Nursing and Health Services. The construction budget was $12,000,000.
We processed one small change order for less than 1% due to rebar
congestion. The building is approximately 26,000 square feet.
Learning Resource Center
The new LRC will house the library, new media/online instruction,
student success center, high tech lab for the disabled, writing center,
staff development and Academic Senate. This building will be located
on the west side of campus. It will be approximately 55,000 square feet.
Construction should be completed in June 2010. Currently the contractors
are drilling caissons, placing rebar cages and pouring piles which provide
structural support. The project budget is $24,000,000. The project is
currently on time and on budget with a grand opening in June, 2010.
Central Plant/HVAC Upgrades
The campus Central Plant is complete. The underground trenching was
finished ahead of schedule. Building renovations continue. Group 5 of
6 has been completed by renovating buildings to connect them to our
new Central Plant. Group 5 included the Bookstore and Cosmetology. We
have brought in modular classrooms to better serve our students during
this major undertaking. The Bookstore has been temporarily relocated
to the Health Science building during construction. It will remain in the
8 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009
Measure C Bond Update
By Janet Houlihan, Vice President, Administrative Services
Health Science building until Spring rush is complete. As we complete
the piping to the central plant, classroom improvements are being made
as well. The project budget is $33,000,000 and the project is currently on
time and on budget with a completion in June, 2009.
Main Distribution Facility
A portion of the east side of the Library building has been renovated to
house a new Main Distribution Facility. This will house all of the campus
servers and will provide temperature control and a backup generator to
insure our computer information is secure and backed up properly. The
project is complete pending final punch lists. The equipment was moved
to its new location over the winter break to minimize disruption to the
students and the campus community. The project budget is approximately
$700,000.
Projects Completed
• International Student Center
• Pool and Locker Room Upgrades
• Student Center Renovation
Rendering of the Learning Resource Center
• Student Success Center
• Concrete Repair Project
• Classroom Improvements
Other Projects (not a part of the Measure C Bond)
CVS – Currently scheduled to start construction in late March or early
April of this year. Several trees were boxed this month for relocation as
part of the arborists plan. Campus Maintenance is currently reviewing
ways to re-configure the yard for efficiency.
Boys and Girls Club – Held a “fund raising” ground breaking in
October, 2008. They are hoping to have their plans out of DSA (Division of
State Architects) this Spring with a construction start of Summer 2009.

Windows of Opportunity
By Margie Bunten, Director, Foundation and Community Relations
The Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle School
of Nursing & Health Services Dedication
On November 19, 2008, Golden West College dedicated its spectacular
new Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle School of Nursing and Health
Services Building. The Frank M. Doyle Foundation provided $1
million to the naming opportunity for the building. Dedicated in
memory of Frank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle, this beautiful building
will provide a legacy of progressive health instruction and services,
ensuring a bright future for our health professionals. The Frank M. Doyle
Foundation has made a significant difference in the lives of Golden
West College students by providing the means to foster a learning
environment built upon the newest technologies and advances in health
care. Golden West College is privileged to be in partnership with this
extraordinary philanthropic family. Over the last decade, the Doyle
Foundation has provided the college $50,000 in nursing grants, as well
as $312,000 in student scholarships.
Naming Opportunities
More opportunities are available to place individual or business names
in the building. Donations will supply the classrooms and Student
Health Services with much needed state-of-the-art medical technology
and equipment.
Please call the Foundation Office to discuss participating in this naming
campaign. Contact Margie Bunten, Director, Golden West College
Foundation (714) 895-8315 or e-mail mbunten@gwc.cccd.edu.
ASGWC student council members
present a $35,000 check to GWC
President Wes Bryan to name the
Health Services lobby,
Associated Students Lobby.
The Doyle 4-Leaf Clover graces the new building sign
Patrick Doyle and Armando Ruiz, Trustee, cut the ribbon – an ace bandage!
Color Guard from the Golden West College Police Academy
Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009 9

What is Home?
Postcards from International
Student Graduates
By Janelle Leighton
For decades, students from around the world have called GWC “home”
– chez soi, en su hogar, ở nhà. In any language, one common definition
of the word home includes family and a sense of belonging. The GWC
campus and local community are just that to our international students
from over thirty-five countries.
Students share their stories with us through exit interviews, essay
contests, and satisfaction surveys, and the concept of home is a central
theme in many of their responses. It is a place to feel safe and welcome.
International students have found comfort, friendship, a place to rest,
and a place to thrive at GWC and within our local community. You can
see this firsthand from some of their comments in “postcards” from
international student graduates.
Serving close to 300 students, the international student population at
Golden West College has nearly tripled in size since the inception of
the full-service program in 1999. The five largest groups come from
Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Brazil. The program
experienced a record 30% increase in new students for fall 2008
compared to new students the prior semester.
Below is a list of the countries representing all of the international
students who enrolled at GWC for the fall 2008.
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belize
Brazil
Cambodia
Cameroon
China
Croatia
Finland
Germany
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Iraq
Japan
Kenya
Lebanon
Malaysia
Nepal
New Zealand
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Poland
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Syria
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Kingdom
Vietnam
Zambia
To learn more about the International Student Program, call
(714) 895-8146.
(l-r: Javier Alcala, Immigration Technician; Janelle Leighton, Program Supervisor;
Peggy Conley, Program Assistant &International Student Club Advisor)
10 Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009
Dear GWC Staff,
I can feel the power of unity at this school, and I’m
proud to be part of the diversity of culture at Golden
West College.
-Kritsanu Ngamprasertpong, Thailand
I will always be glad to have met
my host father, Val. He is more than
a simple host. He is like a father to
me. Since this day, my life here in a
different country and culture has
been perfect.
-Emilio Augusto Padilha Vieira,
Brazil
Dear Host Family,
At the airport, you treated me as if I
were a member of the family already.
Instead of shaking hands, we hugged!
-Khanh Tran, Vietnam
Dear GWC Community,
I recognize the kindness I have found in my new
surrounding, even the parting phrase which I always
hear from bus drivers: “Study hard and have a good
day.” I will use the good pretty things as my fuel to
try harder and to carry out my goal.
-Voranuch “Ellie” Supsuwan, Thailand
Academic counselors are very nice to students,
and they helped lead me to achieving my goal.
-Ryoko Hase, Japan

Meet Maria Kaupa
Maria Kaupa, age 23, is from a small island
of approximately five million people, Paupua,
New Guinea. She is in her second semester
at GWC. Her original plan was to major in
business, but she realized that she has a strong
love for science and nature, so she decided to
change her major to science.
Q. What made you choose Golden West College?
I live here with an American family who were
missionaries for ten years in my home country.
My family knows them and they live close to
the college.
Q. Coming from a very small island, what
adjustments did you have to make as you
entered our culture?
Although I had lived for eleven months in
Australia, it took me a long time to adjust to
English, for one thing. The importance of time
has been another major adjustment for me.
Back in my country time is whatever. Here,
time is very important; getting to class on
time, handing in class assignments/papers on
time, paying my bills on time, etc. At home
Meet Mohammad ali Khan
Mohammad, age 23, is from Pakistan and
came to the U.S. to study Engineering. He
had planned to begin his studies at a college
in New Jersey, but the college was very slow
in processing his papers. Mohammad had a
friend living in Garden Grove who suggested
he come to California. This friend was
attending Golden West College and said it was
really a nice college with a beautiful campus.
I only had to focus on one thing at a time;
here you have to focus on a number of things
at the same time. In my country I could live
under my family’s roof as long as I wanted,
enjoying their protection and guidance. Here
I am completely on my own and have to do
everything for myself, which has been quite an
adjustment.
Q. What is the contrast in diets here vs. those
from your island?
You have a great variety of food types available.
I was surprised to see how much food is in a
can, a package and frozen! The food on my
island is all organic; everything was grown in
my family’s back yard garden. The main food
in our village is kaukau (sweet potatoes) and
greens from the garden.
Q. What are your plans once you graduate from
GWC?
I will be graduating next December and plan
to transfer to a four year college, hopefully
it will be UCLA. I have decided I want to go
into pharmacy and UCLA is outstanding in
this field. Once I graduate from a university,
I would like to stay here if I can. If not, I will
“My first year here I had a hard time getting
involved in your culture. I felt there was an
expectation barrier, a language barrier and an
education barrier. My second year here was
much less difficult; I joined some clubs and got
involved in extra activities, which I found very
helpful. I have to give most of the credit for the
improvement in my English speaking skills to
the International Student Club.” Mohammad
is Vice President of the International Students
Club, a member of the Peace, Body and Mind
Club, as well as the Scholarship Club.
Q. What have you found interesting/challenging
living in a different culture?
“I grew up in Saudi Arabia which is probably
the only country in the world that does not
have movie theaters. I had my first movie
experience here. I found that adjusting to
food was not that big a problem. In Pakistan,
we have the same fast food chains as you have
here; MacDonald’s, KFC, Subway, and I eat a lot
of fast food. I have yet to have a full traditional
American meal.
“I’ve studied in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
and I feel America offers more opportunities
socially and academically. Everyone here
go back home and help my family; I’ll keep my
options open.
Maria is here on a track scholarship from her
country. She represented her country running
at track events at various islands and runs
can succeed if they try, everyone here is
independent for themselves, and they can
make their lives what they want. In most other
countries you need a lot of luck and/ or a lot of
money to succeed.”
Q. What has been your experience at Golden
West?
“I have friends all over America, Ireland,
Australia and Malaysia via the internet. I’ve
asked them about their International program,
if they have one, and we compare notes. I
believe we have the best International Student
program in this country. My friends are very
happy for me that I have had such a great
experience here. I recommend my friends
come to Golden West College.”
Editor’s note: Starting with the spring semester
2009, Mohammad will start his fourth year at
GWC. At the end of his second year he changed
his major from Engineering to Business. He
plans to transfer to either Cal State Fullerton
or Cal State Long Beach in the fall of 2009 to
pursue an accounting degree. After receiving his
accounting degree, he wants to become a CPA
and work several years in this country before
returning to the Middle East to get a job there.
Wav e l e n g t h WInteR 2009 11

Your ChoiCe of ANY PriuS CoLor
15-in. 6-spoke alloy wheels with trim rings
Smart Key System
Backup Camera
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
Anti-theft System
HomeLink® Universal Transceiver
MP3/WMA Playback Capability
Hands-free Phone Capability Via Bluetooth®
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlamps & Integrated Fog Lamps
Voice-activated DVD Navigation System
Leather-Trimmed Seats & Steering Wheel
Wavelength archives are available online: www.goldenwestcollege.edu/news
Please contact John Wordes if you have interesting articles or suggestions at 714-895-8903. Wavelength reserves the right to edit submitted articles.
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Golden West College: Wes Bryan, President
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