Reality check at Yuba College

Yuba College has an unusually diverse student body. Because it is a community college, its students vary dramatically in age, goals, backgrounds, and ambitions. With so many different kinds of students coming from numerous walks of life, a day at Yuba College can teach a person a lot about diversity and appreciation for others. With this goal in mind, The Prospector staff has chosen four Yuba College students to follow in their struggles and achievements.

Here are their stories.

Tatasta Canady, 28, is attending her second semester of Yuba College, with a major in Childhood Education. This Los Angles native who moved to Marysville in 1998 is a single mother of four children. With responsibilities to her family, her job at New Millennium Contemporary, and the 14 units that she is taking this semester, Canady has a lot to handle. The Yuba College Distance Education classes and the cooperation and understanding of teachers, such as Betty Ann Stephens (ECE), help her through her challenges. Canady enjoys working with children and looks forward to transferring to California State University, Sacramento.

Heather Sutton, like Canady, knows what she wants out of her education and is determined to get it. Sutton, 18, is attending Yuba College after graduating in June from Wheatland High School. Sutton is majoring in physical education and will transfer to California State University, Chico in 2004. Sutton says that her determination has gotten this far in her education. She said, “When I make a plan, I try to follow it to reach my goal.” Although they come from largely different backgrounds, many students share Sutton’s goal of later transferring to a CSU system.

For instance, Maria Stiller, 30, was born and lived in Mexico until four years ago when she moved to America. Stiller is an English as a Second Language student (ESL) learning to write and understand English with the help of her favorite English teacher, Parviz Parsafar, and her husband and son who give her daily motivation. She wants to become a social worker after transferring to California State University, Chico, to complete her education. Stiller looks forward to a career in this field, as she enjoys working with high school-aged children and has done so most of her adult life. Many Yuba College students share Stiller’s joy in working with children and plan to use that skill in a variety of areas.

Angie Drope, 28, plans to transfer to California State University, Sacramento, to get her teaching credentials. She is a 1993 high school graduate whose organizational skills help her in the challenge of managing her time among classes, student activities and other personal commitments. Drope gets lots of support for attending Yuba College from her family, friends and teachers. She says, “People tell me I can’t, so I push myself harder to achieve my set goals.”

These students add to the diversity of culture at Yuba College.