Student Spotlight

John Loewenberg's love for the automotive world began early, and he knew he wanted to turn his passion into a career. After graduating from Poway High School in 2010, he embarked on his higher education journey at Miramar College in 2011. He chose Miramar because of its cost-effective tuition and the academic flexibility it offered.

John was eager to test drive various subjects while remaining committed to his true passion: automotive technology. Loewenberg fondly remembers his first years at Miramar, citing Mark Anderson's Health 101 class as a particular highlight.

"He made his class atmosphere fun and lighthearted, which made learning easy, especially since I was nervous about being at a new school," said Loewenberg, who also noted the professor's incredible support in providing disability accommodations.

When reflecting on her decision to pursue higher education after graduating from Mount Carmel High School in 2016, Cassandra Mullens described Miramar as “a flexible and welcoming transition point from high school life to university life." Seeking to develop her skills as a character designer and illustrator, Mullens pursued her associate’s degree in Studio Arts for Transfer, honing her skills in life drawing, painting, ceramics, and woodwork. Spending most of her time in the Art and Visual Studies building, she found guidance in professors Jessica McCambley and Joshua Eggleton. 

As a student on the Autism spectrum, Mullens’ difficulty processing vast quantities of information and multiple steps given at once often resulted in overwhelm and overstimulation.

“She silently stepped out of the race that she never wanted to be in, found her own lane and proceeded to win." - Anonymous

Lately, quotes like the one above are providing Miramar College student Yuhan Liu with the motivation to follow her dreams. While Liu’s education and employment aspirations are relatively straightforward (complete her Business Administration associates program and obtain work in the same field), her journey toward these goals requires a custom-made route. 

As a student with cerebral palsy, Liu must pace herself, taking no more than two courses per semester in order to maintain a great GPA. 

“It may take other students an hour to complete an assignment, but for me it may take three or four,” she said.

When Miramar College student Vahide Balbin isn’t occupied with school, work, and family, the 30 year old mother of four likes to spend her time fishing.

“Sometimes you catch big fish, sometimes you catch small fish, sometimes you catch nothing, but you have to learn that that was time that you spent meant to mentally disconnect from everything. It reminds me that life is that way. Just taking that time to appreciate what you have. I call it water therapy.”

Fishing or not, Balbin’s entire life is a testament to the benefits of taking a little extra time. 

Coming to the U.S. in 1999 as a refugee from Kosovo, she quickly fell behind in public school. Bilingual in Croatian and Albanian, Balbin struggled with learning in English-speaking classes, and her grades suffered as a result. 

It’s been 15 years since Mary Coleman experienced a massive stroke that left her permanently disabled.

“It was an earthquake train wreck. Everything was destroyed,” said Coleman, who prior to her injury, served for ten years as a tenured English professor at San Diego City College.

Five weeks after the stroke, Coleman’s mother died of lung cancer. The resulting threads of shock, despair, and grief spun a web of depression from which she could not escape, leading Coleman to resist the recovery strategies presented by physical, occupational, and speech therapists. 

“In my mind, I didn’t need strategies,” said Coleman. I just needed my brain to heal quickly.” 

CONTINUE READING Mary'S STORY!

Amanda Chen represents the first San Diego Miramar College graduate in our “Alumni at Work” series, which showcases how former SDCCD students with disabilities utilized Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) in furthering their academic and employment goals.

Chen began her studies at Miramar in 2012 as a business major. 

“I thought pursuing higher education would provide me with more job opportunities,” she said. “Since Miramar is smaller than a four-year university, I felt more comfortable taking classes there and getting help when I needed to.”

CONTINUE READING Amanda'S STORY!