Glendale Community College. The stench of cigarette smoke floating gently in the air. Muffled voices combining from every direction. Students rushing to find their classes. No parking if you arrive past 8:00 AM. It is the start of another semester, and my last. 

     I started coming to Glendale College in 1997 when I enrolled in a non-math physics class “just for fun.” I was a successful accountant at the time and never thought seriously that my education would go any further than a few night classes. Most people do not consider physics “fun” in any way. But for me it was the beginning of fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a physicist.

     The faculty of Glendale College inspired me to consider the reality of this possibility. They are some of the most dedicated and supportive people I have known. They are also well trained and skilled in their profession. Many spend countless hours preparing the coursework for their classes and many more hours after class further developing their material and helping students with their questions. I doubt that most students realize how much time their professors spend on them and for them outside of class.

     As an adult reentry student I had issues similar to those that face a recent high school graduate. I was insecure, shy, naïve and spoke my opinion without much of an educated basis. I was afraid to ask questions (and even more afraid of the answers.) While attending Glendale College I was encouraged to ask questions and given assignments that involved working with other students. I began to develop confidence. I also found acceptance.

     Math and physics instructors supported my choice to pursue classes in science instead of business. Special people stepped up to mentor me. Among them: Kathy Holmes, John Gerz, Paul Buehler, Del Tucker, Roxanne Dominguez, and Ralph Kahn. Others who have helped me include: Isabel Saber, Gary Massion, Richard Guglielmino, Dave Hurst, Andra Verstraete and Barbara Jordan.

     Fellow students struggled along side me to understand Newton’s Laws and calculus applications. Together we did lab experiments, explored field geology, produced shows for the Planetarium, worked on an energy exhibit for the Science Center, interned at Jet Propulsion Laboratory through the SIRI program, and above all, learned.

     Through these experiences and with the outstanding support invested in me by the faculty and staff of Glendale College, my creativity has awakened. Opportunity has abounded. I am well on my way to becoming the research scientist I dreamed of – a complete turnaround from the  accounting career I left behind! I am grateful for the supportive environment where I have developed into a thinking person who is no longer afraid to ask questions, and for the tools needed to research and answer them. I am forever indebted for the future that Glendale Community College has opened to me.

     As I sit here on campus and observe the activities of the new semester I realize how much a part of me Glendale College has become. I will miss it. Yet it is time to leave. With the support of so many teachers and staff at this college and by the camaraderie I have gained from my peers, I am ready and well prepared to move on and pursue my Bachelor and Ph.D. degrees in Physics. If you are considering an education at Glendale College you, too, will have a world of opportunity available to you. Please enjoy these student project web pages and explore the possibilities that await.