I came to Cabrillo in the summer of 2023 with the intention of finally receiving my college degree. In 2024 I began working as a student employee. I started noticing a theme in papers I was writing for a variety of my courses. So, with the encouragement and support of several instructors, I decided to apply as a speaker for the 2025 Cabrillo Talks. The experience of sharing my mental health challenges was incredibly empowering.

2026 is turning out to be a life-changing year for me, full of new experiences and great accomplishments. I am proud to say that after 4 decades of saying "I wish I'd finished college", I now have 4 degrees, and completed them with a 4.0 GPA! After being self-employed as a bookkeeper for over 25 years, I realized I wanted a change and applied for the position I now hold of Senior Financial Support Specialist for ELLA and Instruction. I just moved into a dream home where I'm greeted by the sounds of birds in the morning and get to watch bunnies frolicking in the veggie garden.