Personal Success Stories
Progress rarely follows a straight line. The Citrus College students and alumni featured here navigated displacement, housing loss, caregiving, injury, interrupted education and self-doubt. Through persistence and campus support, they rebuilt confidence and transformed difficult chapters into degrees, university transfer, leadership, advocacy and careers devoted to serving others.
EVA BUYHER
A noon aide job rekindled Eva Buyher's dream of becoming an educator. Since then, the single mother and grandmother has gone from one class to full-time study, earned top grades and begun preparing for a career with special needs students.
JOR'DENAY COLLIER-BROWN
College once seemed impossible to Jor'Denay Collier-Brown after years of abuse, instability and interrupted hope. Citrus College gave her financial support, community and room to heal, helping her turn survival into a commitment to children and families.
DENICIA CRUTCHER-LYONS
Denicia Crutcher-Lyons returned to college in her mid-30s to build a better life for her daughters. Citrus College support, mathematics and dance studies eventually led her to discover history, conduct research and co-author a book on Black achievement.
LAURA DIAZ
Eleven years after leaving home with her children, Laura Diaz transformed survival into academic success and service. Citrus College helped her reach Cal Poly Pomona, where she continued preparing to guide others through life's hardest moments with hope.
LAHAINA GUALE
A campus community carried Lahaina Guale through housing loss, caregiving and college. She transformed that lifeline into degrees, advocacy and expertise in child and domestic abuse, leading to a behavioral health role serving military families in Okinawa.
RUBY KAISO D'BANSOUR
After leaving Syria, Ruby Kaiso D'Bansour had to rebuild daily life in a language she did not yet know. Citrus College gave her instruction, encouragement and community, helping her find work, drive independently and set bold new academic goals for her future.
SERINA MUMMERT
Frequent moves and repeated school changes made Serina Mummert quiet and withdrawn. At Citrus College, she found a passion for physics, embraced campus life and built the confidence to make her family proud while investing in a future shaped by perseverance.
RIO NAKAMACHI
Small classes brought Rio Nakamachi to Citrus College; courage carried her forward. She confronted her fear of public speaking, supported other international students and worked with a trusted counselor to prepare for a sociology degree at UCLA.
MAJIN PEREZ
Setbacks once defined Majin Perez's direction, from poor grades and homelessness to a failed business. Citrus College support helped him begin again, pursue journalism and physics and build a mission around research, fact-checking and untold stories.
STEVIE SPENCER
Stevie Spencer turned a devastating knee injury and a canceled college program into a remarkable comeback. After transferring to Citrus College, she rebuilt her game, earned first-team all-conference and Scholar Baller honors and secured her next opportunity.
JOY THURMAN
After foster care, hardship and time away from school, returning student Joy Thurman chose to start again. She now balances motherhood, child development studies and campus leadership while preparing to guide young children and inspire student-parents.
NEREIDA VALDEZ
Caregiving, work and family duties forced Nereida Valdez to pause her education, but they never erased her goal. She returned to Citrus College with confidence, earned her degree and chose to celebrate a timeline that reflected courage rather than delay.