Category: Alumni Story

After surviving a perilous journey as a Vietnamese boat person, Dan Pham found a new beginning at San José City College. Now a successful engineer, he has established an endowment to provide the same “lifeline” of support to the next generation of underprivileged students.

A former Student Trustee at San José-Evergreen Community College District and current Pister Scholar at UC Santa Cruz, Pratham Tated is proof that student leadership and academic excellence go hand in hand.

A first-generation graduate and recipient of the Santa Clara Family Health Plan scholarship, Katrina Green is transforming her Associate in Science into a career of service as she pursues her dream of becoming a nurse.

As a first-generation student navigating college without a roadmap, Geraldine Polvos found her direction at San José City College, transforming a 2015 scholarship into a career dedicated to healing others.

After discovering her calling at San José City College, East Side native Dr. Olivia Sanchez navigated a decade of medical training to become a dedicated OB/GYN and community leader.

From arriving in the U.S. as an international student to pioneering the Behavioral Response Team at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San José City College alum Josephine Desiree Njie is redefining psychiatric care and nursing education.

Valedictorian, professor, and prominent family law attorney Sue Saign credits an SJCC scholarship for launching her career – taking her from a classroom in San José to archaeological sites in the Caribbean and eventually the top of her law school class.