Student and Faculty Stories

Hi! My name is Jess Bryant (she/her), and I was born and raised in San José. I am a first-year student at De Anza, majoring in Liberal Arts with an Arts and Letters Emphasis, but my goal is to major in Linguistics when I transfer to a four-year university. The top three universities I would like to transfer to are the University of Washington, UC San Diego and UCLA.

I have a passion for how people communicate and express themselves, specifically through language and culture, and I would like to succeed at pursuing this passion in my academics and future career. In order to reach this goal, I have been working hard at De Anza.

One resource that has helped me pave my path to success is the Umoja program because it has allowed me to meet peers who share similar backgrounds, get through my hardest courses with support, and build a connection with the campus and its students and staff.

There is still much I wish to accomplish at De Anza before I transfer – such as getting involved with DASG or other clubs that will connect me to more of De Anza's student body – and I am excited to continue my journey!

Hello! My name is Lydia Dessu, and I was born and raised in San José. I am a first-year student at De Anza, majoring in Business Administration. My goal is to transfer to a four-year university and major in business with an emphasis in finance, or become a finance major. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I plan to continue my education and earn a master’s degree. The top universities I would want to transfer to are UC Berkeley, USC and UCLA.

I am passionate about helping people gain financial literacy and closing the wealth gap. My passion about this subject is mainly due to being a first-generation Ethiopian-American. Growing up Ethiopian-American, the ever-growing wealth gap – not only here in America but on a global scale – has always been evident to me. Because of this, I have always wanted to understand how economics works, why there is such a massive wealth gap, and how I can play a part in closing the wealth gap and helping people with my skills. 

Umoja has played a major part in why I have had such a great experience during my first year and why I have been able to be successful. The transition into college was very effortless, because being a part of Umoja allowed me to be part of a community of other Black students who are dedicated and hard-working. 

Joining Umoja also provided me the opportunity to have professors and counselors who genuinely wanted us to succeed, but at the same time pushed us to do our best. Going into De Anza, my biggest fear was navigating the community college system, and it was very difficult trying to figure it out on my own. But joining Umoja took that stress out of my hands and allowed me to focus on my education.

Hi. My name is Paulo Newsome and I am a San José native, born and raised in the Bay Area. I am a 19-year-old, first-year De Anza attendee and I am majoring in Real Estate. My goal is to obtain my real estate license, while transferring out on time, and I hope to study abroad in another country due to my deep love for traveling and seeing the world outside of California.

I greatly enjoy fashion and other textiles that involve creatively expressing myself in new ways. Some of my favorite brands are Stussy and the creative works by Aime Leon Dore. I would love to get more involved in fashion or design, and things involving architecture and interior design really fascinate me as well.

Some of my hobbies include weightlifting and bodybuilding, staying active with sports, and being out in nature to find new ideas or inspiration for a new project to tackle, because I really enjoy being creative in ways such as drawing, painting, and using other sculptural techniques. I’m also an avid music listener.

My freshman year at De Anza has enlightened me to a point where I can say I know I am on the right track, to say the very least. I have learned a lot that is not only school-related, but about myself. One thing I really noticed is that perspective and keeping a positive view on life is super important because you are your own main character. Your mind is a powerful tool that can shape you in any way you truly believe. It has helped me gain a lot of confidence in my academic skills, and allowed me to make choices I would have struggled with making before. I will continue to work as hard as I can to reach my goals and finish what I started.

There are many convenient resources on campus that I have used that have allowed me to strive this year, such as the quiet library where I have done a lot of my work, the walk-in tutors. My amazing Umoja counselor, Maurice Canyon, and the Umoja community have given me a safe space to grow.

One thing that really helps is that I try to do all of my assignments when I get them, or at least in a timely manner; that way I am not stressing about cramming everything in at the last minute. This has really helped improve my mental focus, and allowed me to succeed.

“Success” to me personally, is defined by the grind. It is the undeniable effort to achieve personal greatness, to be the best you can be, even if it is slightly better than you were yesterday. It is the determination to never give up, no matter the obstacle – and if you do get in a slump, which many of us do, you keep pushing. That is success in my eyes. So within this next year, I hope to obtain more exposure at De Anza to not only meet new people, but to gain more opportunities for success in the future.

Hi. I'm Rhema Sosimi. My major here at De Anza is currently declared as Business Administration, but my interest in both software engineering and business led me to my desired major for transfer – Management Information Systems, along with a minor in Computer Science. My ambition down this path is to utilize computer and business knowledge to eventually evolve into a career in software engineering or technical product management. 

I've discovered vital assistance through course instructor office hours, the Writing and Reading Center and Umoja counselor Maurice Canyon. Success refers to the achievement of one's goals and aspirations, and encountering this program has contributed greatly to fulfilling my academic aspirations. 

Umoja highlights your own personal goals and does an outstanding job in helping guide you toward reaching them. I truly enjoyed being provided with the best instructors, so I didn't have to go searching for them on "Rate My Professor."

Hello! My name is Jade Stevens (she/her) and I am from San José. I am a first-year student at De Anza and my major is Psychology. I plan on continuing in this field when I transfer to a four-year university and eventually obtain my Ph.D. I want to pursue a career that is within the field of research and therapy.  The main colleges I am aiming to transfer to are UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco.

I am passionate about meeting new people and understanding the different types of people within our society. I value the importance of learning about different lifestyles and hopefully, I get the chance to do so in the future with my career. In the process of achieving this goal, I have been receiving the help of being a part of the Umoja program.

Umoja has allowed me to meet so many supportive people that have the same goals as me. As a result, I had a smooth transition from high school and it was easy for me to build strong connections with my counselor and teachers as well. I wish to accomplish so much more with my time at De Anza, as I plan to be more involved with extracurriculars. I am looking forward to facing upcoming challenges, while also experiencing the thrilling moments of my educational journey!