2011 About the Authors
Delta Winds: A Magazine of Student Essays
A Publication of San Joaquin Delta College
2011
About the Authors
These biographical statements were written for publication in 2011.
Dominic Deiro, 20, was born and raised in Stockton, California. He is an avid golfer and San Francisco Giants fan, and he spends his free time working at the Stockton Golf and Country Club, playing sports, and hanging out with his friends. After finishing his prerequisites at San Joaquin Delta College, Dominic wishes to attend either UOP or San Diego State. With a major in communications and a minor in business, he plans to become a sports agent.
Melissa Trindade, 21 years old, has lived in Tracy all of her life. Her single mother has been her strength and support throughout these years. Next fall Melissa hopes to transfer to Sacramento State University; eventually, she plans to become a middle school counselor. She hopes one day to have a published children's book on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Kelley Pheng is 21 years old and is currently attending both Modesto Junior College and Delta College, while also working as a full-time employee. When she is not busy with school or work, she takes the time to travel to different cities in California working with different youth advocacy programs, helping young adults by facilitating workshops that pertain to personal identity, emotional sensitivity, and social issues. She has always had a strong passion for writing, especially poetry.
M. Sharon Conley was born in El Paso, Texas, to immigrant parents from Juarez, Mexico, in 1975. She was raised in Long Beach, California, where she lived until she was nineteen and joined the Navy. She served for twelve years working in communications and lived overseas for most of her time in service. She was married in 1998 to her best friend while living in Naples, Italy. Life got better for her when four years later a son was born while she was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. She currently lives in Stockton with her husband and son. She enjoys snowboarding, photography, and traveling. Sharon is a dedicated wife, mother, and fulltime student. She is pursuing a degree in Speech Pathology and hopes to transfer to UOP soon.
Ally Sabedra is twenty-one years old and currently completing her general education at Delta. After spending two years volunteering as a teacher in Mexico, she is hoping to transfer to a university and graduate with a degree in linguistics. Ally is passionate about sign language, and is also planning on getting a degree in interpreting. With her degrees, she hopes to find work where she can help those in need and help to better the lives of others around the world.
Robin Hazelwood was born and raised in Northern California. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, boating on the Delta, and losing hours in a good book. A mother of two who is awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild, she is attending Delta College to earn her Associate of Science degree in computer science while working full-time for Lodi Unified School District.
Kelly Sydow graduated with two Associate's Degrees from Delta College in the summer of 2010. "I'm in that weird state of limbo where I have so many different interests and things I want to pursue, but I don't know exactly what's next for me." Although she enjoys the type of work where she can help others, her first passion in life is writing. She writes frequently on her website, "The Search for Simplicity," and is exploring opportunities in freelance. Already a published poet, she is also working on completing her first novel and hopes to see her name on the New York Times Best Seller List one day. Kelly is entering her fourth year working in human services, specifically with developmentally disabled adults. "I'm truly delighted that Delta Winds chose to publish my essay, as I feel it exposes a chronic problem in today's society. I hope those who read it will take something significant away from it and do what they can to promote equality across the board. It doesn't matter what your race, gender, sexual orientation or disability is--we are all people."
Rebecca Goldsmith is a 24-year-old student, employee and musician. As a full time student, she works hard to get good grades, while balancing work and recreation (wait, what recreation?). Her current goal is to obtain a degree in biological science, specifically registered nursing, to start. She is an employee at a rehabilitation facility that specializes in aquatic physical therapy. She loves working with people and enjoys the rewarding role she plays in their recovery. She finds time between study sessions for writing music, singing and playing guitar. She has been heavily involved in performing arts and the open mic circuit in Stockton and the Bay Area, and is currently using her talents and gifts to serve her home church REACH Worship Center.