While growing up in Honduras, NOVA-Annandale Student Life Office Manager Rommel Aguilar always knew he wanted to pursue a college education. With English as his second language, Aguilar graduated from NOVA and became the first and only person in his immediate family to earn a college degree. His positive experiences and involvement at NOVA encouraged him to work at his alma mater. “NOVA gave me the opportunity to find my dream job,” he exclaimed. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be mentored by so many faculty, staff and likeminded individuals who have helped with my growth and development. NOVA allowed me to create a platform to express interests that truly matter to me; such as social justice, equality and providing educational opportunities for all students.” Aguilar was raised by his grandparents in El Estero, a small impoverished village in Honduras after his parents divorced. In an effort to seek better opportunities for her family, Aguilar’s mother migrated to the U.S. when he was five-years-old. At 16, he moved to Virginia to reunite with his mother and other family members. Initially, starting school in a new country became a challenge for him due to language barriers and cultural differences. However, he persevered and in only three years, he graduated from Garfield High School in Woodbridge as a Presidential Scholar in 2007. “Although I was academically ready to attend college after high school, I wasn’t financially or mentally ready since I was still adjusting to the educational system in the United States,” Aguilar said. “I did my research and decided to attend NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus in the fall. To pay for my first semester tuition, I worked during the summer with Prince William County Schools as a teacher assistant for their ESL program.” After graduating from NOVA in 2010 with an associate degree in Business Administration, he transferred to James Madison University (JMU) to obtain a bachelor’s degree in International Business with a concentration in Marketing. While attending JMU, Aguilar was involved in several community outreach and civic leadership organizations. In spring 2011, he joined the Alpha Omicron Chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., a community service based fraternal organization that works to increase educational opportunities for underrepresented groups at colleges and universities across the nation. He was also involved with the Latino Student Alliance, Circle K, and was the founder of the Social Justice League to promote awareness on social injustice issues. In June 2014, he began his career at NOVA-Woodbridge as an educational support specialist, where he served in this position for almost four years. Based on his own personal experiences, Aguilar was one of several Woodbridge faculty members involved in an initial conversation to form MAN UP, a minority male mentoring and leadership development program designed to promote the personal, social development and academic improvement of NOVA students. Since its inception in 2013, the program has expanded to NOVA’s Manassas, Alexandria and Annandale campuses. As a MAN UP program leader and mentor, Aguilar received the 2017 Advisor of the Year award for his commitment to the program’s vision and mission. His active involvement with MAN UP aligned with his goals to create supportive relationships that will help minority males overcome barriers toward college graduation. Aguilar also received the 2013 La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. Regional Excellence Award. Currently, he serves as founder and president of the JMU Latino Alumni Network and scholarship coordinator for Virginia Latino Higher Education Network Scholarship Program. “Being able to work with students one-on-one and seeing them from the very first time they enter my office as a first-year student to walking across the commencement stage as a NOVA graduate is rewarding,” he said. “I want to help each student accomplish their own unique goals and excel despite their individual circumstances. It rekindles the memories of whom I use to be and why NOVA is so important in attributing to my success.” Media Contact: Kristina Ogburn | 703.503.6338 | kogburn@nvcc.edu

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is pleased to announce an innovative degree offering designed to address one of the most pressing skill-demands in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and the nation. As part of a collaboration between Amazon Web Services’ AWS Educate program and NOVA, the College will offer a Cloud Computing specialization as part of its Information Systems Technology (IST) associate of applied science degree starting in Fall 2018. The degree program will be one of t

Husband and wife dynamic duo Elizabeth and James Williams are excited to walk down the aisle again, but this time the song selection will be to Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance.” The Williams couple, who will celebrate their first wedding anniversary in June, will graduate together during NOVA’s 52nd Spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. Like many young married couples, the Williams who met on Nov. 4, 2014 at Fairfax Courthouse Plaza Shopping Center, became busy with life’s responsibilities and considered many options for a better future together. At 26, Elizabeth enrolled at NOVA’s Annandale Campus in 2015, with James to shortly follow in the summer at 31. Both admitted to being apprehensive about starting school later in life. In the end, their love and mutual support surpassed their fears and the couple started their journey as college students. “NOVA quickly became the perfect go to place for me,” Elizabeth said. “When I first enrolled, I was really self-conscious because I felt like I was too old to go back to school at 26. I honestly felt like I did not belong here because everyone else seemed much younger than myself in all of my classes. James and I had just started dating around the time I was considering going back to school and he really encouraged me to go for it. I knew I wanted to do something different with my life and since taking that initial step, I’ve turned into a completely different person.” When the couple reflect on their experiences at NOVA, both point to all levels of support they received from other students, faculty and staff. They each became very involved with campus organizations. Both are members of the Youth Christian Association (YCA) student club and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), with Elizabeth serving as president and James as vice-president of scholarship. For the past two years, Elizabeth has worked at NOVA, currently as an education support specialist with the College’s call center and previously with parking services at the Annandale Campus. James works full-time as a local carpenter. “Without getting involved with PTK and YCA and receiving assistance from professors and advisors, I don’t think I would have gotten this far,” said James. “There was always someone at NOVA who was there to help me every step of the way to prepare me for a better future.” Originally from El Paso, Texas, James said he enjoyed attending NOVA with his wife. It became routine for them to often have classes around the same time, ride together to and from campus and even become each other’s lab partner in Biology 101. “Going back to school with my wife became fun,” James exclaimed. “We always kept each other on track and held one another accountable for completing assignments and not missing classes. We became a constant source of encouragement for each other.” “We even became a little competitive at times,” Elizabeth added. “Especially whenever James would get better grades than me and I felt like I had to step it up. He helped me a lot with my homework and class projects. Several times we were both placed on the Presidential Scholars and Dean’s lists.” Currently residing in Annandale, Elizabeth will graduate this Saturday magna cum laude with an associate degree in business administration and James as cum laude, with an associate’s in general studies and certificate of construction supervision. Last spring, Elizabeth began taking classes at George Mason University (GMU) to pursue her bachelor’s degree in accounting. James will follow his lovely wife to GMU this summer to start his journey toward a bachelor’s degree in individualized study, with a concentration in management and Spanish. The couple also plans to continue their studies at GMU as graduate students, with Elizabeth earning her CPA and possibly an MBA and James will enroll in the university’s accelerated master’s program to earn a degree in project management. “The longest part of the journey is before you take your first step,” James expressed. “But as long as you start the journey, regardless of how long it takes for you to go back to school, whether you just take one class or start a full semester, the greatest feeling is realizing that one day you’ll become a college graduate.” Media Contact: Kristina Ogburn | 703.503.6338 | kogburn@nvcc.edu

As a child growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, Michael Turner was not a huge fan of attending school. He was placed in special education classes from the time he first began school up until the ninth grade. Despite several odds against him, he is now able to share with students his story of adoption, overcoming obstacles and the importance of education as the Dean of Students at Northern Virginia Community College’s Woodbridge Campus. Based on his lack of enthusiasm for learning new concepts, Turner said his teachers believed he had a learning disability at an early age. It was not until his ninth grade English teacher discovered his advanced reading comprehension level that he was able to transition into a traditional classroom and graduate high school as an honor student. “When I was younger, I didn’t want anything to do with school or learning for that matter,” Turner said. “One day after class, I noticed my English teacher had a copy of William Shakespeare’s Othello on her desk. I picked up the book and started reading it aloud. She was so surprised that I could understand the words and pronounce each one correctly. She told the school principal that I was gifted in such a way that I shouldn’t be in special education classes.” After receiving a full academic scholarship, Turner went on to further pursue his education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and a master’s degree in higher education administration. He is currently completing a doctorate program in higher education administration from West Virginia University. Turner overcame adversities in learning with support from his adoptive parents. His biological mother battled with drug addiction, while his biological father was deported based on his affiliation as a drug dealer. As a newborn, Turner suffered with medical complications and was placed in foster care. At 10 days old, his adoptive mother noticed him having a difficult time adjusting to receiving medical care and inquired further about his family’s situation. “My biological mother was 20 years old when she had me and I never knew my father,” he shared. “When I was first born, she put me up for adoption. I received several medical treatments because drugs were in my system as a newborn. One day, my adoptive mother was visiting the hospital and noticed me in the NICU crying hysterically. When I grew older, she would often tell me from the moment she first tried to comfort me, she knew I was going to be her son.” Turner became the youngest of nine children growing up in a middle-class family of hard-working parents that he affectionately refers to as “The Turners.” His father worked as a steel mill operator and his mother as a nurse’s aide. Although both of his adoptive parents are now deceased, he credits them for his success. “My parents, the Turner’s, raised me to tell the truth and speak from my heart,” Turner said. “My parents gave me so much love and they didn’t have to do that. After finding out details regarding my biological mother, I decided last year to write her a letter to introduce myself. I did not want anything from her, but just to let her know that I was doing well. She responded and last year during the Thanksgiving holiday, I visited my hometown and we met for the very first time. My biological mother did the best thing she could every do for me, she gave me the opportunity to live a fulfilling life.” Turner has shared his story with countless NOVA students in hopes to serve as an example of what it looks like to overcome life’s unforeseen challenges. He described his role of serving students at the Woodbridge Campus to be the most rewarding job he has obtained throughout his professional career. “The most rewarding part of my job at NOVA is having a front row seat of observing students reach their fullest potential,” Turner said. “The best way to describe NOVA understands this College is a living laboratory of human experiences.” Media Contact: Kristina Ogburn | 703.503.6338 | kogburn@nvcc.edu