By Joel R. Paramo Despite the fact that social welfare major Martel Okonji, 22, is up to his neck in homework, he refuses to take a moment to sit down and relax. In his final year at California State University, Northridge, he is active in many organizations on campus, but they’re all inclusive to his major. Okonji has overcome adversity and depression and has blossomed into an active member of the LGBT Alliance, the Queer People of Color Conference, and… Read more
Daniel Santana-Hernandez, 22, grew up with the cards stacked against him, although he probably wouldn’t tell you that. Santana-Hernandez grew up in Lynwood, Calif., near Los Angeles. At the time, Lynwood was an area that fell prey to multiple rival gangs and an ever-increasing epidemic of violent crimes. While his older brother and sister got caught up in the gang life, Santana-Hernandez did his best to steer clear of that path, though he admits it was hard as his… Read more
It’s no secret that bad things happen to good people. Some ask ‘why’ they were a target for life’s misgivings and others find solace in the belief that everything happens for a reason. When Liora Paniz was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, a type of cancer that affects the lymph nodes, she chose the latter. Paniz, 26, is studying for her second BA in Religious Studies. She received her first BA in History from UCLA in 2007. After graduation she decided… Read more
It is hard to imagine how senior sociology major Zinaida Hozdic can be so engaging given all she has been through. With her ear-to-ear smile, piercing blue eyes and rosy cheeks, she lives her life happily. It’s as though the first half of it never happened. “I have to,” Hozdic said. “If I wasn’t, I’d be one of those people trying to kill themselves right now.” The youngest of six children, Hozdic was born on Jan. 1, 1989. She lived… Read more
Hakeem Animashaun has accomplished more at 20 years of age than most people his age. The second year marketing major is the co-founder of Cokeem Media an up-and-coming production business where everyone is a celebrity. It is an attention-catching website with an artistic feel that serves as a place to network and promote their business. Animashaun is the creative director of Cokeem Media. His older brother and two friends serve as the financial planner, artistic director and photographer. After dedicating… Read more
“You hear all the sounds, you smell all the smells, the hearsay that you hear from the side,” he said. “It’s an entrancing, engaging experience.” Each squeaky pedal that Hakeem Davis makes on his bicycle as he reaches the top of Griffith Park is like a cross-country train entering a station. Davis rides around at the top for a few minutes to catch his breath and wipe the sweat trailing down his brow. “With my bike, it helps me feel… Read more
Kristina Maglic got her first glimpse of poverty as a toddler when her father’s love for surfing brought her and her family to Mexico. While there, Maglic spent a significant part of her childhood living in a motor home with her family. Her parents had her bring her toys to Mexico and distribute them to homeless children which instilled her with empathy for the poor and less fortunate. Maglic dedicated her life to humanitarianism at the age of six. As… Read more
Many people aren’t lucky enough to find their life-long passion as a child, but DeAnne Destler found just that at 6 years old when she discovered acting. Destler, 21, theatre major, said she first discovered acting after seeing a family friend in a play. Immediately awestruck, Destler convinced her family to enroll her in musical theatre classes. “It was so strange that I got into it, ironic really, because I was really shy as a child. So, I suppose theatre… Read more
At a cursory glance, some might say there are two distinct sides to senior Jeremy Quant’s life: the creative and the ambitious. There is Quant the artist, who surrounds himself with other creative types and craves all that is imaginative, colorful, and strange. And then there is Quant the businessman, who reminds himself daily what his life goals are while trying to balance his classes and work. Yet for Quant, 22, his creative and ambitious sides are one and the… Read more