Oakton Voices Archive

Victor Leca

Published on January 16, 2024

After immigrating to the United States from Brazil in March 2020, Victor Leca set his sights on a college degree. Read More

Oakton alum Steven Gan knows firsthand the experience of caring for a loved one. He embarked on an educational journey at Oakton, where he found a community of professors and advisors who encouraged him to explore a new career in the medical field. Read More

Sanele Stewart

Published on January 10, 2024

When Sanele Stewart graduated from high school, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do next. Read More

Lydia Delgado

Published on December 8, 2023

Lydia Delgado found her path at Oakton as she completed pre-requisite courses needed before her Doctoral in Occupational Therapy degree at University of Illinois Chicago. Read More

Elizabeth Perez

Published on December 7, 2023

Elizabeth Perez is a driven and passionate student whose journey to a fulfilling career in nursing began while she was still in high school. Read More

Marco Moreno

Published on December 5, 2023

As the first in his family to go to college, Marco Moreno has paved a path for himself and for those who follow in his footsteps. Read More

Lydia Cruz

Published on December 4, 2023

Growing up in Guam, Lydia Cruz felt at home with the island’s distinctive culture and diverse population. Then she moved to the Chicago area at age 12 and entered what felt like a different world. Read More

Engineering Grads

Published on November 30, 2023

Oakton grads Michael Ciupinski, Alan Connor, Chris Iliopoulos and Antonio Mercado are finding out what it's like to join one of the country's best engineering school in their junior year through Oakton’s University of Illinois Engineering Pathways program. Read More

Jerrod Tucker

Published on November 29, 2023

Meet Jerrod W. Tucker—Distinguished Alumni Honoree ’23, Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame inductee and head coach of the Jacksonville 95ers. Beyond his achievements, Jerrod’s story is about the power of connections, inspiring a ripple effect of giving. Read More

Filza Ali

Published on October 11, 2023

Oakton alum Filza Ali loves learning and understanding systems. She applies her pre-med biology degree from Loyola University to a career in biotechnology with the company Tempus, where she is an operations analyst. Read More

Julian Thompson

Published on October 2, 2023

Distinguished Alumni honoree ’23, Julian Thompson, Ph.D., holds space for the complex and nuanced identities of the people he works with. Read about his work as an Assistant Professor of Criminology at University of Illinois Chicago. Read More

Susanna Wagner

Published on August 31, 2023

"Honestly, even before I had my nursing license, I knew nursing ran in my veins: medicine and helping others is part of my identity." Read how Oakton nursing alum, class of 2020, Susanna Wagner's calling became her career. Read More

Amber Johnson

Published on June 28, 2023

As the cannabis industry continues to evolve in Illinois, Amber Johnson is evolving her skills with it. She’s pursuing all three Cannabis Studies certificates at Oakton, with the goal to one day start a propagation center or become a craft grower. Read More

Nzelu Maitha

Published on June 14, 2023

In life—and in golf—patience, focus and confidence can really pay off. Oakton alum Nzelu Maitha has proven this time after time—as a student athlete and as a marketing and communications professional. Nzelu is one of the most prolific golfers in Oakton history. Read More

Ely Lemus

Published on June 8, 2023

“What I love about Oakton’s early childhood education program is that it’s giving me the theory for the knowledge I have already from being a mom.” Read how Ely turned her parenting skills into career skills. Read More

Consuelo Moreno

Published on May 9, 2023

After a 30-year break from school in which she moved to the U.S. and raised two daughters, Consuelo Moreno decided it was time to earn her high school diploma. She heard from a friend that Oakton offers high school equivalency preparation courses in Spanish. And now, a year later, she’s preparing to take the stage as the high school equivalency speaker at Oakton’s 2023 commencement ceremony. Read More

Faheem Memon

Published on May 4, 2023

Faheem Memon ’11 is an Oakton alum, a reliability engineer at Lockheed Martin, and someone who “followed his bliss” all the way to working on NASA Orion’s Artemis Project. After a ten-year career in the aviation, mining, gas and oil industries, his education and experiences prepared him for this role – the pinnacle of his career. Memon credits his start at Oakton, the freedom to explore his interests and the lifelong friendships built here as a catalyst for his success. Read More

Zarina Sayed

Published on May 1, 2023

The saying goes: “Success is when preparation meets opportunity.” Zarina Sayed, an Oakton Women’s Tennis player and upcoming competitor in the NJCAA Division I Women's Tennis National Championship Tournament, would agree and amend the saying slightly. Read More

Sheena Benson

Published on March 30, 2023

When Sheena decided it was time to make a change in her life, she knew the first step would be going back to school. Oakton provides a supportive environment where she is pursuing her goal to become a middle school counselor. Read More

Tyson Dean

Published on March 2, 2023

Tyson Dean is a member of the BLACK Student Success Program and the Emory Williams Academy for Black Men. After taking some time off during the pandemic, Tyson decided to come back to Oakton to earn an associate degree. Read More

Bushra Khan

Published on November 29, 2022

Bushra Khan won the gold medal in the poetry category of the Phi Ro Pi national community college speech competition for her piece, “Islam in America: A Poetic Program on Power, Peace and Possibility.” Read More

Christian Vega

Published on November 10, 2022

Christian Vega served for three years in Alaska employed as an Aerial Port Airmen—also known as a Port Dog—in the Passenger Service Center. Read More

Matt Schiavone

Published on October 5, 2022

Matt Schiavone feels storytelling is at the core of social justice work. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University and working for several years at a youth nonprofit in Chicago, he realized he could apply his passion for storytelling to make a difference in the world. Read More