Professor Laurel DiGangi Honors Our Graduating Tutors
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides academic support to students through The Writing Center (TWC) and Math, Science, & Subject Tutoring Center (MSST). This May, eight of our peer-tutors from a wide variety of backgrounds and majors will be graduating. These tutors have assisted their fellow students by helping them develop their writing skills and increasing their understanding of course material. They’ve also provided many students with a sense of community and belonging. “Our tutors have had a major impact on the academic success of their fellow students,” says Laurel DiGangi, Coordinator of Tutoring Services. “As they enter their professional lives, I’m certain they will bring the same talent, work ethic, and emotional intelligence to their careers that they did in their role as tutors.”
Eloy Sanchez (MSST) will receive a BA in architecture and minor in applied computer science media arts. He considers his major accomplishment the pavilion he and other architecture students built for studio 8 at 1:1 scale and assembled on site, using a robot arm to carve out complex joints. “It was definitely a tough semester,” says Eloy, “but worth the results.” His goal is to get licensed and start his own firm.
Homer Torres (TWC) will earn his BBA in Accounting. He recently interned with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. “The program was challenging and fun,” says Homer. “I enjoyed learning about our tax system, and this experience will surely help me in my journey to become a CPA.” Homer has already started that journey by assisting some of his fellow tutors with their tax returns.
Iapri “Storm” Summerville (TWC) will earn her BA in fine arts in game art and design. She says that her most recent accomplishment was getting her schoolwork done on schedule, so she had time to visit someplace special. “I finally was able to go to the Griffith Park Observatory as a treat to myself,” she says. Her near future goals are to land a 3D modeling job within the next year.
Kay Ng (TWC) will earn her BA in interior design. She recently became the teaching assistant of Woodbury’s lighting design class. “This opportunity has given me confidence to launch myself into the lighting design field with teaching experience,” says Kay. She will soon be doing an internship for a furniture and lighting designer and hopes to become an industrial designer.
Loc Do (MSST) will earn his BA in architecture. He recently interned at Brandon Architects, where he says he gained a broad range of skills and much practical experience. “The firm is located near Newport Beach and our clients were mostly on the shoreline,” says Loc, “so I got to do a lot of fieldwork by the pier which I really enjoyed.” Loc’s future goal is to work in architecture abroad.
Maria Carabali (MSST) will earn her BFA in filmmaking. Her goal is to find an office job at a studio in a development role. Maria is proud to have completed the rigorous filmmaking program and to have earned her degree. Math and Science chair Dr. Annie Chu notes that “Maria has attained great success in math and science GE classes and is a well-liked tutor.”
Michael Sarancik (MSST) will earn a BS in computer science in data analytics with a minor in applied computer science. “My proudest accomplishment at Woodbury was getting onto the Dean’s list, maintaining a 3.5+ GPA every semester for the past five years,” says Michael. His future goal is to reach a senior data analyst position—hopefully where he can work remotely.
Sophia Maldonado (TWC and formerly MSST) will graduate with a BFA in filmmaking with a concentration in creative producing and a minor in professional writing. Her most recent accomplishment was getting accepted into Mount Saint Mary University’s Film, Television, and Photography MFA program. Her goal is to be a showrunner.