Two Scholarships are Given each Year!
John Coates Memorial ESL Scholarship
The John Coates Memorial Scholarship is given each year to one outstanding ESL student. Named after John Coates, a long-time OCC instructor who played a key role in forming the ESL department, this scholarship is given to students with excellent performance in ESL classes and positive interaction with others of various nationalities and cultures.
So Nguyen Memorial Scholarship
The So Nguyen Memorial Scholarship is given each year to one outstanding ESL student. Named after So Nguyen, a long-time OCC instructor who inspired his students and colleagues to do their best at all times and to persevere in challenging circumstances, this scholarship is given to students with excellent performance in ESL classes and positive interaction with others of various nationalities and cultures.
We encourage ESL students to apply!
In order to apply, get an application from an ESL advisor or download the ESL Scholarship Application [PDF].
You will need to follow these steps:
- Complete both sides of this application form.
- Ask a current or former ESL instructor at OCC for a recommendation.
- Submit the application and recommendation to Dr. Diane Colvin (Lit & Lang 134) or Dr. María Lerma (Lit & Lang 136).
Ms. Thanh Chau Nguyen is the 2020 recipient of the So Van Nguyen Memorial Scholarship.
Ms. Nguyen said, "I came to the USA from a small beautiful village of South Vietnam 4 years ago. My major is Business Administration and International Business. Besides that, I am very interested in Real Estate and I am pursuing being granted the Real Estate Salesperson Certificate of Specialization.I am a very optimist person in every way. I like to communicate with people. In my free time, I love cooking, walking, working out, and listening to music. I am very interested in a heathy lifestyle."
Ms. Nguyen was chosen because of her excellent grades and because she collaborates well with people of different ethnic and language backgrounds. She is very helpful, respectful, and cheerful. Her energy lights up the classroom; also, her lively sense of humor makes class discussions interesting. We wish Ms. Nguyen the best of success in her academic, professional, and personal endeavors.
Ms. Thi Thanh Thao Tuong is the 2020 recipient of the John Coates Memorial Scholarship.
Ms. Tuong has a 3.94 GPA; she wants to pursue a career in the field of biomedical engineering. She has taken both ELL and ESL classes.
According to Ms. Tuong, "I have been so happy and grateful when I have a chance to study in OCC's professional education environment and receive enthusiastic instruction from all OCC ideal professors. For a new immigrant student like me, a college program which is all in English—my second language-- is not easy to understand clearly and follow smoothly all things; however, with OCC ESL professors' warm encouragement and support, they step by step help me improve my English in both communication and academic attainment that makes me feel much better to continue on my way. I am very happy to follow OCC professors' suitable and rational timetable, receive updated lecture videos for reviewing or practicing, quick response, and concise explanation to students' questions, which help the progress to be good to go through and catch up. Moreover, they provide new modern software, improve students' soft skills, and additional interesting knowledge to make the lectures more interesting and easier to understand. I consider myself very lucky that I chose to become a [member of the OCC community]."
Her former professor, Dr. Diane Colvin, says, "In addition to her intellect and academic accomplishments, she was kind and helpful to all her classmates and got along with everyone. I know this quality too will take her far in work teams and organizations even beyond academia."
Ms. Thao Anna Nguyen is our 2017 Scholarship Recipient.
She is now attending UC Berkeley, majoring in Economics. She is pictured with Professor Laurie Barton at Honors Night.
Thao Anna Nguyen, an international student from Vietnam, is currently a senior at UC Berkeley, pursuing a B.S. in Economics. She said, "I like to travel, exercise, and cook. My professional goal is to get into the consulting, investment, and analytics industries. In summer 2018, I did an internship for private equity as business analysis. In summer 2020, I did an internship remotely for a tech company in project management and data analytics. I love both internships because the experience has helped me to determine what I want to do in the future."
"Choosing OCC was a great choice because OCC has helped me to achieve my goal of transferring to the UC system and developing my leadership skills. I was a Student Senator, a member of the Advocacy Committee, and a board member of several clubs. ESL classes were my favorite classes at OCC, besides economics and math classes. I took all of my ESL classes with Dr. Lerma, and I feel grateful that she was my professor. In ESL classes, I learned a lot of things about life, science, and myself. It also improved my self-esteem, English, communication, and teamwork skills. Without OCC and the ESL department, I do not think that I could have achieved so much and gotten to where I am today."
We in the ESL Department congratulate Ms. Nguyen on her accomplishments. Her outgoing personality, persistence, and hard work have gotten her to where she is today. She will continue to go a long way.
