Two GateWay Community College students, who have taken very diverse paths to get to GateWay, were recognized as part of the All Arizona Academic team at an awards ceremony on March 1. Each receives a scholarship that covers tuition at any of Arizona’s three state universities.
Below are their stories.
Rebeka Moreno never thought that when her folklorico troupe was invited to dance at GateWay at 10 years old, that she would be attending the college several years later.
Moreno was born in Tucson, but has lived in Phoenix most of her life. She attended Arcadia High School where she was part of the Salsa dance club, but wasn’t as involved in other clubs as she wished she would have been.
That changed when she came to GateWay to complete her Associate in Arts degree, with an emphasis in psychology. Not only did she get involved, she even traveled overseas for the first time in her life to Prague as part of the Study Abroad program at GateWay.
She is or has been involved with the TRiO program, Honors, various college clubs, Student Activity Management Council, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, and works at the Learning Center.
Once she graduates in May, Moreno plans to continue her studies at Arizona State University where she hopes to pursue her passion for dance and performing arts. Moreno is a folklorico dancer at Ollin Dance Academy, where not only does she take dance classes, but is also an instructor.
She describes herself as a very liberal artsy person because of her interests in music, dance, art and film. While she considers her personality more of an introvert, she loves to be on stage, and meet people, and that’s where her extrovert side shines through.
“I want to live my life to its fullest potential, inspire others, and I a firm believer in having faith in God to guide the path,” says Moreno.
Dustin Johnson’s path to GateWay was more like an adventure.
One Greyhound Bus ride and an encounter with a young Native American man started him on his road to GateWay and changed his life. Some may call this meeting serendipity (or synchronicity).
Growing up in Tennessee, Johnson was a high school dropout, raised by a single mom, moved more than 30 times growing up – he stopped counting after 30 – and understands homelessness and poverty firsthand. He had to drop out of high school to work to help pay bills.
About two years ago, on his way to Arizona on that Greyhound Bus the young man he met gave him a business card with his email on one side and Phoenix Job Corps (PJC) on the back side. After arriving in Phoenix, he signed up with PJC days before the cut off age of 25.
Through PJC he completed his high school equivalency, got a driver’s license and
chose carpentry as a training option. Through PJC, he was able to continue his education at GateWay to work on his Associate of Applied Science degree in Water Technologies, which he expects to complete by Fall 2019.
Living near water his entire life and then moving to a desert, he recognized the importance of water management immediately.
“It especially hit home after I planned to go fishing in the Agua Fria River after looking at a map,” he says. “Once I arrived I found rocks and dirt.”
Johnson is involved in the PTK Honors Society, TRiO, the Math Club, and in the new Music Club available at the Washington Campus. He takes classes at both the Surprise-GateWay Training Facility -- a joint agreement with the City of Surprise and the college where water and wastewater education and training is held -- as well as the Washington Campus and online.
He plans to enter the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University and does not plan to stop learning.
“A path was laid out for me; I just had to find it,” says Johnson. “It was magical how everything came together for me.”