Cerro Coso’s East Kern campus students receive degrees, certificates

A total of 77 students from Cerro Coso Community College’s East Kern Campus — including 51 from Tehachapi — received degrees or certificates on May 12. They were among nearly 600 Cerro Coso students honored during a ceremony held at the college’s main campus in Ridgecrest.

According to Saya Novinger, marketing specialist for the college, some students from Tehachapi are also graduating from Tehachapi High School at the end of the current semester. Two of those students — Gabriela Gutierrez and Karina Valadez — participated in the college’s dual enrollment program. The program allowed them to earn college credit while in high school.

According to Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Stacey Larson-Everson, other THS students used the dual enrollment program to earn Digital Marketing and Media Certificates at the college — and another student

graduating on June 8 received an emergency medical technician certificate.

Students receiving Digital Media and Marketing certificates included 12 seniors, six juniors and three sophomores, Larson-Everson said.

Among students receiving at least one associate’s degree, Novinger said, were Christopher Ryoko Anderson, Amy Aviles,

Jocelyn Michelle Botello, Tracy Frank Cartwright, Mark Robert Cusimano, Breawna Marie Diefenderfer, Daniel Leo Donelson, Amber Rose Dubel, Skylar Leanna Dunham, Dorothy Jean Edwards, Elizabeth Espinoza, Ulrich Allen Lada Ford, Ashton Albert Geddes, Tanya Y. George, Gabriela M. Gutierrez, Rachel Ann Hegle, Steven Christopher

Hegle, Ashley Rose Herion, Casey Tate Meadows, Max Meza, Ashley Lyn Neaderbaomer, Nicholas Bert Neaderbaomer, Giselle Ayleen Cardenas Padilla, Ethan Deny Reese, Hannah Marie Solorio, Savanna Rose Sterk, Madison P. Stewart, Daniel Chandler Trumbull, Karina Ariatna Valadez and Alexia Annette Wilsted.

Saya noted that one of

those students — Jocelyn Botello — graduated with three associate’s degrees. One is in psychology and two in different concentrations of liberal arts — arts and humanities and social and behavioral sciences.

In a student spotlight article published on the college’s website in December, Botello said she graduated early from THS to begin studies at Cerro Coso, starting with online courses during the pandemic.

Two 2023 THS grads — Gutierrez and Valadez — also earned multiple degrees through the dual enrollment program.

Gutierrez received two associate’s degrees — one in administration of justice and the other in liberal arts, social and behavioral sciences. Valadez earned three associate’s degrees — one in business administration and two in different concentrations of liberal arts — arts and humanities and social and behavioral sciences.

Novinger noted that Cerro Coso’s dual enrollment program is free for high school students.

“We are very proud of both Gabriela and Karina, as well as students who earned their Digital Media and Marketing Certificates,” Larson-Everson said. “We greatly value our partnership with Cerro Coso Community College and the opportunities our partnership affords TUSD students.”