Student Spotlight
The Undergraduate Programs faculty and staff understand the challenges students face as they try to juggle school with home and work responsibilities. Each student has an amazing story to tell and we honor your commitment and fortitude. Once per term, the team of student advisors in Undergraduate Programs selects three students who exemplify extraordinary character and strength. These particular students stand out because of their skillful management of their lives while continuously making academic progress. Their stories have resonated with our team, and will hopefully inspire you as well.
Joanna Neilsen
BS.BUSN.ACCT student, Joanna Neilsen, has something to be proud of and something to aim for. Since beginning the program in May 2010 she has maintained a 4.0 GPA, completed 33 units, built her own bookkeeping business, and started a full time Controller position at a San Francisco start-up company. Joanna is happy she chose GGU stating, "I am pleased to say I have learned a great deal while attending GGU and feel that the money spent has been well worth the education I have obtained. I look forward to the challenges to come in completing my degree at GGU."
Her biggest hurdle has been balance. Maintaining a high GPA while also handling the demands of career, family and relationships has been challenging. Looking to finish her degree in 2012, she hopes to go on to pass the CPA exam. From there, Joanna will work towards becoming a CFO in her current company or another company if the opportunity arises.The scholarship award recipient of both the San Francisco Chapter of CalCPA and the Financial Women's Association of San Francisco, Joanna has a lot to be proud of! Her secret to success: "Never give up! It has not been easy, but the pride I will feel as I walk down the aisle to get my degree will be priceless and will make all these struggles worth the years of hard work and determination!" Congratulations, Joanna! Never give up!For more information about this scholarship please visit The Financial Women's Associate of San Francisco Scholarship Fund |  |
Joanna Neilsen, Accounting
|
|
Jeff Fish
Jeff Fish was born in Indianapolis, Indiana but now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and is very active in the community. He recently signed up to participate in his first triathlon to raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Jeff made a commitment to raise $2,200, and topped his personal bar of $3,000 by bringing in $3,600. He also met his own goal "to have fun and get in shape."During training, Jeff juggled classes at Golden Gate University and his job as a Senior Business Continuity and Emergency Planning Specialist at PG&E. He also traveled to the Midwest to support family during the deaths of two of his aunts and the illness of his grandmother. This time away did impact his triathlon readiness and well as his studies, but Jeff's commitment and ambition to keep working on his Bachelors degree helped to pull him through.Jeff is also active at Golden Gate University at the Wellness Center where he helps students, faculty and staff gain the ability to achieve spiritual development. He plans on finishing his studies in his Bachelor of Science program and possibly continue on for his MBA at Golden Gate University.
| |
Jeff Fish, Management
|
|
Murat Wahab
Born in Melaka, Malaysia, Murat grew up in a family of limited means whose goal for him was to simply get decent factory work like so many of his relatives. He learned quickly to strive for his absolute best and that education was an opportunity to change his circumstances. He always had a dream to pursue higher education outside of Malaysia, but due to financial constraints, he opted to obtain a full-time job after high school. He overcame many hardships to obtain employment at a hotel, which started his career in hotel management. He held increasingly responsible positions in Food and Beverage Management and Reservations in Malaysia, and his stellar performance in these positions earned him a scholarship awarded to him by his employer. He went to college and earned a diploma in Hotel and Catering Management in 1994.
After a successful stint as a Sales Manager at a hotel in Vietnam, Murat was finally ready to take his talents away from Southeast Asia and arrived in the United States in 2000 with two suitcases, a fistful of cash, and a dream. After a few positions in hotel management in and around San Francisco, he left the industry to pursue higher education, but stopped out after finishing his lower division coursework to refocus his career goals. In 2005 he began a successful career in banking, and has been awarded several accolades since for his work in sales and business relationships. Murat began his studies at Golden Gate University in 2010, determined to finally complete the degree that had eluded him these long years. Like so many Golden Gate undergraduates, Murat juggled a career, life, and school obligations, but the hard work paid off when he landed on the Dean's List while maintaining his position in the top three percent of performers in his company.He says, "Lifelong dreams do come true, and if I can make it, others can too. I hope my story will inspire others to achieve their dreams too. Nothing is too late in life."
| |
 Murat Wahab, Management
|
|
Academic Programs
