On May 9, 2025, Laney College hosted its annual EOPS/CARE/NextUP/CalWORKs Awards Celebration at Preservation Park in Oakland, honoring students whose academic journeys have been supported by these transformative programs. Held under the theme "Unity, Collaboration, Innovation: Strengthening Bridges for Student Success," the event celebrated perseverance, community, and educational achievement.
Laney College is proud to celebrate a landmark achievement by The Citizen’s co-editor in chief, Lylah Schmedel-Permanna, who has been selected as one of only three national IRE/ProPublica fellows. The prestigious fellowship includes an all-expenses-paid trip to the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Conference this June in New Orleans, where Lylah will join a select group of journalists from across the country.
Meet Hameed Alghaithi, a Berkeley City College student following his dreams with the help of EOPS!
The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is a state-funded program designed to provide support services to low-income and academically-disadvantaged students to become successful in college. EOPS is available to assist students with support services like early registration, academic counseling, career guidance, tutoring, book grants, transfer assistance, and tons more.
Nani Perry shares her supportive experience from Umoja Community, which focuses on the African American Diaspora and others who are interested in the African American Diaspora. She states that Umoja provides students with college tours, conferences, and resources, and helps students choose their classes.
The Peralta Colleges Foundation hosted a vibrant and inspiring "Spring Forward Meet and Greet" on Tuesday evening, April 29th, in downtown Oakland, bringing together students, alumni, educators, and community leaders to celebrate the Peralta Community College District and the vital role the Foundation plays in supporting its students.
On Thursday, May 1, 2025, on a glorious spring day in Oakland, we kicked off “Smile Season” and the month-long celebration of student successes throughout the district. Following the tradition of Libations by Kimm Blackwell, Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson warmly welcomed attendees to the Peralta Association of African American Affairs (PAAAA) Scholarship Awardee Reception, expressing her joy in celebrating the extraordinary student scholars. She began by acknowledging and thanking the PAAAA Scholarship Committee for their dedication in making the event possible.
A dedicated group of faculty representatives from the Peralta Community College District recently joined colleagues from across the state at the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) 2025 Spring Plenary Session.
by Vila Phetsilasack, Merritt College Class of 2025 Graduate
This is a story of resilience, a refusal to let someone else’s prophecy become my reality.
I came to the U.S. at 13 years old, stepping into a life that was supposed to offer opportunity. But early on, someone said, "Raising someone else’s child is a bad idea." That wasn’t just a comment, it became a curse they tried to fulfill. Every barrier thrown at me felt like it was placed there to prove them right.
Nick Arata remembers watching car repair programs on TV with his grandfather when he was growing up. He always wanted to know how things work and how to fix them when they broke. He started taking Auto classes at COA right out of high school.
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Channel 27: Alameda, Berkeley
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AT&T U-Verse Channel 99
