Alum Reem Graduates CC of Aurora with 4.0

(Editor’s Note: This press release was forwarded to us by the Community College of Aurora, and it is certainly worthy to be shared with all. Congratulations to Reem!)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DISABLED STUDENT RISES TO THE CHALLENGE TO GRADUATE

Reem Hamodi Graduates with 4.0 GPA

May 9, 2016 – Aurora, CO – When Reem Hamodi arrived in the United States five years ago from Iraq, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

She felt isolated because her English wasn’t perfect and communicating with others was a challenge, especially because Hamodi is also blind.

Despite those challenges, Hamodi graduated from the Community College of Aurora on May 7 with an Associate of Arts degree in psychology and with a 4.0 grade point average with the intention of becoming a psychology professor.

Hamodi grew up in Iraq and lived in several countries such as Jordan, Syria, and Libya.
“There were no services for blind people in my country,” she said, referring to Iraq.

She said it was the happiest day of her life when she arrived in the U.S. “I attended Colorado Center for the Blind for eight months to learn how to cook, travel, read, and write Braille. I felt arriving here was the starting point for my success.” After graduating from the Colorado Center for the Blind, Hamodi began taking classes at the Community College of Aurora in 2012.

Hamodi has overcome many obstacles by learning the technology and social skills she has needed to become an independent person. Working with CCA’s Accessibility Services Office, students like Hamodi receive equipment and continuous support to help them realize their potential.

For example, students learn to use JAWS, a screen reader technology, which helps them read assignments that instructors place on the web. Hamodi also had a tutor for math and a talking graphing calculator to help her through math classes.

Hamodi has this advice for students with disabilities: “Think about your possibilities instead of your limitations,” she said. “Be positive about your life and do not give up to your life’s struggles.”

This was the largest graduating class in the college’s history, with 326 students graduating.

About the Community College of Aurora
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) has campuses at CentreTech and Lowry in the greater Denver area. Equipped with the latest technologies, CCA allows students to study new and traditional programs, while also offering Colorado online classes and degrees. CCA’s service community includes 325,000 people in a 350 square-mile area and CCA’s student population reflects the diversity of this community. The college provides lifelong educational opportunities, prepares the current workforce, and promotes excellence in teaching, learning and service. For more information, visit us at www.ccaurora.edu.