Disabled Valley College Grad Earns Second AA Degree

Stacy Hull, a San Bernardino native, has graduated with an AA degree from San Bernardino Valley College... again. Her first AA was in Liberal Arts in 2011 and her new (2014) degree is in Human Services. Hull started at Valley College back in 1997, taking a variety of different courses. “I’ve seen a lot of changes at Valley over the years,” she says, “and early on I really enjoyed courses in science, like oceanography and geology. Now my interest is more in helping people and I want to continue my education and get a BA in Psychology.” After that, she would like to become a counselor. Hull says that among the things she has liked about attending Valley College are the many different offerings and the many great teachers. “I think of many of my Valley teachers as my best friends,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. She adds that she likes being on campus, as it’s a very pleasant environment. Stacy gets around in a motorized wheelchair due to a lifelong disability that hampers her physically, but not mentally or psychologically. She’s an enthusiastic lifelong learner with a ready smile and a keen mind. Like other disabled students, she has been able to take advantage of the college’s Disabled Students Programs and Services office (DSP&S). Valley’s Interim Coordinator of DSP&S, Marty Milligan, notes that students with special needs are particularly well served by the California community colleges’ disabled students programs. Of Hull’s academic success, he adds, “Through her persistence, she has earned an associate of arts degree in liberal arts and has plans to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition to advocating for her own needs, Stacy also informs other students about the services offered by DSPS. The DSP&S faculty and staff consider her a role model for her peers.”