News Release| School of Social Work; Cal State L.A.
Note: To request for an interview or a photo of Monique Nobriga, please contact the CSULA Public Affairs office at (323) 343-3050.
A single mother, recovering addict, domestic violence survivor to graduate from Cal State L.A.
Nobriga to march at the CSULA Commencement on Friday, June 15
Los Angeles, CA – After overcoming a history of domestic violence and a 28-year heroin addiction, Monique Nobriga is finally achieving her dream of a college degree this June. In addition to being a single mom and caring for her ailing mother, she will be receiving her bachelor’s degree in social work with cum laude honors at Cal State L.A.’s 65th Commencement.
With pride, she shares that she was not only accepted into CSULA’s graduate program, specializing in forensic social work, but she is also celebrating seven years of sobriety. Using her life experience to help others, she is currently working on a field internship at “A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project,” a non-profit organization in South Los Angeles that helps women and girls break free from criminal activity and lead healthy and satisfying lives.
Providing hope to those suffering from domestic violence or substance abuse, Nobriga also regularly gives motivational presentations—geared toward employment, career success, college education, health and personal safety—at various community agencies, including Angel Step Inn in Pico Rivera and Children’s Institute in Torrance.
A Dean’s List student, Nobriga’s accolades include CSULA’s College of Health and Human Services 2011-12 Certificate of Honor, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning’s 2011 Learner of the Year Award, the 2008 Women’s Soroptimist Award, and the Assistance League of Whittier Scholarship for 2007 and 2009.
“In both field internship and in classroom discussions, Monique demonstrates leadership combined with inclusiveness and humility altogether, and she has been observed serving as an informal mentor and tutor among student peers,” said CSULA’s Professor Joanne Altschuler.
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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 220,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to the Honors College for high-achieving students. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu
