Our Staff
Come by and visit the Outreach office in Room G-100 the Welcome Center.
Jessica Murguia, M.A. - Student Success Coordinator
Jessica Murguia grew up in a single-family household of modest means, and couldn't afford to enroll at a four-year college or university upon graduating from Valhalla High School. “I’m a first- generation college student, and I didn't really have anyone to turn to regarding the college application process or the financial aid process, but I always knew from a young age that I wanted to go to college,” said the Student Success Coordinator in the High School and Community Relations (Outreach) Department.
Cuyamaca College was a logical choice. It was close to home. It was affordable. And it was chock-full of supportive services aimed at promoting student success. Between classes, she worked in various areas on campus, including Counseling, Disability Support Program and Services, and Student Affairs. She became a full-time Student Services Specialist in 2013, became Acting Student Success Coordinator in 2014, and was named Interim Student Success Coordinator in 2015. Along the way she has earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in Postsecondary educational leadership from San Diego State University.
Jessica oversees Cuyamaca’s Outreach staff, including student ambassadors, works to strengthen partnerships with local high schools, and promotes Cuyamaca College’s programs and services in the larger community.
Aklas Sheai - Interpreter and Community Liaison
Aklas Sheai was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She is the fifth of 12 children raised among
a traditional family that valued education and believed in its power to provide a
better future. Aklas earned a bachelor’s degree in statistics from Baghdad University
in 1979 and launched her career in education in 1999 at the United Nations Development
Program, but she fled her country in 2003 during the Iraq war, arriving in the United
States two years later.
Aklas re-started her educational journey at Cuyamaca College in 2007 when she joined the World Languages Department as an Arabic language instructor and Student Services as an interpreter and community liaison. Through both roles, Aklas serves ESL students in need of looking to start a successful and rewarding experience at Cuyamaca College. In 2010, Aklas earned an associate degree in social work from Cuyamaca, and in 2018 she earned a master’s degree in English as a Second Language and bilingual education from the online American College of Education.
Aklas created the Arabic version of the college’s assessment test and WebAdvisor tutorials. Because her dedication to her students is unlimited, she conducted informational orientations to provide the new ESL students with information about the college and important resources in the campus. Her guiding principle is to create a welcoming atmosphere in and out of her classes
to
make students feel at home from the moment they walk into this campus, and her worked earned her designation as Outstanding Faculty member in 2014 and 2016.
“I love Cuyamaca College and being part of this family,” she said. “I
put my heart, mind, and soul into my profession
and look forward to continuing growing professionally and personally through the coming years to keep going to serve Cuyamaca students.”
In her free time, Aklas enjoys spending quality time with her family.
Taqla Enser- Substitute Student Services Specialist
During her last year at Valhalla High School (Class of 2020), The pandemic hit, which lead Taqla to attend Cuyamaca College as she was planning to major in Astronomy; she changed her mind after taking Engineering courses and is now majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Taqla plans to transfer to San Diego State to obtain her Bachelor's degree.
Kenia Rendon Guerrero - Outreach Specialist
Elijah Albrektsen - Outreach Assistant
Valentina Alarcon - Student Ambassador
Afnan Algarby - Student Ambassador
Jennifer Miller - Student Ambassador
Elizabeth Ortiz Martinez - Student Ambassador
Claudette Clark - Student Ambassador