“I am incredibly honored to have received an Emmy this early in my career,” Parra said. “I am thankful for the time I spent at CSUSM, as it has taught me profound knowledge.”

Parra earned her bachelor’s degree in art, media and design in 2021.

“A special thank you to the AMD department for the guidance as I started my foundation in this field,” said Parra, who went on to earn a video and media design certificate at MiraCosta College in 2022. “Another thank you to my family, professors, mentors, and alma maters, as well as FOX 5 San Diego, for shaping who I am today.”

A first-generation college student, Parra credited her mom for encouraging her to pursue higher education. She also praised  TRIO Student Support Services for playing an important role in her success at CSUSM.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

But Abraham isn’t trying to make a fashion statement. After undergoing radiation therapy as a teenager, she has a 75% higher risk of skin cancer. And when she removes the head covering that she’s chosen for a particular day, she can adjust her hair to show the C-shaped scar where doctors cut open the top of her head to perform brain surgery when she was 12 years old.

It has been nearly a decade since the surgery, and, not surprisingly, the experience has completely altered the course of Abraham’s life. Before the surgery, she was a Level 9 competitive gymnast, meaning she was on a path to try out for the Elite program from which U.S. Olympic gymnasts are selected. While that dream ended because of her health issues, the experience opened Abraham’s eyes to her future career.

“I've known that I've wanted to be a nurse since I got sick,” said Abraham, a first-generation college student who is graduating from CSUSM this month with a bachelor’s in kinesiology. “After the second time I got sick, I knew that was probably my calling. Before that, I was in the gym eight hours a day training five days a week, sometimes six, and that was my career. And then everything just kind of came to a halt once I got diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“I had the light-bulb moment during proton radiation therapy in 2016 after the second surgery. My nurses in both years when I was sick always made an impact on me. It always felt like home being in the hospital for some reason. It was such a connection that I had with those nurses. I cried when I was done with therapy and I rang that bell that they have you ring. I was so happy but also upset because I wasn't going to see them anymore. It was like I was losing a part of my family in a way.”

Abraham has been laser-focused on a nursing career ever since.

Abraham was still a tween when she began suffering a variety of ailments – including headaches, double vision, and back and stomach pain. She figured it must be related to her intense gymnastics training or puberty. A visit to an eye doctor changed everything. Abraham was diagnosed with papilledema, a swelling of the optic discs in the eyes. The doctor said Abraham needed to go to the emergency room immediately because of related pressure on the brain.

An MRI revealed the brain tumor. Doctors initially thought they were dealing with a common benign tumor, but a surgery that was expected to last five hours took more than eight as they discovered it was a central neurocytoma tumor, which is rare in children. It’s so rare that Abraham’s doctors published a case report about it in BMJ, an international peer-reviewed journal.

A groggy Abraham actually woke up toward the end of the procedure as the doctor was putting stitches in her head. Abraham, whose head and upper body were mobilized to ensure that she didn’t move during the procedure, asked her doctor if he could scratch her nose, which was bothering her. The doctor politely declined, noting that he was a tad busy. So, Abraham, ever the gymnast, lifted her knee to her nose, scratched it and put her leg back down.

“He stopped what he was doing, looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘Did you really just do that?’ I’m drunk on anesthesia, groggy and don't know what's going on and said, 'I think so.' And then I was out. That was the first thing he told my parents when he came out to speak to them.”

When Abraham was fully awake following the surgery, she was paralyzed on the left side of her body. Rigorous physical therapy helped her regain use of her left side and she even returned to gymnastics.

But during one of her follow-up appointments, doctors discovered a regrowth. Abraham underwent a second surgery a year after her first. This time, doctors were unable to remove it completely due to its proximity to the hypothalamus, which controls things like heart rate and hormonal release.

Abraham underwent proton radiation therapy to eradicate the remaining tumor and tried again to return to gymnastics. But one of the lingering effects of Abraham’s paralysis after her first surgery is drop foot syndrome, which means she can’t always lift the front part of the foot. As she increasingly had accidents while performing routines, she realized she had to retire from the sport she loved.

Nurses were a consistently positive presence throughout Abraham’s medical journey, and with Olympic dreams no longer a possibility, she turned her attention to a new goal. Figuring out how to finance that goal was a challenge for someone from a low-income background, but Abraham’s medical team stepped in to help.

Abraham was referred by her neuro oncologist to Make-A-Wish San Diego, which empowers children battling critical illnesses by granting them a wish. Make-A-Wish granted Abraham’s request for a scholarship to help pay for college, providing a $10,000 grant that covered costs for Abraham’s first year at CSUSM.

With many nursing programs in the state impacted, Abraham decided to major in kinesiology. She’s working her way through nursing prerequisites with an eye on starting a program in spring 2025. That would put her on track for two milestones in 2026 – a nursing degree and being officially clear medically. Doctors wanted Abraham checked annually for 10 years following the second surgery because of the regrowth, but the hope is that she will be declared clear in December 2026 and can fully focus on the next chapter of her life – helping others the way so many nurses helped her.

“What better profession for me to go into than nursing?” she said. “I know what kids are going to be going through and I know how to prepare them for it. I know how to be there for them and hopefully make them feel better and more comfortable. I can let them know, ‘Hey, I've been through this, too.’ ”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Abraham’s life to that point had been devoted to gymnastics, the sport she loved and excelled at on a national level. At 12 years old in 2015, she was consistently winning competitions and posting impressive scores as a Level 9 gymnast, just one stage from reaching the final level in the Junior Olympics program. If she advanced to Level 10 and successfully performed all of the required skills, she would have an opportunity to try out for the Elite program – the group of gymnasts from which Olympians are selected.

“I was definitely planning on going to that Olympic level if I could,” Abraham said.

But Level 9 became Abraham’s final stop as a competitive gymnast. Not by her choosing or due to an inability to compete at such a high level. Instead, it was a diagnosis of central neurocytoma, a slow-growing brain tumor that is rare in children.

Abraham isn’t one to wallow in self-pity. She is grateful for the path she is on now as a freshman at Cal State San Marcos as she works toward her new goal. It’s a journey that has been made a little easier with help from Make-A-Wish San Diego.

“I want to be a nurse,” Abraham said. “I want to be able to give back to the community and really be able to give kids the same experience and the same love and care that I was given when I was first in the hospital.”

Abraham had no idea she was headed for that first hospital stay in June 2015. Though she had been dealing with a variety of ailments – including headaches, blurry vision and stomach pain – she figured they were simply part of her rigorous training or side effects of puberty. The issues got progressively worse throughout the spring, with Abraham even suffering from double vision.

“I didn't know what to make of it, so I just ignored it,” she said. “People always ask me, ‘How did you ignore that? That's such a big thing.’ And I don't know. I was just training. I was focused on the sport and every upcoming competition. I just didn't have time to think about it, and you think maybe it’s normal.”

It wasn’t until her final competition of the season that Abraham mentioned the double vision to her mother, Nicole. Abraham had concurrently been having bouts of severe back pain, and her sports doctor recommended she take a couple of weeks off.

Nicole used the break to take Abraham to an eye doctor, who diagnosed Abraham with a swollen optical nerve, which is a reaction to pressure on the brain. The doctor told Nicole that Abraham needed to go straight to the emergency room for an MRI, which revealed a tumor that was larger than a golf ball.

Abraham was transported that night to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, where she underwent surgery for nearly eight hours to remove the tumor. When she woke up following the surgery, she was paralyzed on the left side of her body. Though doctors said the paralysis might last 8-12 months, Abraham was able to leave the hospital using a leg brace and a cane after 2½ months. Three more months of physical therapy followed before Abraham returned to gymnastics.

“I told my coach, ‘I'm coming back. I'm going to start training again,’ ” Abraham said. “And she looked at me like I was crazy. She was like, ‘Why would you come back? You almost died. This is crazy.’ And I said, ‘I don't know how to do anything else. This is my life.’ ”

Abraham eased back into training by focusing on conditioning and stretching while gradually adding to her workouts as her health improved.

But it all came to a halt after a follow-up scan in March 2016 showed a regrowth of the tumor. A month later, it had doubled in size. In July – barely a year after her first operation – Abraham underwent surgery again. Doctors couldn’t completely remove the tumor because part of it was located near the hypothalamus, which plays a vital role in many functions of the body. Abraham had to undergo nearly two months of proton therapy, a form of radiation therapy that uses protons to treat cancer.

Abraham returned to the gym again after completing her treatments, but persisting through daily, seven-hour gymnastics training sessions proved difficult. She also suffered from drop foot syndrome, which meant that her leg was prone to giving out from fatigue – a dangerous prospect for someone performing complex, high-level gymnastics routines.

“I would be training and then all of a sudden my leg would just give out and I would fall,” she said. “I needed to retire. I don't like saying ‘quit’ because I didn't quit the sport. But I didn't want to put my coaches at risk or my teammates at risk or myself at risk anymore, so I retired.”

It has been three years since Abraham stepped away. She stays active by working out at home and going on hikes and bike rides. But it still feels strange to her after so many years dedicated to gymnastics.

Focusing on the next stage of her life helps. Abraham, whose family lives in Escondido, wanted to remain in California for college, and she knew that she wanted to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse. Though many nursing programs in the state are impacted, CSUSM offered an alternative that no other university did – an opportunity to major in kinesiology. Abraham had never entertained the thought of majoring in something other than nursing, but the more she looked into the kinesiology program, the more she realized it would be a perfect fit.

Abraham soon received two more welcome surprises.

The first was learning that she had been accepted to CSUSM’s TRIO Student Support Services, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support students who meet at least one of the following criteria: They come from a low-income background, they are a first-generation college student and/or they have a verified disability. The program offers academic, personal and professional support to increase the retention and graduation rates of participants.

“In only four months, Juliana has been an outstanding TRIO SSS student,” said Perla Rivas, a TRIO SSS counselor. “I spend considerable time working with the scholars in various workshops and other activities, and it was quickly obvious to me that Juliana is bright, inquisitive and motivated. If you gave 100 students a rare learning opportunity, you would walk away realizing Juliana was the most appreciative, eager and excited student of the group.”

The other surprise came during one of Abraham’s check-ups with her neuro oncologist. He wanted to refer her to Make-A-Wish, which works to empower children battling critical illness by granting them a wish. Abraham is determined to graduate from college without debt, so she asked if a college scholarship or grant was possible. A short time later, she learned that she was receiving a $10,000 grant from Make-A-Wish, funds already helping to cover costs of her first semester at CSUSM.

Despite the roller coaster of the past five years, Abraham wouldn’t change a thing. Her future may look different than what she imagined before her initial diagnosis, but she knows it’s a future that remains bright.

“I always look back at it now and I’m so grateful that I went through it because I would have never been able to meet the people I've met, been through the experiences I've been through,” she said. “I've made so many connections in the medical community and with my doctors. My neurosurgeon and my neuro oncologist are like uncles to me. I love them to death. There's so many little things that I would have never experienced if I didn't go through what I went through.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

TRIO SSS is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support 206 CSUSM students who meet at least one of the following criteria: They come from a low-income background, they are a first-generation college student and/or they have a verified disability. The program offers academic, personal and professional support to increase the retention and graduation rates of participants.

“We are extremely excited to know that TRIO SSS has been re-funded and will continue to serve a resilient group of CSUSM students who inspire me each and every day with their dedication and perseverance as they earn an undergraduate degree,” said Heather Northway, director of TRIO SSS at CSUSM.

TRIO SSS has been continually funded at CSUSM since 1993. The university has three objectives upon which it is measured each year: retention of participants, good academic standing of all participants, and six-year graduation rate. CSUSM reached and surpassed its targets in each area, including for the past five years:

• Retention of participants (fall to fall): 92.5%-95.5%
• Good academic standing of all participants: 95%-97.5%
• Six-year graduation rate: 76%-84.5%

The array of services the grant will provide are comprehensive and include academic tutoring, financial aid advice, career and college mentoring, help in choosing courses, and other forms of assistance. Such services enhance academic success and make it more likely that students will graduate or transfer with the lowest possible debt.

The national SSS program began in 1968 and is one of the eight federal “TRIO” programs authorized by the Higher Education Act to help college students succeed in higher education. It recognizes that students whose parents do not have a college degree have more difficulties navigating the complexity of decisions that college requires for success; it bolsters students from low-income families who have not had the academic opportunities that their college peers have had; and helps students with disabilities remove obstacles preventing them from thriving academically.

As Parra was writing her personal statement for the scholarship application, she listed all of the ways in which TRIO SSS has helped. Some, like the guidance Margaret Nuttall provided when Parra was struggling academically as a freshman, have had a long-lasting impact. Others, like the ability to print out papers for free in TRIO’s computer lab, provided relief when Parra had no other way to pay for those services. And if Parra didn’t have food at home to make her lunch, TRIO provided snacks to ensure that she wasn’t attending class or studying on an empty stomach.

“TRIO SSS provided me with the assistance that I needed to succeed,” Parra said. “I am so thankful for their support.”

TRIO SSS is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support 206 CSUSM students who meet at least one of the following criteria: They come from a low-income background, they are a first-generation college student and/or they have a verified disability. The program offers academic, personal and professional support to increase the retention and graduation rates of participants.

Parra lives in affordable housing in Carlsbad with her parents and two younger sisters. Though neither of her parents attended college, Parra said her mom continually urged her to pursue an education.

“She’s always told us that we'll be able to have a better life through higher education,” Parra said. “She was the one who actually pushed me forward to apply for college and she was the one who motivated me to keep going. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I was nervous and scared. But my mom has been there the entire way and encouraged me.”

It was also her mother who convinced Parra to apply for the TRIO SSS program, and it didn’t take long for Parra to see the benefits. Not only did TRIO SSS give her priority registration for classes, but Parra quickly learned that she would have much-needed support in all her endeavors.

As a freshman, Parra’s grades plummeted while she was dealing with personal issues, and she found herself on academic probation. She discussed her struggles with Nuttall, program and academic specialist for TRIO SSS, during their regular meetings.

“My meetings would end up being two hours of me just crying and talking,” Parra said. “And she would listen, offer advice and support me. I just wasn't doing well. It was really hard for me to focus in school and do everything well. Margaret ended up coaching me and helping me so I could improve my grades.”

Not only did Parra turn her grades around, but she has twice made the dean’s list and is on track to graduate next spring with a bachelor’s in art, media and design.

“Each time Kathleen came to an appointment, she impressed me with her upbeat and positive attitude, even when she was facing challenges,” Nuttall said. “She always found a way to overcome her challenges and turn the situation around and make it work for her.

“I always found Kathleen to be a committed student. She is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, not only for herself but also her family.”

Succeeding for her family is part of Parra’s motivation. Though now healthy, her mother has battled health issues over the years, and her family has relied solely on her father’s income from his job as the head custodian at a local school.

Parra takes pride in ensuring that her parents don’t need to worry about her financially, and it was difficult when she couldn’t work because of the pandemic. Compounding matters, her father was temporarily furloughed from his job. The funding from TRIO SSS helped, and now Parra is focused on preparing for her final year at CSUSM. She wants to continue setting a positive example for her younger sisters.

“Everything that I do, I always do it looking back because I know that they're watching everything that I'm doing,” Parra said. “ ‘Si-Ma’ is the term that my sister gives me – Sister-Mom. I’m her sister, but I’m also the second mom. So I feel like everything that I do, I have to do well so they can see that I'm going down a good path and they can do the same. That's why I don't do drugs, I don't smoke. I'm in school, and I'm going to graduate in spring of 2021 and try to show them that they can do it, too.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

So she welcomed the opportunity to help others during National TRIO Day on Feb. 24.

“For us to have so many students show up and participate really shows how appreciative students are of the help they get,” said Alexa, who will graduate in spring 2019 with degrees in human development and Spanish.

Since 1986, National TRIO Day has been held on the last Saturday of February to focus on the needs of disadvantaged people who aspire to improve their lives.

This year’s event marked the first time that all four CSUSM TRIO programs – Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services and McNair – collaborated on National TRIO Day. CSUSM TRIO members visited Vista-based Solutions for Change, which works to permanently solve family homelessness by helping families acquire the skills, knowledge and resources they need.

“It was a great experience,” said Carmen Camarena, who will graduate in spring 2019 with a biological sciences degree. “It was really rewarding, especially knowing where those families are coming from and the commitment that it takes to actually finish the process to get back on their feet.”

For the National TRIO Day project, students did everything from cleaning a house to yardwork to sorting through donations. They also hosted arts and crafts activities for children at Solutions for Change.

“Solutions for Change makes sure people know how to handle themselves, from managing time to handling finances to figuring out what to do if they get in a bind,” said Britany Dagen, who will graduate in spring 2019 with a bachelor’s in literature and writing studies.

Alexa, Britany and Carmen each said TRIO has played in important role in their education. Alexa and Britany each got involved with TRIO in high school while Carmen has been part of the program since middle school.

Alexa and Carmen are part of TRIO Student Support Services, which assists first-generation, low-income and/or students with disabilities toward the successful completion of their college degree. Britany is part of TRIO McNair, which helps students graduate while ensuring that they have the opportunity to attend graduate school.

“TRIO taught me things that I wouldn’t have learned on my own,” Carmen said.

Participating in National TRIO Day has had a lasting impact on all three of them.

“Giving back to people is really inspiring for all of us,” Britany said. “It was a really rewarding day. It’s my favorite community service that I’ve ever done. It just woke you up and made me really grateful for what I have.”

Britany has already looked into doing more with Solutions for Change. She is hoping to apply the knowledge she has gained from her literature and writing studies to assist adults and children in the program who need literacy help.

As the students finished their volunteer efforts on National TRIO Day, a Solutions for Change representative encouraged them to think about one way they can each give back, whether it’s to Solutions for Change or another organization. Alexa is already working with CSUSM’s chapter of the academic honor society Alpha Lambda Delta to see if there’s something they can do to help.

“National TRIO Day really made me think about ways we could continue this in some way,” Alexa said. “It was very eye-opening and inspiring.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Serving 200 students from first-generation, low-income, and/or disability backgrounds, the goal of TRiO SSS is to increase the retention and graduation rates of college students traditionally at a higher risk for dropping out. Research has continually shown that college students facing great financial hardship or lacking strong academic support are more likely to quit or fail at a higher rate than students without those disadvantages.

Through the program, student participants can access a variety of services including academic tutoring, counseling, cultural enrichment activities, financial literacy, early interventions and evaluations, mentoring, priority registration, graduate school preparation, laptop loans, supplemental grant aid, workshops, and utilization of The Center at CSUSM, a multipurpose computer lab and studying space.

TRiO SSS has been hosted uninterruptedly on campus since 1993. The program’s recent five-year grant renewal was one of only 968 TRiO programs funded nationally—58 fewer than in 2010.

“Since 2008, our annual retention rate for student participants has been over 90 percent,” said Heather Northway, CSUSM TRiO SSS director. “In addition, our six-year graduation rate was 74 percent for students who enrolled in fall 2008 and 71 percent for students who enrolled in 2009. We are very proud of the success of the program and congratulate all of the work of our staff who have made our students’ academic dreams possible.”

For more information about the TRiO SSS program at CSUSM, contact Heather Northway at (760) 750-8024 or visit www.csusm.edu/sss. More information on the TRiO SSS grant and its impact around the nation, is available online at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html