Danna Yunis - A life-changing experience at Grossmont College
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Danna Yunis
Danna Yunis was a broken person when her father 鈥 her best friend 鈥 passed away in 2018. Her comeback began when she resolved to heed his urgings in pursuing an education and earning a degree from his alma mater.
鈥淚 drove to Grossmont College, completely in tears, because that鈥檚 where he went to school,鈥 Yunis said. 鈥淚 had suffered a tremendous loss, I was very depressed and I needed to do something, to move forward, to have something to look forward to.鈥
Two years after enrolling at the El Cajon campus, Yunis has something else to look forward to: she transfers in fall 2021 to San Diego State University 鈥 another school her father attended 鈥 for a bachelor鈥檚 degree in rhetoric. She plans to earn a master鈥檚 degree in creative writing and hopes for a career as a community college professor.
She credits Grossmont College for supporting her in the first steps on her journey.
鈥淭he instructors at Grossmont have a passion for teaching,鈥 said Yunis, who received a 4.0 point average in fall 2020. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a job for them. They inspire you. They have people there helping you every step of the way, whatever it takes, whatever you need.鈥
Yunis鈥 academic achievements resulted in her receiving the Del Hood Scholarship from the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges.
鈥淚t made me feel seen. It made me feel like I mattered as a student and that my efforts are being rewarded. It鈥檚 like, 鈥榃e see you; we see how much effort you鈥檙e putting in; we see you as human being and hear your story, so here you go, here鈥檚 a gift to support you.鈥 It鈥檚 more the meaning behind it and the support that you feel from a complete stranger.鈥
English Professor Daniela Sow isn鈥檛 surprised at Yunis鈥 success, noting the single mom was an A-plus student in Sow鈥檚 creative writing class and was selected as a star writer featured in the New Voices: Student Reading event in December 2019. 鈥淭hroughout the genres Danna has written in 鈥 creative, non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and playwriting 鈥 I have seen her make bold strides to experiment with content, methods, and forms in ways that appeal to the reader meaningfully and aesthetically,鈥 Sow wrote in a recommendation letter. 鈥淗er creative writing portfolio demonstrated her most polished pieces across the genres. I am so proud of her ability to take risks and develop her own unique voice in writing.鈥
Yunis鈥 road to Grossmont was an arduous one. Born and raised in La Mesa, Yunis moved with her mother to Jordan after her parents divorced at 15. She was 18 when she married and moved back to the U.S., where she gave birth to her son, Dawoud, at 19, but her marriage ended a few years later. She lost her son to her ex-husband while on vacation in Jordan because of Jordanian child custody laws. Yunis then spent 10 years in the Middle East 鈥 including Lebanon and Qatar鈥 so she could more easily visit her son on weekends until she won back his custody after an eight-year battle.
When her father fell ill, Yunis moved back to San Diego with her son to care for him. Two years later, while Yunis was wrapping up her final semester at Grossmont College, her son was enrolling at Cal State Northridge.
鈥淎s educators, we must continue to invest in students like Danna,鈥 Sow said. 鈥淪he is not only talented, skilled, and passionate, but she also goes above and beyond in all that she does: working multiple jobs (before this public health crisis), raising a son on her own, and attending school full-time.鈥
Yunis found her experience transformative.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late to go after what you want to achieve, what鈥檚 inside your heart,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 wanted my education more than anything. Education is power and really is the way to create change. It鈥檚 not just about getting a piece of paper. I feel like it鈥檚 been a privilege to be here and absorb all this information.鈥