Sat Nov 15, 2025: Community College to Stanford: Student Stories Panel

Sebastian Pintea is a Senior at Stanford University, studying Environmental Systems Engineering and minoring in Spanish on the premed track. He graduated from Santiago Canyon College with associate’s degree(s) in biology, chemistry, liberal arts: humanities, and liberal arts: math, and sciences. He grew up in Corona, California where he explored his intersectional interests in mental health, sustainability, and medicine. At his CC, he was involved in student government where he spearheaded numerous events related to sustainability and mental healthcare such as Earth Week. He started his school’s STEM club and was involved in PTK and the honors program where he presented research at three conferences at UCI and Stanford. His past summers included research at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, UPenn Perelman School of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, and Harvard University, resulting in poster presentations and ongoing manuscripts. At Stanford, he is the co-founder of project AWISH at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital which aims to reduce medical waste and promote sustainability in healthcare. He continues my environmental health activism with Students for a Sustainable Stanford, Stanford Climate and Health, and Cardinal Free Clinics alongside working as a clinical research assistant at the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine and a social behavioral science intern at the Office of Sustainability. In his free time, he enjoys engaging in hobbies related to water polo, cooking, and dancing on one of Stanford’s competition-based hip-hop teams. He looks forward to speaking with you all about his transfer journey along with his CC peers at Stanford!

Ghazal Azhdari Mamooreh is a junior Biology transfer student at Stanford. She moved to the U.S. from Iran about three years ago and started her journey at Santa Monica College. Adjusting to a new country came with challenges — she struggled with language barriers, cultural differences, and learning how the education system here worked — but SMC became a place where she grew a lot. She worked as a Chemistry SI Leader and STEM tutor, and last summer she interned at Kite Pharma, where she learned about CAR T-cell therapy and how science translates into real treatments.
Outside the classroom, she loves baking and reading, especially about bioethics and health policies.She is still exploring what direction she wants to take in the future, but she is excited to keep learning and growing along the way.

Summer Wahab is a single mother of three and a proud transfer student from City College of San Francisco to Stanford University. Her journey is rooted in resilience; growing up in poverty, experiencing foster care, and surviving abuse and neglect. Despite facing addiction and periods of homelessness, she has rebuilt her life through perseverance, healing, and a belief in the power of education and community.
At CCSF, she served as a student parent mentor, helping fellow student parents balance academics and family responsibilities. She also returned to the rehabilitation facility where she once was a client, this time as a parenting intern, supporting mothers in recovery as they bonded with their infants and rebuilt their lives. In recognition of leadership and advocacy, she was selected as the 2025 student commencement speaker at CCSF’s graduation ceremony.
Beyond campus, she has devoted herself to serving unhoused community members, offering warm meals, essential supplies, and kindness, all while raising three children as a single parent and excelling academically.
Now at Stanford, she is majoring in Psychology, building the knowledge and foundation she needs to pursue graduate studies in social work. Her long-term goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker and open her own practice serving low-income and marginalized communities, especially children and families affected by trauma, adversity, and systemic barriers. She hopes to be a voice for those too often overlooked and unheard.
Her mission is to show that adversity does not define one’s future, and to empower other student parents, community college transfers, and individuals overcoming hardship to believe in their strength, potential, and purpose. No matter where you come from, you belong in higher education. Your past does not disqualify you from your future.

Carla Galaise is a transfer student at Stanford and a single mother to a 10-year-old boy. Last May she graduated from Connecticut State Northwestern Community College with a degree in General Studies. She was active on her campus and in the community, serving as CSCU’s Student Regent representing 54,000 students on the Board of Regents, as well as Chair of the Student Advisory Committee. She has acted as an advocate for community college students at the state and national level, speaking with Connecticut state legislators and congressional delegates, as well as a Legislative Intern for the Connecticut General Assembly. She held a variety of roles directly on campus including VP of Fellowship for her Phi Theta Kappa chapter, VP of Student Senate, VP of the Poetry Club, and a mentor in the Peer2Peer Mentoring Program where she worked with 50 students over the course of the academic year. She is a Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholar, as well as the 2023 Soroptimist Live Your Dream North Atlantic Region. Prior to her time at Northwestern, she lived in Burlington, Vermont where she held a variety of positions including Executive Assistant for a large non-profit and Lead Marketing Administrative Assistant for a bank. She has also held roles on the boards of the Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont and Ascension Childcare, and acted as a public speaker publicly advocating for issues on domestic violence awareness, child welfare, and early childhood education.

David Duncan is a sophomore transfer student at Stanford University majoring in Economics and Mathematics. Before transferring, he attended Santa Monica College, where he served as student body president and on the board of directors for the statewide Student Senate for California Community Colleges.
David is an enthusiastic advocate for climate resilience, public transit expansion, clean energy, and environmental issues. His passion for public policy grew out of his experiences organizing for environmental justice in his community and caring for family members. At Stanford, he plans to continue pursuing work at the intersection of economics, environmental stewardship, and public policy.
Outside of academics, David enjoys playing music and learning about mycology. He’s happy to share more about his transfer journey and lessons learned to help other community college students find their own paths.