As Heather Soloria ( the daughter of Ben and Perla Soloria ) walked past former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to receive a pre-graduation award at the College of William and Mary, she could not help but think about the flip-flops she was wearing. College of William and Mary, located in the state of Virginia is the oldest school in the USA. Heather did not expect she would receive the Sullivan Award upon graduating last May 14.
The western branch resident said she was going to dress up for a departmental ceremony later that day, but since her graduating class was doing a ritual walk around the campus she decided to wear something comfortable. Not wanting to twist her ankle, she decided to use flip flops.
Heather is a analytical neuroscience major.
"I was totally embarrassed", said Heather, 21. So after congratulating her, her parents Ben and Perla hinted she should have worn the nice shoes.
But footwear had nothing to do with the receiving of the award which is given to one man and one woman in William and Mary's graduating class. The award recognizes the recepient's heart, mind and helpfulness to others.
Vernon Hurte, the assistant director of the multicultural student affairs at William and Mary nominated Heather for the award. Hurte said that Heather is a student who found success inside and outside the classroom. She was impressed with Heather because in today's society which is so "me driven," oftentimes, she is the exact opposit of that.
Heather who is a 2002 graduate of Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach, has a true love of people. In William and Mary's she supported people. She was a member of Project Phoenix, a tutoring and mentoring program. In 2004, she went to the Philippines, where her parents are from ( her dad is from Asingan, her mom is from Cagayan) and worked at an orphanage. In there were patients there suffering from leprosy. But she said she was not exposed to the disease and she is totally fine. The experience changed her.
Language barrier was the biggest problem there, she said. The Filipino kids there said: "You look like a Filipino but you can not speak Filipino". Heather's parents are both Filipinos but she grew up here in the US.
But she said she wants to go back there someday. For now, she wants to attend graduate school before going to medical school. She may even follow the footsteps of her mom, a Portsmouth pediatrician.---#
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