Grand Valley Magazine - (Page 34)

ALU M NI NEWS 306 students. Her primary roles are coordinating discipline for students and administering teacher evaluations. Toledo has plans to further her education with more degrees. "They have all had their place in assisting me to be where I am today," Toledo said. "I am now able to pursue a doctorate if I want and may be seeking yet another degree, this time in counseling." The first and only in her family of 10 to graduate from a four-year university, Toledo emphasizes the importance of education to her students daily, hoping to steer them away from trouble and toward a promising future. SHAHRYAR (SHAWN) OLIAI SHAHRYAR (SHAWN) OLIAI, '89 & '95 & '95 & '05 Toledo came to the realization that she wanted to affect change in adolescents before they entered the justice system. She continued her education at Grand Valley and received master's degrees in social work (2007) and education (2009), followed by an educational specialist degree in leadership (2010). She has worked in administration for GRPS since 2007, currently working as dean of students at Riverside Middle School, which serves Shahryar (Shawn) Oliai left his family in Iran and came to the U.S. when he was 14 with a determination to get educated. After some struggles to remain in college at another institution, Oliai arrived in West Michigan and discovered Grand Valley in 1986. At the age of 26 he enrolled as a nontraditional student and worked full time while taking classes. He selected Grand Valley for its convenience and affordability, but he said he returned to seek second, third and fourth degrees because of the extraordinary instruction and faculty support. "Whether I agreed with my professors or not, it was the healthy conversation and dialogue that made my time and commitment at GVSU meaningful," said Oliai. A degree in finance (1989) helped him establish himself in the banking To read more about the stories of Nicholson, Toledo and Oliai, visit www.gvsu.edu/alumni. industry, but his interest in health care led him toward degrees in biomedical sciences (1995), health sciences (1995) and eventually to a master's in public administration (2005). Oliai is currently a senior consultant for Encore Health Resources, a health care technology consulting company based in Houston, Texas. He assists hospitals with optimization and evaluates the effectiveness of their electronic health records, aiming to ultimately improve the experience of patients. Education is the cornerstone for Oliai and his wife Jacquelyn, who earned a master's degree in nursing in 1995 and a post-master's certificate in 2001. They have also instilled their love of knowledge in their two grown daughters. "It brings you more independence. More options give you more tools to work with in life. Liberal arts are just as important as the technical part," he said. With a continuous desire to learn, Oliai is in the process of earning a master's degree in medical informatics. At the time of this writing, there were six alumni, each with four degrees from Grand Valley. The other alumni could not be reached for comment. To read more about Nicholson, Toledo and Oliai, go to www.gvsu.edu/alumni. Stay informed. Stay involved. Stay connected. Keep your Alumni Association in the know. Please contact the Alumni Relations staff any time your family, career, education status, or address changes. Call (800) 558-0541 | Email alumni@gvsu.edu | Visit www.gvsu.edu/alumni and click "Contact Us" 34 Spring '14 http://www.gvsu.edu/alumni http://www.gvsu.edu/alumni http://www.gvsu.edu/alumni

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine

Table of Contents
Campus News
Athletics
Donor Impact
Art of the Possible
One Book Carries Discussions Beyond Classroom
One Million Hours
Power Trio Turns Ideas Into Companies
Research
Q&A Renee Freeman
Off the Path
Sustainability
Focal Point
Arts
Alumni News

Grand Valley Magazine