Press Release

Metropolitan Education District 760 Hillsdale Ave San Jose, CA 95136 June 06, 2007 Joyce Monda, Public Information Officer 408-723-6461

Contact: Michelle Alaimo Public Information Office (408) 723-6464 malaimo@metroed.net

CCOC Student Searches Years for Sister, Finds Her at CCOC

For two Central County Occupational Center students, last Friday's Awards Ceremony became a life changing event. CCOC student Shanaseey Holbrook-Sambrano not only walked away with an Achievement award, but a brother whom she hadn't seen in 13 years.

"It was crazy," Shanaseey said. "When my teacher told me that my brother Zachary was here and wanted to see me, my jaw just dropped."

Zachary was equally shocked when he heard his sister's name read during the Awards Ceremony. "I told my friends that I think that is my sister," Zachary said. He immediately spoke with his Law Enforcement instructor, Rico Sciaky, who contacted Shanaseey's Dental Assisting instructor, Michelle Sugden. Sugden called Shanaseey into her office and confirmed, before the two met, that Zachary was her brother.

Zachary said he was so nervous that he circled the building several times before entering. The two gave each other a big hug and talked for a while.

"When I met her, I felt like I had a big weight lifted off my shoulders," Zachary said. "I'm extremely happy that I found my sister."

Both said that over the years they had searched for each other via several internet sites. They drove around San Jose, checked with relatives, but never dreamed they attended the same school. Shanaseey said that she had even watched Zachary's Law Enforcement class practice drills in front of the school and never realized that she was watching her brother.

Many who have heard the siblings' story say that they were meant to meet at CCOC. After all, it was the first time ever that CCOC held an Awards Ceremony during the day just for the students. Shanaseey, a senior at Wilson High School also only attends CCOC one day a week because a portion of her class is spent working at a Dental Assisting internship. And as fortune would have it, both chose to attend CCOC morning classes. Zachary is a junior at Mount Pleasant High School.

CCOC-a unit of MetroED is open to high school juniors and seniors from six high school districts: Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, San Jose Unified, Milpitas Unified, and the Santa Clara Unified District. Students attend CCOC in their chosen Career path for half a day and attend their home school for the other half of the day.

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MetroED is the largest career-oriented educational organization in Santa Clara County, comprised of high school and adult career technical, academic and community programs.

MetroED annually provides more than 30,000 diverse students with the skills to help them be productive, income-earning and tax-paying contributors to Silicon Valley.