Spring 2011 Welcome Message

Happy New Year! I am Shouan Pan, president of Mesa Community College. Welcome to the 2011 spring semester.

Thank you for choosing Mesa Community College to pursue your educational dreams. Your success is important to me and I recognize that success is uniquely defined based on your personal goals or circumstances.

For many it is preparing to transfer to a university. For others it is completing a two-year degree or certificate and for some, it is completing a course to acquire a new skill or advance a career.

Please listen as several of our students share how they define success.

Chidozie Odigwe:
Success is about dedication, hard work and sacrifice and time. With all those combined, I’ll be able to make sure that I get straight As.

Lauren Pew:
I would like to do well in all my classes and graduate.

Kristian Brown:
Graduating from MCC and moving to Europe to continue my studies of fashion design.

Kristin Yamamoto:
If I could get through OChem2 alive.

Brandon Barba:
Knowing your goal, striving for it, attaining it, and making your parents proud.

Manuel Medina:
Do good in school and try to find out what I want to do for my career.

Dorothie Gang:
Being able to use the knowledge and experience I gained here at MCC to get my dream job.

Ralph Arecco:
Being the first on in my family to get a college education.

President Shouan Pan:
As you can see, success is as individual as our students, and we are here to help you succeed.

Along with community colleges from across the nation, MCC is taking serious measures to answer the call of President Obama, which is to increase the number of college graduates by five million students by the year 2020. These measures include retention and completion initiatives which have been put in place to help reach that goal.

Regardless of where you are in your college track, I invite you to also make it your goal to secure your Associate’s degree or certificate of completion. Consistent national data shows that a degree or certificate matters in your professional career. Degrees and certificates increase your lifetime earning power. In today’s knowledge-based, global economy, college degrees and certificates are the real game changers in the job market.

Learning is a shared partnership. I encourage you to be actively involved in the learning process. Get to know your professors and advisors. Discuss your goals with them. Seek their advice. They can direct you to a variety of resources available such as; tutoring, counseling, career planning, student services, financial aid and child care.

Work hard and study smart. Make a commitment to always prepare for and attend class. Do your part to succeed. A new semester affords a fresh start. A new year brings endless opportunities for the future. I extend my best to you as we work together for your success. Remember, degrees and certificates matter; completing your college education is a smart investment!

Shouan Pan, Ph.D
President, Mesa Community College