Stories of Sheena Adams breaking into the fashion industry, lifelong learner Mike Rague returning to MCC to give back, and Kirk Costion, Ph.D., whose research appears in a prestigious archaeology journal.
Volunteer to visionary: How one fashion student seized every opportunity to break into the industry
Sheena Adams' career in fashion is rooted in family legacy, perseverance and the support she received at Mesa Community College. Inspired to honor her grandmother's belief in education, Adams explored multiple paths before enrolling in MCC's fashion design program. Along the way, she discovered generations of family members in the fashion and entertainment industry. At MCC, Adams thrived with the guidance of dedicated faculty, including MCC Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Design faculty member Evonne Bowling, and through volunteer opportunities and the annual end-of-year fashion show. After graduating MCC in 2010, and later earning a degree from Arizona State University, Adams built a successful career working with top designers and models at the FORD/Robert Black Agency. She went on to coordinate major fashion events such as Scottsdale Fashion Week, while continuing to give back to the next generation of students. "I never would've received a degree in fashion if it hadn't been for MCC being, so affordable, and I really appreciated that because I probably would've ended up in something else that I wouldn't have been very passionate about," said Adams. "Nobody believes that I was able to get a fashion degree in Arizona at a community college, but I did it and made my dream career come true."
MCC alumnus finds way back to campus through service and lifelong learning
Nearly four decades after graduating from MCC, alumnus and retired educator Mike Rague has returned to campus, this time as a volunteer, lifelong learner and advocate for giving back. After rediscovering his love of learning at MCC and building a 34-year career in elementary education with Mesa Public Schools, Rague now gives back through volunteer work. He is closely involved with New Frontiers for Lifelong Learning and MCC's We Care Wednesdays food distribution. He also supports Empty Bowls, an annual fundraiser for the Paz De Cristo Community Center, which provides anti-hunger and empowerment support for the East Valley's homeless, unemployed, working poor and their families. "I wasn't put on earth to be served. I was put on earth to serve," Rague said, adding it's a win-win situation to meet new people, reconnect with familiar faces and serve alongside others. To learn about volunteer opportunities at MCC, contact the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at 480-461-7200 or [email protected].
Prestigious journal spotlights MCC faculty discovery in early Peruvian society
MCC archaeology faculty member Kirk Costion, Ph.D. sheds light on ancient Indigenous cultures of southern Peru in his latest research. Through fieldwork in the Moquegua Valley, Costion and his team uncovered rare evidence that the Huaracane people produced a traditional ancient beer, chicha de mo lie. Once thought to be exclusive to the Wari Empire, Costion's research reveals how local communities adapted outside influences to their own cultural traditions. His findings, co-authored with Dickinson College scholar Matthew Biwar, Ph.D., are presented in the article, "Foodways and Frontiers: Investigating Middle Horizon Huaracane-Wari Culture Contact in the Middle Moquegua Valley," and are published in one of the most prestigious journals in the field. "This is my first publication in Latin American Antiquity," says Costion. "This is an important achievement because it is probably the most widely read academic archaeology journal regionally focused on Latin America."
Read more about Kirk Costion, Ph.D., Mike Rague and Sheena Adams and explore other inspiring stories on the Successful Thunderbirds website, mesacc.edu/successful-thunderbirds. Would you like to inspire future Thunderbirds by sharing your story? If so, reach out to Alumni & Friends Editor Julie Ruiz at [email protected].