Model UN Alumnus Working Dream Job at United Nations
Aaron Holtz’s passion for international relations began on Sept. 11, 2001, as he watched planes crash into the World Trade Center in New York City on a television at Mesa Community College. After…
Biology Student Conducts Research at Petrified Forest
Mesa Community College biology student Andy Bridges has really had a “hands on” experience working in Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park. In the past two seasons at the park he captured,…
A Life Led to Encanto: Why MCC ‘Charmed’ Alumni Angel Ruvalcaba
Throughout his early life and as a first generation college student, Angel Ruvalcaba was captivated by comics and movies, and loved to tell stories through his digital art and drawings. Today he…
Local School Teacher Finds Success at MCC
When Arlen Sykes retired from the U.S. Navy, he decided to attend Mesa Community College to become a physics teacher.
It didn’t take him long to switch his major.
“I wasn’t doing…
Benjamin Rundall’s Passion for Education and Helping Others is Found at MCC
“Sorry if my phone gets disconnected–the cell reception might go in and out up here,” says MCC alumnus Benjamin Rundall on a return trip from the Navajo Nation. A civil rights attorney, Rundall…
MCC Alumnus Now Member of Rising Country Group Due West
Mesa Community College alumnus Brad Hull recently experienced the thrill of walking the red carpet at the Country Music Awards as a member of the country trio Due West.
Hull, who began his…
Q&A with Brian Koeneman, Clinical Director for Laboratory Sciences of AZ
1) Please describe your affiliation with MCC.
As a senior in high school I had a few required classes left to complete for graduation and had to make a decision regarding…
Dr. Charles A. Finch
Dr. Charles A. Finch, an MCC Alumnus, Gives Back Through Mock Emergency Scenario
Emergency Medicine (EM) physician Charles A. Finch of Scottsdale Emergency Associates, who works at the HonorHealth Scottsdale Hospitals, recently lent his EM expertise to Mesa Community College…
Alumna Courtney Waxman Discovers Passion for Animal Emergency Care at MCC
After graduating from Mesa Community College with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology/Animal Health in 2008, Tempe resident Courtney Waxman has found a great deal of…
Alumna pursues passion as novelist Publishes On the Edge of Wishing for young adults
MCC alumna Danette Key discovered that sometimes change opens up access to inner creativity.
Born and raised in Arizona, Key worked in the insurance industry for 26 years. But when she and…
Transforming a Light Station Into an "On Ocean" Tech Center
Thirteen miles from shore and 120 feet above the water, Diamond Shoals Light Station (DSLS) soars above the Atlantic. The sound of wind and picturesque views envelop visitors.
It was not…
Bank VC Credits MCC for Career Path
When Deborah Bateman attended Mesa Community College, two classes ended up being what she calls “the underpinning foundation of my life.”
“I became very involved in business classes at the…
ThinkBIG apprenticeship program leads to rewarding career
Mesa Community College alumnus Diego Santos is thriving at Empire Southwest, a top-performing Caterpillar dealer, the leading global manufacturer of the massive equipment that builds the world. He…
Mastering the Art of Self-Discovery
"You know, thanks to this call, I'm remembering a lot about my time at MCC. It's probably the most personal I've been during an interview," says Douglas Miles Sr., independent artist, owner of…
From International Student to Faculty Member: an MCC Journey
As international student Francesca De Martini began her initial coursework at Mesa Community College (MCC), she remembers thinking: “I have to work here one day!”
The native of Milan, Italy…
MCC is Home to Adjunct and Family
Garry Weiss of Mesa is an educator who has taught since 1992 in Ohio, Utah, Mexico and Arizona at the high school and college level. Prior to his current teaching career he had a career in sales…
Alumnus Donates Art Design to MCC Campus
Geoff Coppola’s fascination with the pattern and beauty in nature is the inspiration behind an innovative piece of art recently installed near the physical science building at Mesa Community…
Director of AZ Department of Homeland Security Began Education at MCC
What’s it like to have one of your first college classes taught by your father? We asked Mesa Community College alumnus Gilbert M. Orrantia, (1976-78) now the Director of the Arizona Department of…
MCC Alum Channels Passion for Art Through Photography
Granville Carroll never considered pursuing art as a career path until a coworker encouraged him to take a photography class after seeing some landscape photos he took on his cell phone. Granville…
Making a Difference one App at a Time
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finds that only 36% of women are in IT careers. Then there’s Hannah Cheloha, a woman who codes and builds apps and does so with a social conscience…
From MCC to a Dream Job: A Non-Traditional Path
Harmony Colella’s “fascination with destruction” began when she was seven years old. Living in California at the time, she remembers hearing a loud noise and feeling the ground shake. Colella…
Forecasting Success: Ian Schwartz’s journey from college newsroom to TV weatherman
Whether he's reporting the weather, "hunting down happy hour deals" or sharing stories about children in need of foster and adoptive families, MCC alumnus and 3TV, CBS 5 Arizona's Family…
Native American Alumnus Jacob Moore
A promise to his father was what put Jacob Moore back on track to earn his associate in applied science degree from Mesa Community College, after working in the banking industry for 14 years. He…
Alumna’s Hospice IT Business Connects People and Technology
Mesa Community College alumna Jacy Smith, class of 2008, works hard to help people “bridge the gap” when it comes to technology. Her business, ReFresh IT, assists business owners in understanding…
Dr. James Abbott
Mesa Optometrist Began at MCC
For most of us, the phrase “path of least resistance” probably does not include studying Psychology at a major university and advanced courses in science and math on the way to Optometry school.…
Jennifer Duff: From Fashion to Fishing to Philanthropy
When Jennifer Duff graduated with an associate degree in fashion merchandising from Mesa Community College in the late ‘70s, she never could have imagined where her career path would take her.…
MCC alumna Jessica Lake returns to Navajo reservation to teach
For Mesa Community College alumna Jessica Lake, (1997-1999), leaving the Navajo reservation to begin higher education studies was a big step. She had never been away from family and didn’t quite…
MedAire Founder Joan Sullivan Garrett
MedAire founder and CEO Joan Sullivan Garrett, who began her career with a nursing degree from Mesa Community College in 1978, is today a recognized leader committed to providing emergency medical…
MCC Alumni Receive Emmy Nominations and Award for Webisode Series
If you look closely at the Emmy Award-winning webisode series, “Probed: Signals,” you might catch a glimpse of Mesa Community College’s Southern and Dobson campus, where part of the series was…
Joshua Sykes’ MCC experience began at the age of 3
Not many alumni can say that their relationship with MCC started before preschool. But, Joshua Sykes can. Joshua was just 3 years old when his father, Arlen Sykes – now a very active alumni board…
Karina Aguilar Credits MCC for Workforce Preparation
As Mesa Community College graduate Karina Aguilar begins her new job at Aira, a company that provides augmented reality assistance services through remote and smart glasses technology to blind and…
Safeway Executive Encourages Others to Take First Step
When Karl Schroeder’s post-high school plans to enter the Air Force in the late ‘70s didn’t work out, he found himself at Mesa Community College, wondering what his next step would be.
To…
Girl Scouts honor MCC Alumna
The Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council recently honored MCC alumna Kelley Stewart with the Women of Distinction World of Courage award. Honorees are chosen for their exceptional community…
A Sustainable Education
When sustainability was just emerging as a buzz word, Mesa Community College honor student, Phi Theta Kappa member and Graduation Class Honors Speaker Kevin Keleher knew he wanted to change the…
From MCC to New Zealand: Education opens door for opportunity
How did you arrive at MCC?
I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had dropped out of Phoenix College and was basically, a bit 'lost'. I was eventually working…
Kyana Young began her successful global STEM career path at MCC
Kyana Young said she was not prepared for her first year in college but Mesa Community College gave her a second chance to launch a successful engineering and college faculty career focusing on…
MCC's good neighbor - LaVon Jackson Maccanico
After working in corporate America for 30 years, Lavon Jackson Maccanico suddenly found herself without a job. Her career in human resources abruptly ended due to a lay off - something she had…
From Corps to Courtroom, Lyle Jones on the Full Circle of Service
Law was a second career for Mesa Community College alumnus Lyle Jones, who has been practicing since 2006. In that time, he has worked in private practice, served as a public defender, sat as…
MCC was a foundation for success for alumnus Romero
Manuel “Manny” Romero (1992), executive director of Public Affairs for Borough of Manhattan Community College-City University of New York, says, “Everything I learned at Mesa Community College led…
Marvin Scott pays forward his MCC joy of music student experience
Believing that music has the power to change lives, Marvin Scott has focused his career on connecting kids to the joy and magic of making music, which was his student experience in the Mesa…
MCC is Family Tradition for Welding Graduate
When Merri Stafford was ready to make a career change in 2011, she explored MCC’s welding classes.
“I’ve always liked to work with my hands, but I haven’t had the opportunity until now,”…
What are cryptocurrency, blockchain and bitcoin? MCC Alumnus Michael del Castillo knows
As associate editor at Forbes in Jersey City, New Jersey, Michael del Castillo writes about how blockchain and cryptocurrencies are being adopted by enterprises and the broader business community…
Photo Gallery Features Alternative Photographic Processes
Since opening the Tilt Gallery in Phoenix in 2005, Mesa Community College graduates Michelle and Melanie Craven have enriched the Phoenix art community by sharing their photography skills and…
MCC basketball alumnus coaches Nigerian Olympic team
Mesa Community College alumnus Mike Brown (1988-1990) has experienced life on a global scale since childhood. His most recent international adventure was coaching the Nigerian national basketball…
Scholarship Recipient Completes Master’s Degree, Touts MCC and Community Colleges
Molly O’Dwyer took a circuitous route from Mesa Community College to the University of North Carolina, where she received her Master’s Degree in Information Science in December 2013.
O’…
Creating Your Own Tradition: Monica Trejo’s Educational Path from Hardship to Triumph
Monica Trejo was not a traditional student, nor is she a traditional doctoral candidate. “My journey is my journey, and I’m very proud of where it’s taken me,” she explains.
From dropping…
Local News Anchor Started at MCC
More than a decade ago, Monique Griego knew she wanted to go to college after graduating from Mesa High School. But putting two children through college was going to be next to impossible for her…
Alumna follows passion for furniture design
Nancy Donsbach believes every piece of furniture has its own personality. As an avid do-it-yourselfer for many years, she constantly spotted ways to breathe new life into old chairs and tables.…
Mesa Community College Student Receives $80,000 Scholarship
Nikelle Mackey, a Mesa Community College Art student, was recently awarded the Presidential Scholarship at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL. She was ranked in the top one percent…
Patrick McGarey's non-linear path to NASA
When Patrick McGarey graduated from MCC with an Associate in Arts degree, he never expected to be where he is today. Patrick, a robotics technologist at the National Aeronautics and Space…
Business Broker Phillip Reese Recommends MCC
1) Please describe your affiliation with Mesa Community College.
I am a former student who graduated with my Associate in Arts Degree in 2005. I am on the MCC Alumni…
Mesa Mom Returns to School, Balances Work and Family to Create a Brighter Future
From a young age, Mesa Community College graduate Priscilla Gutierrez has felt deeply connected to the Mesa community. “Having been born and raised here, I saw MCC as the ideal place to begin my…
Renae Blackwater Helps Plan Inaugural Native Youth Football Camp at MCC
Renae Blackwater graduated from MCC in Spring 2022, and served as an intern at Tempe-based LLC Indigenous Health over the summer. While there, she played an integral role in the organization –…
Gin Blossoms Vocalist Recalls Days at MCC
Robin Wilson, lead vocalist for the Gin Blossoms, spent a large part of his youth on the Mesa Community College campus where his father, Lee Wilson, taught accounting from 1971 through the early '…
MCC Alumnus Ron Colburn
On any given day, Mesa Community College alumnus Ron Colburn may brief Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, or the White House, or Congress, about the issues of the day as he fulfills his…
MCC Psychology Graduate Publishes Research
If given a choice, are you more likely to turn left or right? Mesa Community College alumna Rosaline Dye’s interest in the subject resulted in the publication of her research in a scientific…
MCC Student Awarded Art Scholarship
The College for Creative Studies in Detroit has awarded Mesa Community College art student Scott Everett an $80,000 scholarship based on his life-like charcoal drawings inspired by family, friends…
Outdoor Enthusiast Finds Dream Job
Scott Mackey’s job at the Arizona Game and Fish Department often takes him out into the middle of nowhere. But for Mackey, an avid outdoor enthusiast, that’s exactly where he wants to be.
“…
What Inspires Artist Shachi Kale?
MCC alumnae Shachi Kale’s artwork causes people to stop and look a little closer at all the delightful details hidden in her paintings. You’ll find caterpillars in the corners, birds in the…
MCC Alum and Arizona native finds success as a longtime radio personality
Being a radio host for SiriusXM isn’t exactly what she planned on doing, but according to Mesa Community College (MCC) Alumna Shannon Gunz, it is proof that life can surprise you with a fun and…
Sharon Skinner, a Mesa Community College alumna, is the Tempe Library's Spring 2019 Writer-in-Residence. Sharon is the author of fantasy, science fiction and paranormal novels for audiences of all…
Alumnus Finds Dream Job at Waymo
Shelby Prockish always wanted to work for Google, but he never dreamed it would be as a self-driving vehicle safety specialist. He loves the fact that he’s part of a select group that is working…
History of ASU Book Written by MCC Alumna
Do you know the details of how Arizona State University’s “Sparky” mascot originated, or the history of the campus Victory Bell? Find out by reading “Arizona State University,” a new book by Mesa…
Alumnus Stephen Morgan Recalls First Days at MCC
Every time Mesa Community College alumnus Stephen Morgan steps foot on the Southern and Dobson campus, he thinks about the first time he came to campus in the ‘80s.
“I was living in Flint…
Alumnus Thomas Patzner now at CBS News
Thomas Patzner typically begins his day early, around 3 a.m., preparing for CBS This Morning, a national news-features program that CBS has aired for several decades. Patzner, an MCC alumnus, has…
MCC alum and instructor brings fashion industry insights
Tim Kaufman (2015) describes his teaching career as his “third act” in life.
The former costume designer’s journey in the fashion industry took him all over the country…
Tim Werner: Bringing Biomechanics to Mesa, Hollywood, and Across the Globe
Athlete. Teaching Credentials in Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education. Professor. Coach. Inventor. Entrepreneur. Stuntman. Actor. Tim Werner’s experiences are varied and expansive.…
Veteran Tina Carroll Shares Her Re-Entry Experience
Tina Carroll returned to college at MCC after being out of school for nearly 20 years. She now works as a Veteran Technician at Scottsdale Community College, assisting returning veterans much like…
Tom Arviso Jr. Receives Native American Journalists Association Award
The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) selected Mesa Community College alumnus Tommy “Tom” Arviso Jr. as the 2021 NAJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award recipient. The award honors an…
MCC Grad Returns as Disability Manager
Spina bifida may have robbed Mesa Community College’s Tom Kusek of the ability to walk, but it couldn’t suppress his drive to succeed.
A 2005 graduate of MCC and now the college’s…
MCC home of lifelong learning for Wayne Balmer
The Wayne Balmer learning affair with Mesa Community College began in the early 90s when he was community development manager for the City of Mesa. He says he studied to refresh his mind and focus…
MCC Alumna Wendy Nessl Provides Meteorology Expertise for SpaceX launch
When Wendy Nessl took meteorology classes at Mesa Community College in 2010-12, she never dreamed she would be participating in SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket launch that sent a Tesla sports…
Dance class at MCC prepares Xavier Patten for success as a performer at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios
Xavier Patten started out as a music major at Mesa Community College. His focus changed after taking a dance class.
Today he works for Walt Disney World in Orlando as a parade performer…
Nursing graduate Zona Bailey comes full circle
As Zona Bailey looks out at the faces of the nursing students she teaches at Scottsdale Community College, she feels as though she has come full circle, sharing nursing knowledge with students of…