Stories of Success
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Do you know of a Mesa Community College student or alum doing great work? Are you one of them? Please let us know.
For more than half a century, thousands of students have charted their path to success at Mesa Community College. Here we feature a compendium of their inspiring stories and reflections. Check back occasionally to see new stories featuring the impact MCC has had on lives and the communities we serve.
Successful Thunderbirds List
As a first-generation college student, Abby Scott Nonthe, 25, found the Achieving a College Education (ACE) Program at Carson Junior High School in Mesa a great way to provide a solid start on her college education. ACE, a nationally recognized scholarship program that gives qualified students the chance to take college credit courses while still enrolled in high school, enables students to…
As a software developer 1 at Uber Eats, now living in New York City, Karl McPhee focuses on backend development and machine learning–sophisticated skills he learned as a Mesa Community College student and intern.
“At the time I started taking courses at MCC, I was enrolled in Arizona State University’s Master of Science program and had experience with programming in Java and Python,”…
The month of May will be an important one for Asmera McNeace, 18, of Mesa. That’s when he will graduate from both high school and college.
McNeace was homeschooled and chose to attend MCC because it was close to his home.
He said he learned many things during his quest to complete his educational goals.
“There weren’t too many obstacles that I had to overcome during my…
Mesa Community College student Bryan Plummer was one of 80 students from community colleges in 28 states and Puerto Rico who were selected to travel to a NASA center to develop robotic rovers. The National Community College Aerospace Scholars program encourages students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Plummer visited NASA's Jet…
Nawaf Faie successfully launched his academic career during one of the most challenging and tragic chapters in global history. Far from his home in Saudi Arabia, he met the countless challenges triggered by Covid with dignity and determination. Today Nawaf is a proud Mesa Community College Spring 2023 graduate earning an Associate of Applied Science in Public Relations.
An…
When it looked like it might be necessary to change professions because of physical limitations, MCC provided Sean with the opportunity to excel and grow without veering from his chosen career path.
An Arizona native, Sean attended MCC from August 2018 to May 2021 earning an Associates of Applied Science degree in Construction Management. Before earning the degree “I worked in the field…
For Mesa Community College student Anthony Gilbertson, 31, earning a degree might have taken a bit longer than expected, but he never gave up. This month, the proud psychology major will receive two associate degrees and an Arizona General Education Curriculum certificate.
Gilbertson has worked hard to get to this point.
“As the son of a single…
Mesa Community College (MCC) has been an important part of Robert Rangel’s life for many years. Both of his parents, Ron and Tina Rangel, worked at the Southern and Dobson Campus most of his life. As a preschooler, Rangel attended the MCC Children’s Center.
“I remember the experience I had as a child exploring the campus,” said Rangel, who is now age 20 and a Tempe resident. “So, when…
Motivation comes naturally for this teen who began his academic career at Mesa Community College when he was just 13 years old, while attending middle school at Sequoia Charter School in Mesa. At first the eighth-grader was unsure about attending college at such a young age but he quickly realized he could handle the rigorous college coursework in addition to his middle school classes and,…
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 Community College Music Department. Prior to attending MCC, Marvin was enrolled at Arizona State University. In the fall of his freshman year studying in the ASU College of Music, some friends recommended…