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
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 and marketing as Marketing Manager with Pizza Time Theater and in sales with Terminex. He loves camping and anything involving his grandchildren. He and his wife have been involved with several large…
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 students amidst gunshot wounds, burn victims and mental health “patients.”
Finch, an MCC alumnus and medical director of the Fire Science Paramedic and EMT Program, attended the college in 1985…
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.
Earning a micro certificate in iOS App Coding from Mesa Community College during the fall, spring, and summer 2018 semesters when she was one of the first students to enroll in the Apple…
In the weeks and months following the Covid-19 outbreak, Jason Carter was approaching the end of his schooling and was feeling that “everything was in disarray. I didn’t really know what to do,” said the Mesa Community College Computer Information Systems alumni.
The Phoenix resident had already completed an Associate of Arts degree in 2001 from Paradise Valley Community College and a…
For Katrina Patterson, 61, of Mesa, age is just a number. Her determination to finish her degree at Mesa Community College will pay off when she walks across the stage to receive her diploma amidst the applause of her two children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
“I’m so proud to be here,” Patterson said. “I did this for myself, I did this for…
Many students in Mesa Community College’s Mortuary Science Program say their fellow students feel like family by the end of the program. But two of the grads, Tony and Tyler Parker, really are related.
The father and son pair, who have spent long hours studying and attending class together, are graduating with Associate in Applied Science degrees in Mortuary Science.…
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 on something besides his job, choosing those classes of interest that could fit into his work and life schedule.
Named Williams Gateway Area Manager in 2001, Balmer became the project manager…
Carmella Baldwin, 19, of Chandler, said she will never forget her experience as a student athlete at Mesa Community College. She decided to attend MCC when Coach Dan Pescador reached out to her and offered her an athletic scholarship for cross country and track.
“The athletic department staff and my coach cultivated an environment where I felt comfortable and was encouraged to reach my…
Mother of three and entrepreneur Tarryn Hoffmann works to make a mark in the fashion industry using the natural talent that Mesa Community College helped her to develop coupled with her motivation to be successful.
Earning a Costume Design & Production, Level 1 Certificate in May 2022, Tarryn plans to return to MCC to earn an Associate’s degree in Graphic Design-Art and…
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 Apache Skateboards, and advocate for artistic expression for communities and people of color.
He attended MCC part-time in the 1980s while working at the then-booming Motorola Semiconductor plant…