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
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 continued earning a Bachelor of Science in finance and an Executive Master in Business Administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU).
Today Moore is…
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 borders, and all types of patterns that give life to her creations.
She’s a visual storyteller, graphic designer and children’s book illustrator. Locally, her work has appeared at the Mesa Arts Center…
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 College’s Southern and Dobson campus. Coppola collaborated with MCC math and computer science professor Madeleine Chowdhury to bring his design to life, AllisOneenOsillA, a palindrome for All is One, One…
Choosing to modify his career path from television production to programming was a no-brainer for Patrick. While the industry was converting to computer-based technology, he became increasingly attracted to the way mobile devices, with their combined technologies, could perform tasks that were unimaginable at the time.
Patrick made the move to MCC and the Maricopa Information…
Leading MCC’s student government as president of the Associated Students of Mesa Community College (ASMCC), Yudidt Nonthe Sanchez, 23, earned her Associate in Arts in Arizona General Education Curriculum. She began her MCC journey while a high school student taking Early College courses through the Achieving College Success (ACE) program.
She said, “My ASMCC experience has been…
Skylar Melancon, 17, of Mesa, comes from a single-parent household with two family members who are disabled. When she was 10, Skylar and her family relocated to Arizona from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina.
“Although I was only ten, this experience made me realize that you can lose a lot of things in life, like money, homes, possessions, and more,” Melancon said. “An…
Brooklynn Nichole Contreras, 18, says the experience of meeting First Lady Jill Biden at Mesa Community College left her speechless. Biden visited MCC to recognize the success of the Mesa College Promise Program, which financially assisted Contreras as she attended college.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to meet her," said Contreras, who lives in Mesa. "It was an amazing…
Dustin Smith, 17, (Apache Junction) is about to graduate from college--two weeks before she gets her high school diploma.
On May 10, Smith will receive three associate degrees from Mesa Community College plus an Arizona General Education Curriculum and an Academic Certificate in Sustainability.
Then, two weeks later, she will…
Shannon Poppell's dream of graduating from college alongside her two sons, Jeffrey and Kevin, is about to come true. When they receive their diplomas, it will be the culmination of time spent juggling many obligations. Shannon, 52, of Mesa, said to accomplish these goals, she recognizes the importance of having support and guidance through the college experience and beyond. She said she found…
Living in a chaotic house filled with foster children hasn’t stopped Leigh Gosney, age 47, or her biological daughter Katelyn, age 23, from pursuing higher education at MCC and beyond. Leigh has been a foster parent for 20 years. She has two biological children, four adopted and many fosters who still call her Mom.
Leigh, who married and had two biological children at a young age, didn…