The warm Arizona air was filled with possibility when 18-year-old Alan Saquella first drove through Mesa, Arizona, in 1979. His parents had just sold their business in New York after falling in love with the landscape of the east valley during a business trip. As the family settled into their new home, Alan discovered Mesa Community College almost by chance. Located just down the road, it quickly became the place where he would begin shaping his future.
“MCC was affordable, it had the right program and it was right there when my family moved to Mesa,” Saquella said. “It was the smartest place for me to start.”
Drawn by MCC’s affordability and an academic path that aligned with his growing interest in administration of justice and public service, Saquella enrolled and soon found himself immersed in campus life. He balanced coursework with work responsibilities, joined student government and took advantage of opportunities to connect beyond the classroom.
“What really stood out at MCC was that my professors had real-world experience,” he said. “They weren’t just teaching from a book, they had lived it.”
Those connections and experiences helped shape more than his academic record. MCC became a place where Saquella gained confidence and a sense of direction that would guide his next steps.
“MCC taught me discipline,” he said. “By the time I left, I knew I could do university-level work.”
That foundation opened the door for Saquella to continue his education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. From there, he built a distinguished career in law enforcement, investigations and security, eventually serving in leadership roles across the country and later transitioning into higher education as a professor.
More than four decades later, Saquella continues to credit MCC with giving him the start he needed.
“MCC really set me up for success,” he said. “It helped discipline me and showed me what was possible.”
His journey stands as a testament to the lasting impact of community colleges and the meaningful paths that begin right here at our college. As Saquella puts it, “MCC doesn’t end your journey, it starts it.”