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.
Christopher Hunt is no stranger to winning prestigious scholarships and awards. As he reflects back on his time at Mesa Community College, he considers it to be the start of his life’s journey and he’s thankful for the people who have helped him along the way.
First, he was named an All-Arizona Academic First Team scholar. As one of only 20 in the country to be named a 2019 All-USA Academic Team... Read more about Christopher Hunt
Creativity is important to Mesa Community College graduate Christina Court. As an elementary education major, she knows that all children learn through different methods, so as a teacher, she plans to use creativity in her lesson plans.
Court said she found a wonderful niche of creative thinkers and mentors amongst her professors at MCC. Those teachers include education professors Tawn Hauptli... Read more about Christina Court
Mesa Community College graduate, Noemi Panza, age 22, said she is very glad she discovered MCC as the place to begin her college career.
Originally from Cosenza, a small town in the city of Calabria, Italy, Panza who is a first-generation college student said, "I saw that MCC had an easy transfer program and thought it was the best option. These years at MCC have been the best years of my life.... Read more about Noemi Panza
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 the serenity, however, that attracted MCC Alumnus and Zap Water Technology, Inc. President Dave Schneider to the decommissioned Coast Guard Light Station – it was the possibilities.
“I’ve already been... Read more about Dave Schneider
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 and at Universal Studios as a dancer.
“I just enjoyed the MCC dance class so much,” Xavier said. “MCC gave me the core of my dance training and I feel like it was the best place for me to get that foundation.... Read more about Xavier Patten
Mesa Community College’s Angela Coleman refuses to allow her health issues to keep her from success.
A former cosmetologist who had to give up her business because she could no longer stand, Angela suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, hypoglycemia, neuropathy, and other ailments, including a failing right kidney.
Angela lived in Seattle for 16 years as a mail clerk before a pair of hernia... Read more about Angela Coleman
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 I decided... Read more about Robert Rangel
Jerod Focht is a hands-on type of student, however, when the pandemic hit during the end of his senior year of high school, many of his classes were online. He was accepted at Texas A&M and planned to study Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and he still does, but he realized many of his classes would be online, so he decided to change his plans.
Focht enrolled in the welding program... Read more about Jerod Focht
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 in... Read more about Sean Nitso
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. After a few successful years in the fashion industry, she switched gears to follow another passion—fishing.
“My first career was in fashion,” Duff said. “Burned out, I returned to MCC briefly to reinvent... Read more about Jennifer Duff