Okay everyone, let’s meet Alexa, a junior from Weslaco, Texas, who is double majoring in political science and communication studies. From her small hometown in South Texas, Alexa came to St. Mary’s looking for a college that would support her on her educational journey while emphasizing opportunities to contribute to the common good. Alexa, please take it away.
– Hey, everyone. When it came to my education I knew I wanted to make the right decision. I come from a family of field workers who for 52 years worked every day to make sure I had the opportunity to be great. I’ve always known that my purpose is to help my community so in looking for a university I wanted to go somewhere that believed in giving back as much as I did. I found that at St. Mary’s. On my first tour of St. Mary’s, the campus was so welcoming. Resources like the Rattler Success Center and mental health support made it evident that the university cares about its students and their success inside and outside of the classroom. One thing that really stood out to me was just how much the university supports the neighborhood around campus. Every semester, hundreds of us Rattlers get together and head out into the community to volunteer. What I have realized for these events is just how much of an impact we can have when we come together. In fact, more than 70% of St Mary’s students participate in community service. I would like to say that my college journey has been easy, but there have been bumps in the road. Coming from a strong family, the last thing I wanted to admit was that I thought I was not good enough. However, when I expressed my concerns to my RA and my professors, they reassured me of all the potential I had and how I can help others. Having people around you who care about you academically and personally help you realize just how far you’ve come and how great you already are. I will graduate and go onto law school with the goal of running for Congress in my hometown of Weslaco, Texas. For anyone considering St. Mary’s, I wanna leave you with this. Go somewhere you will grow, where you will be pushed and a place that does not see you as a number. Go somewhere that feels like home. For me that’s St. Mary’s. Back to you, Alex.
– Alexa, thank you for sharing your experience. From knowing the love and support of a tight knit family to finding a second family at St. Mary’s, great personal story about the community experience at St. Mary’s. Having faculty and staff who support and encourage their students makes all the difference. Thanks again, Alexa, take care.
Our next student is a re-careering married mother of three, named Jennifer who attends Paradise Valley Community College. Recently, she said goodbye to life as an executive assistant. Now, she’s gonna share with us her desire to go into nursing and how she’s going about it at PVCC. Okay Jennifer, take us through your story.
– Thanks, Alex. Hello, everyone. I grew up in the Seattle area and moved out to Phoenix at the beginning of 2019 with my husband and three kids who are 15, 4 and 2. I’m currently re-careering after spending the past eight years in executive type assistant roles, I’m finally pursuing my dream of becoming a nurse. Since my first child was born with a cleft lip and palate I particularly wanted to work in the NICU department, but I simply didn’t have the resources back in Washington state. That all changed once I heard about Paradise Valley Community College. As a mother and wife, I needed a college that wasn’t just affordable but one that would help me succeed as a working parent. And that’s exactly what I found here. Shortly after the pandemic began in 2020, I felt a need to check back into my options pursuing a career change. I reached out to a mom’s community board on Facebook and heard about Maricopa’s amazing nursing program. I contacted a few colleges in my area, but Paradise Valley was the most responsive. Their counselors were calling me and helping me that same day, setting up a plan that worked best for me. It’s been a year since that initial phone call and I’m on my last prerequisite class. Their online curriculum has made it possible for me to learn while working and taking care of my children. College has always been a big priority to me. I graduated with a generic business degree through an online program, but I felt like their curriculum was not well structured. Paradise Valley’s curriculum just feels different. My professors actually care about my goals and everything was built to help keep me on track. The nursing program is coming up for me in just a few months and because of Paradise Valley’s prerequisite classes, I know I have the foundation down for what’s next. Because of this amazing Community College, I’m finally pursuing my goal and will be working in the NICU department within the next couple of years. Thank you. Back to you, Alex.
– Wow, Jennifer, that is a phenomenal story. Your goal to work in neonatal intensive care is admirable and heartwarming. And it’s awesome that PVCC is helping you make steady progress in your goal. And we’ve got no doubt you will reach it. Good luck and keep up the hard work.
Okay, everyone, now we’re gonna go out to Paradise Valley Community College, home of the Pumas to meet Jeremiah who is the embodiment of diversity and inclusion. Seeing himself as the ultimate outsider, he’s gonna tell us how his time at Paradise Valley gave him a fresh perspective. Jeremiah, the floor is yours. Let’s hear your story.
– Awesome intro Alex. What’s up everyone? I’m a first generation graduate here at Paradise Valley and an aspiring transfer student majoring in dental hygiene. I begin my time here at Paradise Valley in spring of 2017, after relocating from Mississippi. Being an African American and part of the LGBT community, I never imagined a place where I truly belong. The faculty and staff helped me create memorable moments. Even the students here made me feel like I was a part of a big family. Now I consider this place, my home away from home. During my journey here, I was a part of organizations like Desperado and LGBT Film Festival club, emerging leaders, a program where upcoming leaders work together to solve critical problems followed by a three day retreat, and I was given the opportunity to share my impact story on the importance of following your dreams. I’m an interpersonal kind of guy, that’s why I enjoy the small class sizes and being able to interact one on one with my instructors for a quality learning experience. Worried about finances? Don’t. This campus has hundreds of grants and scholarship opportunities. I know because I was awarded both Rainbow Scholarship and the Warren and Jo Buxton Scholarship Funding just for signing up and getting involved. Attending PVCC has been an amazing experience. I got a chance to make great connections, give back to the community and find my passion in dentistry. I then knew it was more than just me getting an education, it was for me to start a path to my future. Your dream starts somewhere, so why not start here? Because here at Paradise Valley Community College, no student gets left behind. So come on out and show your Puma pride. Right back at you, Alex.
– Jeremiah, you’ve got a great story and are definitely an inspiration. Your ability to stay true to yourself and find your home away from home at Paradise Valley Community College is awesome. Good luck in your future as a dental hygienist and keep being you.
Okay, folks, next up we’ll be hearing from current Estrella Mountain Community College student and future journalist, Kayden. A passionate communicator, she’s using her time wisely at EMCC as a stepping stone to university and a career in journalism. Let’s go to Kayden and get her report on her time at college and how it’s preparing her for the future.
– Thanks, Alex. Hi, everybody. Throughout my whole life, I’ve been trying to find an outlet to speak on topics that I’m passionate about. In high school, I found that outlet in drama club, where I met some of my best friends and highlighted aspects of the human experience through acting. From there, I knew I wanted to study journalism. Estrella Mountain Community College is a great stepping stone to the start of my college journey. Even though I’m only a freshman here at EMCC, I’ve already found so many great opportunities to write about things that are important to me, even in just a basic English class. Another thing that’s important to me is to have as much time as I can in courses tailored to my major. I can get all of my prerequisites for my degree done and still take classes that are informative, interesting, and enjoyable. My goal is to transfer to a university in two years and thanks to my advisor and the great classes available here at EMCC, it’s possible. Estrella is not only affordable, but also offers a comfortable learning environment. My voice is heard and I’m comfortable participating in classes. This semester, I’m taking three classes in person and find that I spend the most time here at Estrella Hall where I can comfortably study and get my homework done. I never knew that even just a semester of college could help prepare me for my future. Thankfully, through the help of my advisor, I have a plan for the next two years so that when I do transfer to a university, I’m fully prepared and I don’t have to worry about any of my credits transferring over. I look forward to learning so much more about my major here at Estrella. That’s all from me. Back to you, Alex.
– Great stuff, Kayden. Your Estrella Mountain Community College instructors are preparing you for a bright future in journalism. Hopefully one day soon, we’ll see your name in the byline or catch you delivering a news report. Keep up the hard work and much success
Now we’re gonna meet Shawn, a student from Estrella Mountain Community College located in the West Valley. Shawn has had a lifelong passion for filmmaking, but college and film school wasn’t for him or so he thought. Let’s get the detail straight from Shawn. Ready? Action.
– Thank you, Alex. Growing up in Chicago, I loved everything film. I loved dressing up and costumes and performing for my family. Ever since I was five years old, I knew it was the one thing that made me genuinely happy. At 18, I dropped out of high school to shoot a feature film as a lead character. Ever since that experience, my desire to do films heightened more. I eventually got my high school diploma and decided to take my mom’s advice and try college out for a year. Estrella Mountain Community College made sure I felt secure in my decision to go back to school at the age of 21, and made sure I had every resource available to help me enjoy my freshman year. After picking my classes with my advisor, I was actually surprised at how much I was looking forward to my upcoming school year. Estrella does a great job at showing how fun college can be for students, such as myself. We used to think otherwise. I find myself looking forward to classes and to hearing from my teachers about the projects we were working on. Estrella’s Art Center lives right across the street from the main campus where there are tons of plays and short films created by students. This is an amazing community for those who’ve taken interest in anything that has to do with film or acting. In the past, there have been many schools that have overlooked art programs, but Estrella makes sure to include this Art Center because they understand the value of letting students be creative. Estrella Mountain Community College has taught me to never be afraid of trying something new. As mentioned before, I wasn’t too keen about the idea of going to college. I put it off as something that was not for me, but attending Estrella Community College helped boost my confidence. It helped me connect more with my peers and it let me see just how engaging school can be when I enjoy each of my classes. Well, that’s my story. Back to you, Alex.
– Shawn, it is awesome how attending Estrella Mountain taught you to get out there and experience life and not hold back, particularly when it comes to your art. We can’t wait to see you at a film festival or on the red carpet someday soon. Good luck Shawn, and we’ll be watching.