Alumni Success

What value has SCC brought to your personal life and or career?

My experience at SCC taught me everything from time management to what it really means to be a leader. It also showed me the importance of networking and building lasting relationships. Beyond academics, the life skills I gained while attending SCC truly transformed me and paved the way for me to become the successful professional I am today!

What made SCC the right fit for you?

I began my nutrition career at SCC, taking my very first nutrition course with Robert Martin, whom I am proud to work alongside today as both a colleague and a friend. Robert and the other staff at SCC played a pivotal role in not only motivating me to pursue a career in nutrition, but also to become engaged in campus initiatives, join the Honors program, take on leadership roles, and even work past my fear of public speaking through club activities and unique presentation opportunities at events like the World Hunger Breakfast. During my final year at SCC, I became the President of the Fitness and Nutrition Club, which gave me valuable skills that served me very well after I transferred to ASU and even now, as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

My absolute favorite memory at SCC is definitely the time I spent as a member of the Fitness & Nutrition Club. Even before I became the club's president, it was an incredible experience that allowed me to connect with my fellow students and engage in amazing initiatives both on and off campus.

Have you visited SCC since you graduated?

Not only have I returned to the SCC campus since graduating, but I am now an instructor here! While the classes I currently teach are primarily online, I still get the same great, welcoming feeling when I step on campus today as the very first time I visited! Few campuses are as inviting and beautiful as the SCC campus!

What are you doing now and for whom?

I became inspired to succeed by my time at SCC. I had attended other community colleges out of state, but SCC was different. The staff truly cared and supported me in my goals. There were also opportunities for personal growth that I never experienced at any other college. As I already mentioned, Professor Robert Martin was key to getting me interested in nutrition, but he also motivated me to be a better version of myself and that has had a lasting, positive impact.

What would you say to convince someone to come to SCC?

To anyone considering SCC, I would say that you owe it to yourself to see the difference that an education at a smaller, but thriving and forward-thinking campus can make! The staff are wonderful and truly care about your success. The campus is beautiful and has everything you need to learn, study, be social, and even relax between classes! Plus, students are friendly and it's easy to make friends, even life-long connections! There are plenty of opportunities for personal growth and the atmosphere is one of both learning and inspiration. If I had to do my education over again, SCC would still be my top choice!

What made SCC the right fit for you?

I lived in Arizona before being stationed in New York with the Army. I had attended NAU for a couple of years and wanted to get back into the swing of school via community college.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

The extracurricular activities and opportunities offered are among my favorite memories. These provide great opportunities for on-the-job, real-world training and set you up for college and university success.

What value has SCC brought to your personal life and/or career?

The classes and extracurricular opportunities were directly applicable to my career path.

Please describe your involvement at SCC. What role did that involvement play in your overall SCC experience?

I was very involved in the Center for Native and Urban Wildlife. I also utilized the Veterans Administration (VA) lounge and VA resources. This resource enabled me to connect with other Veterans on campus and offered a quiet place to study.

Tell us about your journey after graduating from SCC. Where did you start, and where are you now?

After graduating from SCC, I completed a degree in Applied Biological Sciences and Visual Photography at ASU. I continued to help out at CNUW while attending ASU. Dr. John Weser, Professor of Biology, Life Sciences Department Chair, and Executive Director of the Center for Native & Urban Wildlife, was a reference when I applied for the position of Education Assistant with the National Audubon Office in Phoenix. My experiences at CNUW were instrumental in securing this job, as I had limited prior work experience with birds. I often returned to SCC when I was leading tours with the National Audubon Society. My next professional experience was as an Education Technician for the National Park Service. I am now an Interpretive Park Ranger at Valles Caldera National Preserve in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. I provide leadership for interpretation, education, and volunteer divisions. The goal is to connect visitors to the materials and resources we have. I enjoy speaking to groups and leading tours and field trips for K-12 and university students. I visit classrooms and talk about the National Park Service in general. The programs I coordinate focus on art, photography, and birding. I have initiated bringing music to the park through concerts. In April, we hosted the first-ever silent disco at a national park. I am the Night Sky Manager, which means I manage volunteers and oversee after-hours programs that offer stargazing, astro photography workshops, and moonlit hikes. I also lead a monthly guided hike, utilizing instant film cameras as a medium to explore the park. Participants learn the basics of photography and compositional recommendations while slowing down and appreciating the surroundings using an instant film camera, all while exploring Valles Caldera.

What advice would you give others embarking on their college journey? What would you say to convince someone to come to SCC?

SCC offers ready access to your professors and small class sizes, which make for a very engaging educational experience.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

I chose SCC because I was specifically looking for Graphic Design courses and heard nothing but great things about their program.

Tell us about your time at SCC.

I attended SCC for two years, loading all 4 semesters with as many classes as I could. I loved the program and learned so much from all the great teachers. Every teacher had vast experience in the subject of their course and were there to help us succeed. They did an excellent job teaching not only the skills but how to design a successfully produced product.

How has SCC helped influence your success?

In my position at Prisma Graphic, I often see the work of many designers and sometimes it is a great design in theory but to print and produce is either too costly for the client or the function of it will not work with the designers concept. Taking courses with SCC helps me catch these things before the entire job is set into motion. Therefore, saving our clients time and money in getting things worked out to be functional.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

So many great memories, but one of my favorites would be in my photography class when the instructor, Rick Burress, told us a story of taking a baby to the jungle... No, not a "real" baby and not a "real" Jungle, he was speaking of a photo and using Photoshop to do all your editing. It's a story I'll never forget and you can hear it yourself by taking his class.

Have you visited SCC since you graduated?

I have gone back several times for IDUG meetings (InDesign User Group).

What value has SCC brought to your personal life and or career?

SCC helped me attain my current position with Prisma Graphic. I was part of the SCC Externship program during my final semester and through that position helped determine what career I wanted to continue with. I applied for and was offered a full time position as an Account Manager with Prisma Graphic upon graduation.

I met so many wonderful people through SCC and being an Alumni that works in the business, I continue to meet others. It is like our own little family of great creative people. I can always count on them to answer my call if I need them.

What are you doing now and for whom?

I’ve been with Prisma for 4 years now. I am a team lead in the Account Management department and work with a great group of people. My team works with a wide range of clients but has a special focus on Hospitality and Healthcare. We are responsible for successfully initiating, planning, controlling, executing and monitoring many projects to be sure they are completed to meet our clients expectations. Beyond Prisma, I still do some design work on the side along with my hobby of training detection dogs for a local company that provides dogs and training to police agencies across the country.

What would you say to convince someone to come to SCC?

You will not find any greater pool of knowledge for designing in the real world than the group of instructors in the program at SCC.

What value has SCC brought to your personal life and/or career?

SCC first trained me in my career as a teacher, and has enhanced my life, mainly in music.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

SCC was a small school where the professors knew us personally.

Tell us about your time at SCC.

I played in numerous concert bands, jazz bands, and trombone choirs, even long after I graduated.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

I played in the band at football games. The football team still called themselves the "Drovers" at that time. When we yelled "Go, Go, Artichokes Go!" The football team vehemently disapproved. After the first game, we yelled "Go, Go, Scottsdale Go!" instead.

Please describe your involvement at SCC, including extracurricular and co-curricular activities such as clubs, organizations, programs, honors, and athletic teams.

I played in numerous bands at football games, concerts, plays, and graduation ceremonies.

Tell us what degrees or certificates you earned or what types of classes you completed at SCC.

I earned an Associate's Degree in Music, and later, took several Mathematics classes and music classes.

List any scholarship(s) you received while attending SCC.

During my full-time years as a student, I earned a $50 scholarship each semester to play in bands, and that is about what it cost to be a full-time student at the time.

Tell us about your journey after graduating from SCC. Where did you start, and where are you now?

I graduated from Grand Canyon University. I taught middle school Band and then high school Mathematics.

What advice would you give others embarking on their college journey? What would you say to convince someone to come to SCC?

Do the very best you can, more than what is expected.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

I started SCC as a home-schooled, dual-enrolled high schooler. SCC was a convenient and accessible institution that would enable me to become embedded in a college environment. With its small class sizes, variety of degree options, and sense of community, this would be the perfect place to begin my college experience

Tell us about your time at SCC.

I was actively involved in student life, from leading the campus newspaper to presiding over the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter (Psi Gamma). During these experiences, I enjoyed sharing stories of various campus community members, collaborating with colleagues in staging educational programming and feeling engaged in the evolution of our campus. I loved getting to know many faculty members and staff who supported my journey

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

The most significant memory during my time at SCC unfolded on the very last day when I delivered my student commencement speech during graduation. I was beyond thrilled (and anxious) to have the opportunity to be selected for this role, and it represented a "defining moment" for me, as I used that space to publicly share for the first time about how autism had shaped my life and academic journey. I finally felt comfortable being vulnerable about a part of me that I had long kept hidden and, more importantly, pride over the structural challenges I had battled to succeed in life. I was extremely touched to be met by a standing ovation and many individuals coming to me after the speech to discuss their connections to autism. This night remains perhaps one of the most important of my entire life

What value has SCC brought to your personal life and career?

On a personal note, many of the friends I made 12-15 years ago as an SCC student remain core individuals in my life; they were there for my doctoral graduation and will continue to support me as I embrace additional opportunities. Similarly, several of the faculty and staff have remained core connections of mine, people who I still consult for advice and share experiences. As for how SCC shaped my career direction, it was through interviewing various community members that I built my foundation of learning about academia and the people who belong to these educational institutions. Though I was pursuing a journalism degree at the time, as I wrapped up my Bachelor's at ASU, I realized that I sought to have a career where academia would be the centerpiece. Consequently, I ultimately attained my master's and doctorate in higher education, in which I conducted research about, among other topics, community college student transfer pathways. I also engage in scholarship around autism in higher education, for which most people in my space associate me. SCC continues to be a piece of my academic pride; most colleagues are aware that I went to the school with Artie the Artichoke as a mascot and see my associate degree hanging on my wall alongside my doctoral degree.

Tell us about your involvement at SCC. What role did that involvement play in your overall SCC experience?

I led two student organizations: the Green Club (focused on environmental issues) and the Psi Gamma chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Theta Kappa. I also worked across all levels of the student newspaper for over two years. I was actively engaged in the honors program and various student life efforts. These spaces allowed me to connect with many individuals and contribute to the campus community.

Tell us what degrees or certificates you earned or what types of classes you completed at SCC.

B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication.

List any scholarship(s) you received while attending SCC.

Honors Program Scholarship

Tell us about your journey after graduating from SCC. Where did you start and where are you now? 

I pursued graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in its leading Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis department. There I took courses around issues in higher education and conducted numerous research projects around issues on community college transfer, LGBTQ+ campus climate, and autism and disability in higher education. During this time I also joined the leadership team of College Autism Network, a nonprofit organization centered on advocacy, research, and training in higher education. After receiving my doctorate in 2021, I served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at NC State University and then as an Assistant Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Arkansas. In Fall 2024, I will make another institutional transition as I embark on a new chapter as an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Career highlights include being named a K. Patricia Cross Future Leader from the American Association of Colleges & Universities and an ECMC Foundation Career and Technical Education Postsecondary Research Fellow. Most notably, reflecting my engagement in research on autism in higher education, I was thrilled to receive, with my colleague Dr. Bradley E. Cox, a $500,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation as we make sense of autistic college student success. This research study is allowing us to study, at a national level for the first time, the experiences of autistic undergraduate college students and what matters to them in terms of feeling successful (e.g., mental health, friendship, graduation, employment).

What advice would you give others embarking on their college journey? What would you say to convince someone to come to SCC?

SCC represents a "community" in the truest sense of the word. Everyone enters college from various vantage points. SCC honors that spirit by creating opportunities that foster comfort, friendship, and academic possibilities for students across numerous life experiences and entry points.