Alumni Success

What made SCC the right fit for you?

SCC was the right fit for me because I knew the reputation of the culinary program, and that I would receive a quality culinary education at a much lower cost than going through a traditional culinary program. Additionally, I could see that I would be qualified to start working as soon as I graduated and have the basic skills employers were looking for because of the comprehensive training received at SCC. Lastly, being an accredited program, I was able to gain my professional certification through the American Culinary Federation. This was an important step for me.

Tell us about your time at SCC.

Being a non-traditional student, it had been many years since I’d been in an educational environment. I was a little worried that I might struggle with going back to a math class, for instance, or that I wouldn’t fit in with the younger students. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that many people in my demographic were returning to school, either for re-careering like myself, or just to finish a degree that might have been started some years ago. All of my professors were incredibly willing to meet with me or otherwise engage in discussion to help me through difficult spots in my coursework, and the online systems were fairly easy to navigate and I was able to submit assignments without any issues. I enjoyed my time on campus.

How has SCC helped influence your success?

I’m proud to have graduated from SCC’s Culinary program. It has a great reputation and every time I’ve mentioned where I attended, it is met with nods of recognition and approval. I’m certain that my success in the program at SCC has enabled me to get my foot in the door at more than one employer.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

My favorite memory of SCC is the day we finished the culinary program. We all received our “tall hats” and proudly posed for pictures in our chef’s coats. I still remain in contact with several of the students and we share in each other’s successes.

Have you visited SCC since you graduated?

Because of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to return to campus. But I have been in contact with my program director and several others with whom I worked in the program. Even now they are supportive of my endeavors and I feel a part of that community.

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

Especially for the Culinary Arts program, there is no better value in the state than to attend SCC. I’ve worked with several people who attended “big” culinary programs - and paid big dollars to go with it - and I can truly say that my education equaled theirs. The quality of the instructors and the support received, including job fairs and contacts, were invaluable to me. The support staff, especially in Advising, also worked hard to ensure that I was on track and had the credits and classes I needed to graduate on time, and because I was an older student that was especially important to me.

What made SCC the right choice for you?

Proximity – SCC was close to home. I attended Coronado High School, and they even bused the students to SCC so they could register. This made it very easy to choose SCC. I was not a strong academic student in high school, so I had not given much thought to college.

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

I was very fortunate that I was willing and able to take advantage of a variety of opportunities during my time as a student here. I started at SCC on a political science track. I enjoy working with kids and education, and so I was able to serve as a student employee with the Center for Native and Urban Wildlife (CNUW). As an Outreach Specialist, I had the opportunity to care for the animals and lead educational tours. Roy Barnes and Jean Rigdin were instrumental in securing the job at CNUW, and this opportunity was a catalyst for my future professional aspirations.

Additionally, Albert Shank, my Spanish professor, offered a summer abroad program to Costa Rica. This one-month program was very affordable and enabled me to stay with a Costa Rican family for a month. I received a $500 grant to cover the cost of this cross-cultural experience. I have several fond memories of my time there. I also participated in the Model United Nations program offered at SCC. This four-day program combined education with realistic simulations of the United Nations, allowing me to travel to New York City. I was able to complete all the math classes from Math 090 through calculus. Thanks to all of the resources provided at SCC.

I was also a Mammal Research Assistant for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy for nearly three years. This internship involved conducting a baseline survey of mammals. I met my husband at SCC through participating in a pika survey with SCC faculty, Dr. John Nagy. This camping trip to Northern California was a lot of fun. I participated in the SCC Christmas Bird Count led by Dr. John Weser, SCC faculty and CNUW executive director, which introduced me to bird-watching, which is very useful in my current job as well. In fact, I utilized the Gilbert Riparian Preserve to test my knowledge of birds.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

Before Two Waters Circle existed, there was a small pond, and I have especially fond memories of helping clean it out and dig up the plant life. I even brought one of those plants home—it’s still thriving today in my mom’s house. I also loved walking across campus, gathering flowers, and stopping by to visit the tortoises, moments that made SCC feel both peaceful and personal.

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

I met my husband at SCC. Although we had seen each other around campus before, it was a shared field trip that sparked our relationship. Beyond that, the academic and extracurricular opportunities SCC offered helped shape my direction and laid a strong foundation for my career path.

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

I completed an Associate of Science at SCC and then went on to ASU.

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

Before graduating from SCC, I was a Program Specialist at the Arizona Science Center. I was responsible for designing and delivering educational programs and outreach initiatives. The position involved creating hands-on, immersive experiences in various scientific fields to engage visitors of all ages, particularly schoolchildren. I did summer camps and after-school programs. I continued to work there after graduating from SCC.

I went on to ASU to complete a degree in biology with a focus on conservation and ecology. While at ASU, my Limnology class (the study of the biological, chemical, and physical features of lakes and other bodies of fresh water) visited the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. The Naturalist and Wastewater Manager spoke to our class. During this visit, I thought that this would be an interesting place to work. Little did I know at the time that I would indeed end up working here.

My first role at the City of Gilbert was as an Environmental Compliance Inspector. After more than five years at that position, I moved into the Naturalist position at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve.

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

Seize the opportunities available to you. Work your way through college. Seek out opportunities, volunteer if possible. Gaining work experience while a student enables you to obtain valuable skills and knowledge to offer prospective employers, as well as providing you with a better understanding of what you like to do.

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

I think first and foremost there are friends & mentors I made at SCC that I am still connected with to this day. It obviously had a personal impact but was also great professionally, from bouncing off ideas of job opportunities, career challenges, and feedback on my work over the course of the years. It's also been amazing to see where people have gone with their careers over the last 10-15 even just through LinkedIn and knowing I can always connect with them if I am ever in need.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

I'd heard it was the best design program in the state, even over ASU.

How has SCC helped influence your success?

Being a part of the fairly early days of the program at SCC and then seeing where the industry went, it became a passion of mine to help students from a mentoring program as well as showing design as a career and its potential impact. While I was in Kansas City, I guest taught high school and college classes, participated in mentorship programs, mentored portfolio reviews, judged portfolios, and founded a non-profit geared towards inspiring, connecting, and educating design professionals with a tangential focus on students.

What are you doing now and for whom?

I'm currently Head of Design at a startup in Sydney, Australia. While my career is predominantly focused on digital products, I also work with our marketing team for design needs which taps back into all the education and knowledge I got at SCC from Peggy Deal's classes. To this day, I still have to remember about bleed, leading, kerning, orphans, etc. There are so many fundamentals I learned from design principles around white space, balance, hierarchy, etc. that are absolutely pertinent to today's design work that I do.

Have you visited SCC since you graduated?

No, I moved from AZ in 2011 and currently live in Sydney, Australia.

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

Particularly for the design program - it's by far one of the best programs you can be a part of over any uni or online school. Whatever you're interested in, it will give you the foundation you need for any design direction you want to go.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

Performing with the jazz band as a singer, totally outside my comfort zone; choreographing numerous routines for the dance department, performing at Symphony Hall with the SCC performing group, and receiving academic awards.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

Upon graduating high school, I promised my parents I’d at least get my two-year degree while I was training and performing. I also received a scholarship within the dance department that helped immensely. Within a few weeks at SCC, I earned a Teaching Certificate through the Maricopa County Community College District and was thus given classes to teach while attending school. Financially, this was a godsend and also allowed me to teach at Phoenix College and start and build classes at Paradise Valley Community College.

Tell us about your time at SCC.

My interests were primarily dance-related, but while attending SCC, I also discovered my interest in other academic areas, including Criminal Justice. I met a variety of friends who I still know today, 40+ years later.

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

It provided me with great teaching opportunities within an educational institution, which I miss.

What role did your involvement in extracurricular activities play in your overall SCC experience?

I was part of the dance and fitness department, performed with the theater department, and went outside my comfort zone by performing with the jazz band.

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

I received scholarships in dance and for my academic achievements.

Tell us about your journey after graduating from SCC.

I performed with regional, national, and international companies and organizations. I also taught throughout Europe, Australia, and the U.S. Later, I continued my institutional education at Ottawa University and, several years later, my Master of Fine Arts through the Boston Conservatory. I taught at Boston College, choreographed its halftime shows, coached its dance team and main stage musicals, and taught dance at Boston Ballet, Boston University, Boston College, and the Boston Conservatory. I taught dance to synchronized swim teams, the elderly, and more. I started my second dance company, toured, was the principal dancer for the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, and danced with Impulse Jazz Company. I was on the Board of Directors of various organizations. I met my future husband, later moved back to Phoenix, and started my third professional performance company and a dance performance group for adults with developmental and physical challenges. Today I still teach, do master classes, choreograph, help with technique for teams and winter guards, and I am a professional action photographer.

What advice would you give others embarking on their college journey?

It’s a great place to figure out life. To discover interests. To hold onto relationships.

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

My studies there taught me to prepare well, work hard, and strive for perfection.

What made SCC the right fit for you?

Intimate learning environment with highly qualified, talented professors.

Tell us about your time at SCC.

SCC provided the perfect transition for me from a small rural Midwest high school to college. Bob Mugford turned me into a decent writer. Pamela Fields fueled my interest in theater.

Tell us about your favorite memory of SCC.

The flora and fauna of Arizona field trips with Dennis Massion's class.

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

I was an assistant to Al Fischer in the SCC Public Relations office. He taught me a lot about the news business and public relations, which figured into several future positions.

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

Associate's Degree. Focused mostly on English and Performing Arts.

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

I went on to Arizona State University and earned a BA in English. Upon graduation, I worked as a Research Analyst for the Arizona House of Representatives. I performed in many professional theater productions in the Valley. I later graduated from the Yale School of Drama with a focus on playwriting. I later received a Fulbright fellowship to Croatia. I've worked as a reporter for several publications. My play 'The Ontological Detective' was produced off-Broadway, and 'Mustard Seed' won the Southern Playwrights Competition. As an actor, I have appeared in the Academy Award-nominated short, 'The Letter Room,' and on Hulu’s 'Chance.'

My post-apocalyptic sci-fi podcast, 'BlueLife' which was an Austin Film Festival script award winner, premieres its first three episodes on Sept. 1st. Go to https://www.bluelifeworld.com/ for details.

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

Challenge yourself. Learn from people who have 'been there.' Work hard and don't forget to have fun. SCC provides an ideal environment for learning and building community in an affordable, low-stress environment. It made me fall in love with learning.