Mt. SAC students share success stories on path to graduation
June 09, 2025 - 12:58 AM
Graduating from Mt. SAC is an important and exciting milestone for our students, and each has a different journey on how they arrived at Commencement.
Here's some of those stories:
PRIYA GEORGE
Priya George has only been at Mt. SAC for a year, but she is already leaving.
It鈥檚 not that college classes weren鈥檛 for her, but rather she quickly completed her degree and is transferring to UC Berkeley this summer.
鈥淚 graduated from high school just last year,鈥 the Business Administration major says, 鈥渁nd although this was my only full year at Mt. SAC, I also took dual enrollment courses while in high school.鈥
While in high school, Priya watched her peers pick next-level institutions and couldn鈥檛 help but notice the gravity of her decision.
鈥淐oming from a highly competitive high school, I felt pressure to attend a prestigious
four-year university immediately. But choosing Mt. SAC was the best decision I鈥檝e
made,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t saved me tens of thousands of dollars and gave me the chance
to grow, learn, and transfer on my own terms.鈥 
Priya鈥檚 terms now include a passion for studying business, something that wasn鈥檛 in her initial plans.
鈥淚 applied to universities as a Computer Science major and was waitlisted at nearly every school,鈥 she says. 鈥淎t the time, it was disappointing, but in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. I realized that while I enjoyed coding, my true passion lay elsewhere. My growing love for economics led me to pivot toward business, and that鈥檚 what brought me to Mt. SAC.鈥
Priya made sure to maximize her time at Mt. SAC.
鈥淭hough my time here was short, I made the most of it. I prioritized in-person classes whenever possible because my favorite part about studying business is the collaboration. I wanted to get to know other students who are eager to share ideas and network.,鈥 she says. 鈥淎t first, I worried I might feel left out seeing my high school peers head straight to four-year universities. But I ended up loving my experience here so much that part of me wishes I could stay longer. The professors, the opportunities, and the community completely changed how I view success.鈥
And what is that view of success, Priya?
鈥淭o me, graduating from Mt. SAC represents more than just earning a degree,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of years of hard work and the support of my family, friends, and mentors. It鈥檚 also a celebration of the second chances this school gave me, and a reminder that success doesn鈥檛 have to follow a traditional path.鈥
Priya鈥檚 path will take her to the graduation stage on Friday at the 2025 Commencement and then to the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, which getting into, she says, 鈥渉as been my proudest academic achievement so far.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 also honored to be a recipient of Mt. SAC鈥檚 Student of Distinction scholarship for Academic Excellence,鈥 says Priya, who graduates with a 4.0 GPA. 鈥淎dditionally, my friends and I were finalists in the annual Tri-College Business Pitch Competition between Mt. SAC, Norco, and Cerritos College.鈥
As Priya explores the fields of business during her next chapter, she offers some wisdom to current and future Mounties.
鈥淭aking advantage of the countless opportunities and 糖心Vlog传媒 at Mt. SAC was the only reason I was able to obtain my degree and transfer as fast as I did,鈥 she says, crediting the Honors Center, Promise+ Program, and Transfer Center as invaluable support for her. 鈥淚f I were to give advice to any incoming students, it would be to get plugged into campus resources as soon as possible.鈥 #MtSACgrads
ELLEANNA RAMOS
Prior to splashing down here at Mt. SAC, Elleanna Ramos found herself treading water.
She had been competing in the pool as a swimmer since the age of 6, but took a two-year break to dry off and refocus.
鈥淚 had to make the hardest decision of taking a break from something I had loved for so long,鈥 Elleanna says. 鈥淪wimming had been my life and to even take a year off made me feel like I was throwing away my potential. However, I had to do what was best for myself and take a break for the next two years. In that time period, I had missed racing so much but never thought I would be able to swim in college.鈥
As she got her feet wet as a Mountie, Elleanna found a passion in the classroom by
utilizing the Honors Program. 
鈥淏y enrolling in the Honors Program, I was able to connect with one of my professors who inspired my interest and motivation to study psychology,鈥 Elleanna says. 鈥淢y passion for psychology and mission to be of service to others emerged. While researching for careers in the field of psychology, I knew that I wanted to work with kids because I had experience as a swim instructor for four years as well as three years of experience as a swim coach.鈥
With a head first dive into a promising career, Elleanna took the plunge to reignite her swimming career after meeting with Women鈥檚 Swimming assistant coach Lani Ruh for the first time.
鈥淣o matter how good or bad my swim times were, (Coach Ruh) saw my potential and let me on the Mt. SAC swim team with open arms. My passion for swimming had come back like a spark that lit a fire. The rest is history; literally, we made history.
鈥淚 can proudly say I was a part of Mt. SAC鈥檚 first ever women鈥檚 swimming state championship in the history of Mt. SAC Athletics. As a freshman at Mt. SAC, I became a three-time South Coast Conference Champion, became the school-record holder in my favorite individuals the 100, 200, and 50 yard butterfly (the 100 butterfly record being from 1980), and was named an All-American student-athlete. This season, I am two-time South Coast Conference Champion, broke the SCC meet record in the 200 fly, and became a three-time State Champion.鈥
In addition to her accolades in the pool. Elleanna has piled up the hardware in her studies as well. On Friday at Commencement, the Student of Distinction winner with a 3.9 GPA will accept both of her earned degrees in Psychology and Social & Behavioral Sciences, and will continue her journey in the pool and classroom by transferring to college in San Diego where she will continue studying in the field of psychology and advance her record-setting swimming career at the upper collegiate level.
鈥淕raduating from Mt. SAC is a celebration of my accomplishments, hard work, and journey here at Mt. SAC,鈥 she says. 鈥淪ome may say that community college is just a small step in your path toward success, but I feel that my most successful moments so far were here at Mt. SAC. Moments like representing my school in my sport, finding my passion for Psychology, and making so many new friends. I truly feel I have left a mark here at Mt. SAC, and it has become a second home for myself.鈥 #MtSACgrads
VICTOR SIERRA
Victor Sierra gave his all serving in the United States Marine Corps for eight years.
He was deployed on five combat tours during his military career, worked with special operation groups, and bonded with fellow servicemembers over a mutual desire to go back to college.
Victor, however, found returning to civilian life not to be an easy transition, especially
since he was dealing with the fallout of losing 鈥90 percent of my platoon to IED strikes,
gun shots, and suicide.鈥 
鈥淚 was medically discharged due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), pulled back into the gang life after my discharge and incarcerated due to physical violence stemming from my PTSD,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 went through a difficult divorce, after two miscarriages, and spent months in a mental health facility.鈥
One year ago, Victor found himself at his lowest point in a dark corner of a Veterans of Foreign Wars bar in Ontario, contemplating taking his own life.
In that moment, Victor recalled the conversations about returning to school he had with his fellow servicemembers.
鈥淚 made a pledge that I would fulfill the promises my marines made to a higher power on their behalf,鈥 he says. 鈥淚n honor of their memory, I reluctantly decided to go to Mt. SAC.鈥
To say Victor has honored their memory would be an understatement.
He earned the Student of Distinction award for Personal Achievement, received three scholarships last year, is a member of the Salute Veterans Honor Society, made the Dean鈥檚 List, holds a 3.2 GPA, and is the President of the Student Veterans of America at Mt. SAC.
He plans to continue his collegiate journey all the way until he earns a Doctorate in Education.
鈥淔irst of all, it's a major accomplishment to be a first-generation college student,鈥 says Victor, who will be transferring to Cal State Los Angeles. 鈥淪econd, it brings me joy to know that all my mother鈥檚 hard work and sacrifice never went unnoticed and gave me motivation to make her proud. Third, it gave me confidence that I never had in high school to actually believe that I could actually go to college and graduate.鈥 #MtSACgrads
MEGAN LOHANS
Megan Lohans admits her life now seems pretty normal from the outside. She鈥檚 a 40-year-old single mother to a 4-year-old daughter, and they live in suburban West Covina, complete with a pug.
鈥淎t first glance, I might look like your normal, everyday, Subaru-driving middle-class soccer mom,鈥 she says.
While everything is greener on her side of the fence these days, Megan remembers her not-too-distant past that reminds her of how far she has come.
鈥淪ix years ago, a permanent residence was a completely foreign concept to me, and
I instead existed floating between cheap motels and a tent under the underpass of
the 101 Freeway,鈥 she says. 
As she bounced around, Megan was also getting in trouble with the law and dealing with her inner demons.
鈥淢y crimes had reached far beyond the petty theft here and there that they began as,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hey increased in severity as my moral judgement decreased due to struggles with severe mental health and addiction issues. I had progressively only gotten worse and worse.鈥
All of her problems were compounded exponentially when she learned she was going to be a mother.
鈥淚 eventually found out I was two weeks pregnant while sitting on the floor of a Los Angeles County jail,鈥 Megan says. 鈥淚 was facing giving birth in prison with a 12-year sentence over my head. Luckily, I was given a grace I probably didn鈥檛 deserve. I made a deal that included six months of residential treatment, followed by 18 months intensive outpatient and five years of probation.鈥
Using motherhood as the best motivation to stay on the straight and narrow, Megan started at Mt. SAC. First, she finished her high school education on campus and then dove into her college units. She, naturally, focused on an Addictions Counseling degree and finished the certification program in just over a year.
鈥淚 have a 4.0 GPA and have been on the President鈥檚 List every semester my entire Mt. SAC career,鈥 Megan says. 鈥淚 have served as student justice for Associated Students and am a member of both the on-campus honor society and Phi Theta Kappa.鈥
She will be transferring to Cal Poly Pomona with a laundry list of awards and scholarships to her name. Megan was named one of the winners of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, was awarded a Student of Distinction Award in Personal Achievement, won a Mt. SAC Foundation Associates Scholarship, earned the Esther and Edward Walters Merit Scholarship, and took home the Yen Family Scholarship.
She credits the support she received being a Rising Scholar that rallied her all along the way during this part of her educational journey.
鈥淚 never would have imagined that being previously incarcerated would have helped far more than it would negatively impact me, but that is exactly what it has done for me ever since I stepped foot on campus,鈥 Megan says. 鈥淲hat has always been an obstacle became a source of community, inspiration and motivation. Being a parent scholar, especially a single parent scholar, is not an easy task, but I have never been alone in my time here. I have always had a committed group of people I could rely on, and even though I did not necessarily have the most active on-campus role at times I have always known I could just drop by unannounced in the Rising Scholars office if I ever needed support.鈥
Megan has completed 2,240 supervised hours as an addictions counselor, passed the state exam and is now licensed with the state. She also will continue her comeback story at Cal Poly Pomona in the Fall.
鈥淕raduating Mt. SAC means accomplishing the impossible,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 had a judge tell me once that he would bet his robes that I would never make it out of Skid Row. But I did make it out, and I have made it so incredibly far since then. This is the end of this chapter and the beginning of a new one. I may be graduating from here, but I am going to a new school, and chasing a new dream because I no longer limit myself to labels that have been placed upon me. My mistakes no longer define me, and my past no longer limits me.
鈥淕raduating Mt. SAC to me is proof that there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome, no hill that cannot be climbed.鈥 #MtSACgrads
YUE WU
Yue Wu and her family came to the United States as immigrants just about three years ago.
Even though she has not been in the country very long, Yue has made big strides in her education, and it started by mastering the biggest obstacle in her path: the language barrier.
鈥淟ike many immigrants, I first took ESL courses to improve my English,鈥 she says.
鈥淎lthough I only studied in ESL for about three months, this learning experience left
me with many good memories. During this period, my English improved significantly,
and I was fully adapted to the teaching environment in the United States.鈥 
Once she grew comfortable with her educational environment, Yue started forging her path toward a degree and a career.
鈥淚 will receive an associate's degree in natural science,鈥 says Yue, who is still waiting for a final admission result on her transfer school (UCLA and UC Irvine are her dream schools). 鈥淗owever, this is not the end of the road for me. I am still working hard to transfer to a four-year university and obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing. Whether it is a degree in natural science or nursing, I think it is inseparable from a serious learning attitude, the courage to overcome difficulties, and perseverance.鈥
While she mentions overcoming difficulties, Yue has produced results that one could argue she made look easy.
鈥淭hroughout my time at Mt. SAC, I鈥檝e consistently demonstrated the ability to balance work and study. I鈥檝e maintained a 4.0 GPA and have earned a place on the President鈥檚 List every semester,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 have been named Outstanding Student in Chemistry on several occasions and won a place in the annual Chemistry Competition. Most recently, I was honored as Mt. SAC鈥檚 Student of Distinction in the Academic category, one of the college鈥檚 highest recognitions, which also included a scholarship award.鈥
Yue credits EOPS as one of the pillars of her success.
鈥淓OPS is my favorite organization and has had a great impact on me,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he counselors in the organization have been helping me understand the transfer process, arranging my class schedule with me, and recommending various activities on and off campus. I couldn't have completed the transfer course faster and better than originally planned without their help.鈥
Mt. SAC has provided her with the tools and assistance she needs to be a success now and in the future.
鈥淭he learning process at Mt. SAC is a process of continuous accumulation and improvement for me,鈥 Yue says. 鈥淔or me, graduating from Mt. SAC means that I have the ability to start a new learning journey. The knowledge I have gained and the solid foundation I have laid at Mt. SAC will help me face new challenges calmly in a new learning environment and continue to move towards my goals.鈥 #MtSACgrads