Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
August 29, 2023
At San Diego Mesa College, alumni stories are as extraordinary as the students themselves. Amongst these testimonies, Sandra Perez's journey stands out as evidence to resilience and commitment to creating a brighter future.
From an early age, Sandra was faced with emotional distress due to the loss of her mother during her first year in high school. Unfortunately, life took another difficult turn as her stepfather discouraged her from attending college and kicked her out of her home at the age of 17. Despite the emotional turmoil, she remained faithful to her mother's dream for her to graduate college.
Sandra's journey exemplifies her strong spirit. She enrolled at San Diego Mesa College beginning a new chapter in her life. Sharing a small bedroom in a friend's home, she embraced the challenge with a determination to succeed.
As a work-study student, she managed the Honors Program office with exceptional prioritization skills. Her curious nature & work ethic led her to qualitative and quantitative research, eventually leading to a position at the Mesa College Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
After graduating Mesa College in 2019, Sandra’s transfer to UC Davis posed new challenges, magnified by the pandemic. Moving countries to her grandmother's home in Tijuana, she converted to online learning in internet cafés, embodying her commitment to education.
After earning a bachelor's degree in Mathematics, her accomplishments extended beyond academics. Accepting a position at The Education Trust in Washington D.C., a respected nonprofit organization advocating for equitable education, Sandra contributed to co-creating a dashboard for the study Segregation Forever: Private Universities Haven’t Leveraged Race-Conscious Admissions to Increase Diversity. What Now? Her work forms part of an ongoing EdTrust series on affirmative action, highlighting her dedication to social justice.
Sandra's story not only exceeds her mother's dream of pursuing college education but also drives her towards a future of advocacy that will impact students facing challenges similar to hers.
The portrayal of Sandra’s story was shared by Wendy Smith, who has authorized us to recount Sandra Perez’s journey.
Tags: Mesa Alumni, San Diego MEsa College
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
The DSPS Alumni at Work series reconnects with former SDCCD students who utilized Disability Support Programs and Services to help them navigate their journey from college to career. Today, we are excited to shine a spotlight on San Diego Mesa College graduate Taylor Carpenter.
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At San Diego Mesa College, alumni stories are as extraordinary as the students themselves. Amongst these testimonies, Sandra Perez's journey stands out as evidence to resilience and commitment to creating a brighter future.
