PTK Students Among Best in State, Again

When Angel René walked across the stage at San Diego Mesa College in spring 2025, he celebrated far more than academic achievement. He celebrated the emergence of identity, resilience, and authentic self-belief. Born in Long Beach and raised between Orange County and the Inland Empire, Angel’s journey to Mesa was far from traditional. After being forced out of his home and church at age 18 for being gay, Angel endured over five years of housing instability, emotional trauma, and personal upheaval. “I tried staying in college,” he said, “but it was too difficult to balance academics with figuring out how to survive.” 

Since March, Mesa students have won prestigious scholarship awards to fund their educational endeavors for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Mesa student Husna Ayoubi was chosen to be one 60 community college students selected to receive the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a highly competitive award that can reach as much as $55,000 each year by financing all or a portion of educational costs, including tuition, room and board, books and required fees. Additionally, students won awards from organizations including the California Law Pathways program, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, and the Coco-Cola Foundation.

Two honors students from San Diego Mesa College – Restileon “Resty” Asuncion and Victoria Green – have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa, All-California Academic Team, First Team.

Connie Renda, MA, RHIA, CHDA, Program Director and Assistant Professor for Health Information Technology and Management, was recognized by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) with the prestigious Leadership Award.

We are excited to share the members of Generation Hope's California Presidents Circle, the first in a new national initiative designed to equip higher education executives with tools, data, and peer support to truly champion parenting students and their families.

Women’s volleyball at Mesa College is on a spike. In the spring, the Olympians won the state beach volleyball title after winning the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title for a fourth straight year.