Student Stories

These are the stories that make our work worth it. We love seeing students reach success, even if they need a little support along the way.

Student Name

Intro paragraph that starts to tell a student's story. Shows their hardship and glimmer of hope from MCCF, then trails

Read Name’s Story

Student Name

Intro paragraph that starts to tell a student's story. Shows their hardship and glimmer of hope from MCCF, then trails

Read Name’s Story

Courtney

"I am so happy that I did not second guess myself on what I thought I couldn’t do."

I feel honored and very thankful to have been selected as a recipient of the State Farm Insurance Cyber/AI Scholarship. I want to thank you for the funding in this scholarship. This scholarship is a great help for me financially as I am a young adult that has been taking care of myself since a very young age, and had low hopes for college due to not having the finical funds to attend, not having the family support and thinking I would not qualify do to my finical circumstances. I am attending Estrella Mountain Community college because I am an Avondale native and I have always loved how the Estrella campus is structured and the community of people is very pleasant to be around. I am currently enrolled in Cyber Security/Information tech. This major excited me because I have always been intrigued with technology and the way technology is evolving daily I am very excited to learn deeper within the 'technology world'. This scholarship will make it easier for me to attend school because with having the additional funds to help go towards my education, it allows me to focus on my studies, and still be able to take care of my bills and living expenses without having to worry about how I'm going to pay for school out of pocket and fall behind on my bills. Having to grow up at a younger age, I began paying my own bills at 16 and I have a very hard time reaching out to anyone for help. I have also always been self-dependent and was afraid to take on new challenges because I had no idea on how going to college would be plausible for someone who receives no finical help from family. I am very very blessed and thankful to have supporting people on my side while I continue to better myself each day to get closer to my destiny. I am very proud that I have now began my 3rd semester of college, freshman year. Since I have been out of high school since 2017, when I first started college, I was very nervous, and I was afraid that since I have been out of a classroom setting for some time it would have been difficult for me to adapt. However, that is totally opposite of how I've been feeling. I am very proud of myself and enjoy being enrolled as a college student. Being able to manage A's and be on top of my assignments since the beginning of my journey with also having to manage a difficult full-time job as a claims adjuster has been my biggest accomplishment that I am proud of for 2023. I feel that I am finally getting back to myself and feeling very motivated and determined to get my degree. I am so happy that I did not second guess myself on what I thought I couldn’t do.

Read Courtney's Story

Orville

"With this scholarship and the amazing teachers at Mesa, I have been able to show that not only can I...

"Let me just say thank you, thank you with all my heart! I am greatly honored that you have selected me for this scholarship. I am currently attending Mesa Community College at the Dobson campus and I am pursuing a degree in Automated Industrial Technology with an added certification in Robotics. I am one of the top students in all of my classes and I plan to continue to be a top performer. With this scholarship I am able to accomplish that goal more easily because I will have more time to focus on my studies and not need to worry about paying for them or the supplies I'd need in those classes. With the Robotics class in particular I am very proud to share that I am 2-3 weeks ahead of class studies. I have been able to be diligent in my studies and maintain a high A+ grade in the class. I am very proud of the fact that I have a 3.26GPA now. In the past I had blown off the GPA score because I was always told I could never achieve what I wanted to. With this scholarship and the amazing teachers at Mesa I have been able to show that not only can I achieve my goals, I can surpass them and keep improving past what I thought was possible. I am very humbled and eternally grateful that you helped me with my educational goals and I will strive everyday to push myself to achieve excellence."

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Lisa

"I am a mother to ten children and grandmother to three. I hope to inspire my posterity to serve others...

"Thank you so much for the scholarship you have graciously extended to me! I selected the MCC and the Dobson campus for my nursing program because they had the best NCLEX pass rates. I wanted to be a part of a school with a great reputation. My education is very important to me. I have been working in massage therapy for 17 years and am looking forward to being able to help people in a new way. I have a passion for serving others. After graduation I plan to work with underserved populations in the valley. After gaining some experience I hope to gain employment with the Veterans Association. A more long-term goal of my is to be part of a disaster response team and to go on ministry trips to provide medical care to people in third world countries. Receiving this scholarship allows me to focus more on school and less on working to pay the bills. Nursing is a very intense program making it hard to work while attending classes. I have been a member on the Student Nurses Association for the last year and appreciate having a little more time to participate in the activities happening both locally as well as at school. I have also been a part of the honors program and volunteer with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department as a Connector supporting Mesa's fire stations and the community. My family and I are all looking forward to my graduating nursing school. I am a mother to 10 children and grandmother to 3. I hope to inspire my posterity to serve others in some way in their lives as well. My youngest, Noah-8, says that he wants to grow up to be an orthopedic doctor. I hope that my hard work and dedication to my education will continue to foster his desire to become a doctor."

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Annabel

"This opportunity will allow me to move forward into a higher level of education while limiting the stress of financial...

"I would like to start off by stating I am beyond grateful for receiving the Stars Title V Scholarship. This opportunity will allow me to move forward into a higher level of education while limiting the stress of financial needs off my back. The cost of school has increased over the years, but thanks to this scholarship, I will be more focused on my academics rather than stressing about the cost of textbooks or tuition. I chose South Mountain Community College because I want to get my general courses completed at a fraction of the cost compared to attending a university. My major is marketing which is a business major that focuses and emphasizes on strategies used to promote a good or service. Marketing excites me because I get the opportunity to share my creative thinking with groups of people and work on various promotional activities digital and physical. After earning my associates in general business I plan to transfer to ASU so that I can continue my marketing education. I would also like to share that thanks to my exceeding academic success, I have become a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. This honor society helps students find more scholarships and educational opportunities and is exclusive to students who have shown an exceptional academic background. Additionally, I have been awarded the Presidential honors scholarship at South Mountain for a second time as I have met the disciplined academic track record.  I am proud of these accomplishments and am excited to add the Stars Title V at South Mountain Community College scholarship to be a part of my accomplishment list. Once again I am honored and thankful for receiving this scholarship for this upcoming academic year."

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Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation Receives Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Grant to Continue its Foster Care Student Program
October 7, 2022
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October 7, 2022
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October 7, 2022
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Carolyn Szatkowski

Carolyn Szatkowski is a lifelong learner and alumna of Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC). She personally witnessed the efficacy of the community college experience and has become a tireless and relentless voice, advocate, and champion for all of the Maricopa Community Colleges. She spends over 20 hours a week working on behalf of PVCC, and she is constantly “on the lookout” for new opportunities for student access and success. Carolyn’s passion for education sees no boundaries.

Engaging the campus in positive social change initiatives is Carolyn’s greatest contribution. Her efforts to strengthen communities and broaden perspectives are exemplified in her service to Paradise Valley Community College. Carolyn has an uncanny ability to see opportunities for collaboration that create alignment with our learning-centered college philosophy.

Fund College Fund Type Fund Notes Donate
Dreamer Promise Pathway Estrella Mountain Grant Donations to this Fund will support students attending the Estrella Mountain College Donations to this Fund will support students attending the Estrella Mountain College
Dreamer Promise Pathway Estrella Mountain Grant Donations to this Fund will support students attending the Estrella Mountain College Donations to this Fund will support students attending the Estrella Mountain College