Claire describes PVCC as “a community. It’s a launch pad to anything you want. You can be a first-time college student or someone revisiting their education, but you will not be overlooked. It’s a place that cares about activism and works to include all people.”
Key influencers during Claire’s PVCC experience were:
- Dr. Lois Roma-Deeley, Honors English 101 professor, “turned on the light bulb for me. She argued for my intelligence and my writing was never the same after that.”
- Professor Vaswati Ghosh’s American Politics class provided the inspiration for Clair to study Political Science. Claire shared, “I adored every topic of history she introduced and in return she responded to my joy with equal excitement and guidance.”
- Mike Mitchell, Honors English 102 faculty, inspired Claire’s curiosity. Every morning I can remember him walking into class and asking, “What’s going on in the world today?” This simple prompt elicited student engagement. Claire appreciated his kindness, how easy he was to talk to and the impact he had on her writing.
- Mike Ho, Student Life and Leadership Director, - Claire fondly recalls her first interaction with Mike and his continued welcoming and supportive nature. “He fueled my growing love for politics and government.”
In summary, Claire shared, “I walked into life after community college armed with the greatest sense of self, curiosity, and joy that I have ever found; and these individuals had a key hand in that.”
The most memorable aspect about Claire’s experience at PVCC was how much the word “community” played into her every day. “I’d walk onto campus and immediately be greeted by people who knew my name; I’d walk into a classroom, office, check out club booths and there was always someone to invite me in. I was never a stranger at PVCC.” Claire's activism began in the Student Public Policy Forum, and continued on when she became Vice President of the newly reformed student government.
As an Honors Scholarship recipient, Claire is extremely thankful that this support, coupled with a Pell grant, enabled her to dedicate herself to her education.
Her PVCC experience helped Claire develop the mindset that “community constructs leaders and those leaders come from all backgrounds. I judge people less by where they got their degree or their lack of one and more by the content of their character. Because I work with vulnerable youth, I think about their communities, and this inevitably has made me take a second look at the classmates and the professional relationships I have known. All of these experiences have led me to regularly and eagerly refer the youth I work with to community college. I know that it’s because it’s where I felt I was given a chance, and that’s my every day want for the people I try to serve.”
Claire currently works with aging out foster youth, to help coordinate services for them. She shared “I recommend PVCC and Maricopa Community Colleges every chance I get. If you’re looking for community this is a great place to start.”