Mt. SAC students share 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’s not that college classes weren’t for her, but rather she quickly completed her degree and is transferring to UC Berkeley this summer.

“I graduated from high school just last year,” the Business Administration major says, “and although this was my only full year at Mt. SAC, I also took dual enrollment courses while in high school.”

While in high school, Priya watched her peers pick next-level institutions and couldn’t help but notice the gravity of her decision.

“Coming 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’ve made,” she says. “It saved me tens of thousands of dollars and gave me the chance to grow, learn, and transfer on my own terms.” 

Priya’s terms now include a passion for studying business, something that wasn’t in her initial plans.

“I applied to universities as a Computer Science major and was waitlisted at nearly every school,” she says. “At 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’s what brought me to Mt. SAC.”

Priya made sure to maximize her time at Mt. SAC.

 “Though 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.,” she says. “At 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.”

And what is that view of success, Priya?

“To me, graduating from Mt. SAC represents more than just earning a degree,” she says. “It’s a combination of years of hard work and the support of my family, friends, and mentors. It’s also a celebration of the second chances this school gave me, and a reminder that success doesn’t have to follow a traditional path.”

Priya’s 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, “has been my proudest academic achievement so far.”

“I’m also honored to be a recipient of Mt. SAC’s Student of Distinction scholarship for Academic Excellence,” says Priya, who graduates with a 4.0 GPA. “Additionally, my friends and I were finalists in the annual Tri-College Business Pitch Competition between Mt. SAC, Norco, and Cerritos College.”

As Priya explores the fields of business during her next chapter, she offers some wisdom to current and future Mounties.

“Taking advantage of the countless opportunities and programs at Mt. SAC was the only reason I was able to obtain my degree and transfer as fast as I did,” she says, crediting the Honors Center, Promise+ Program, and Transfer Center as invaluable support for her. “If I were to give advice to any incoming students, it would be to get plugged into campus resources as soon as possible.” #MtSACgrads

ELLEANNA RAMOS

Prior to slashing 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.

“I had to make the hardest decision of taking a break from something I had loved for so long,” Elleanna says. “Swimming 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.”

As she got her feet wet as a Mountie, Elleanna found a passion in the classroom by utilizing  the Honors Program. 

“By enrolling in the Honors Program, I was able to connect with one of my professors who inspired my interest and motivation to study psychology,” Elleanna says. “My 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.”

With a head first dive into a promising career, Elleanna took the plunge to reignite her swimming career after meeting with Women’s Swimming assistant coach Lani Ruh for the first time.

“No 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.

“I can proudly say I was a part of Mt. SAC’s first ever women’s 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.”

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 the University of San Diego where she will continue studying in the field of psychology and advance her record-setting swimming career at the upper collegiate level.

“Graduating from Mt. SAC is a celebration of my accomplishments, hard work, and journey here at Mt. SAC,” she says. “Some 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.” #MtSACgrads