Helping Students Succeed Is Key for Transfer Success Center Coordinator
Transfer Success Center coordinator Miguel Luna is a first-generation college student, as he was the first in his family to attend college. He started his education career at University of Notre Dame (UND), and there found his love and passion for higher education.
His path to a higher education was reinforced while he maintained a job at UND, finding support from many members of the staff, even those he was not anticipating support from.
“Admissions at (UND) always followed up with me…even the cafeteria lady wanted to ensure that I did well while there and would always look out for me. All these facets encouraged me to want to help students,” says Luna.
Luna has carried on these feelings for over 11 years now, and continues to give the same help and support to students at Santiago Canyon College (SCC). He believes that within the community college, he is able to see students more, as well as build a better relationship.
His job at the Transfer Success Center is to help students to transfer to a four-year university, but Luna knows it is so much more than that. He makes sure to wave hello to students passing in the hallway, or asks them the result of a test or how an admissions essay went.
“I try to help the students see that they do matter while they are here. The faculty and staff at SCC are invested in the students and want to see them succeed,” says Luna.
Luna continues to follow up with students who have visited him, to make certain that they are continuing on the path to a CSU or UC institution or a private university. According to Luna, the biggest reward for him is seeing the level of achievement students are able to attain, and ultimately get to watch them graduate from SCC with an acceptance letter and degree in hand.
