I spent almost 24 years of my life dreaming of becoming anything other than who I was. During those years, I dreamed of doing something more fulfilling. I wanted to learn history and theories, expand my vocabulary, build confidence, and be recognized not only for potential but for who I truly am. I hoped to thrive in a place that breathes in eagerly motivated individuals and exhales out sagacious scholars properly equipped to make the world a better place. Those dreams came true at Mt. San Jacinto College and shifted them into something bigger. 

One will always find where they are supposed to be because everything happens for a reason or a season. I had to drop out of high school to be able to provide a safe environment for myself because life didn’t provide one for the poor queer teenager. My education got put on the back burner for a long time while I worked one part-time job after another. It’s a vicious cycle anyone can get stuck in and not realize the time passing by. Every person has the potential to become something extraordinary, it just takes some time to train the eye so it can spot the opportunity.

Mixing concepts like sociologist Charles Horton Cooley’s  “Looking Glass-Self” – one’s own image based on others’ perceptions – and psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Law of the Instrument – what we seek provides what we discover- we get the Red Car Theory. If someone asks you how many red cars you saw on your way to school, then you wouldn’t be able to come up with an exact number. However, if you were offered monetary compensation for each red car you saw the next day, then you’d have a definite answer. In other words, you must actively look for opportunities instead of leisurely waiting for them to happen. I got my GED, helping me begin to look for these chances, which I found in abundance, here at MSJC.

My path crossed five incredible people at MSJC  with opportunities that changed my life forever, and I am eternally grateful for them. Ryan Sullivan, Michele Weber, Connie Hill, Julie Freeman, and Bianca Swan-Finch, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. 

Ryan Sullivan was my very first professor ever for English 101, and the universe couldn’t give me a better one. He implemented the Queer perspective into his curriculum which allowed me to feel safe. Seeing him use source material from LGBTQIA+ scholars made me realize that my perspective is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than the average hetero normative point of view. He helped my writing skills blossom in ways I never imagined and fashioned my ability to use my voice. Thanks to him, I will never apologize for being who I am, a transgender woman. I will always defend the colors of the rainbow and uplift them to their highest potential. 

Michele Weber did something not many professors would do, especially for a student they had never met before, which allowed me to graduate on time. I miscalculated my time during registration for the Spring 2024 semester. During the first week of that semester, I realized the classes I enrolled in had a ten-minute grace period between classes. No biggie, except that one class was at the San Jacinto Campus and the other was at the Menifee Valley Campus. All the other classes were full, however, Ryan had the brilliant idea to ask his peer if she was willing to open up an honors section in her class so I’d be able to join. Dr. Weber graciously and quickly welcomed me into her class. That was a Butterfly Effect moment that altered the direction of my life path. I’ll forever be grateful and will never forget that act of kindness.  

Connie Hill is the vibe and soul of MSJC. All faculty emails consist of their first name initial and their last name, and Connie’s fit her perfectly – Chill. She is the fun auntie who knows how to complete the task at hand in the most joyous way possible. When applying to MSJC, I watched the welcome video for the LRC, and I never thought in that moment I’d end up working in her department, especially as a tutor. Leading with a relaxed confidence that brightens up any room she walks in. Always holding down the LRC and its tutors, ensuring those who are giving back to their community are being cared for. If there is anything I can take away from being in the presence of a person like Connie is to be the vibe you want to see in your community, literally.

Julie Freeman is probably one of the most badass women on the planet. I always wanted that “college experience” with the clubs, events, games, and mixers. The dance department held a mixer right at the beginning of my first semester, so I thought, welp, this is my experience. She welcomed me at the door and hugged me, not one of those half-way hugs, but an authentic one. Authentic is the perfect way to describe Julie. I hugged one of the people whom I ended up working with on so many dance and theatre productions throughout my time at MSJC. She is the kind of person who expects nothing less than greatness from those who wield it, which, in her eyes, is probably all her students. I look up to her in so many ways. Julie is the one who reminded me that it is never too late to get an education. What I truly learned from her is to listen attentively to the people who choose to stay silent. Go ahead and read that last sentence again. 

Bianca Swan-Finch. To me, that is a whole sentence. These words can only begin to express my appreciation for everything you have ever done for me. From the first day of class in Theatre 101, when everyone was saying their majors, it was my turn, and I said theatre. You immediately followed up with “So you’re coming to auditions then, GREAT!” Little did I know that wasn’t just an audition for the role of Skylar in the play Good Kids by Naomi Iizuka. It was an audition for the role of the life I’ve been dreaming about for over 20 years. I got the part, both metaphorically and literally. Theatre professors don’t have anything on the way Bianca teaches her acting classes. Just saying. I have been under some instructions from directors who aren’t Miss Swan-Finch, and so far, they don’t have that passion to see something truthful. She wants to believe the words coming from an actor’s mouth verbatim. If there is one thing to highlight out of probably the 3 books’ worth of knowledge of stage, truth, and life bestowed from Bianca, it would be that success comes to those who work for it. Most successful people in the entertainment industry got their longevity not from their talent, sure, having some helps, but it comes to those who put in physical, mental, and emotional work for it.

To all my friends I met along the way, you all healed so much emotional trauma and damage without knowing it. Being the youngest of four kids, my three older brothers put me through the ringer, but that’s a story for my university admissions essay. However, you all allowed me to be the big sister for once, and I tried my hardest to treat you all like how I wish I had been treated when I was younger. Being a Theatre Arts major, all my best friends were some kind of performer, so I kept trying to find ways to showcase all their amazing talents. Not only because they deserved a stage to shine on and an audience to applaud them all, but mostly because that was my favorite thing about each semester. Cheering on from the wings, watching rehearsals, supporting one another on stage during shows, basking in the glory of a job well done. Thank you for letting me be your big sister. I miss you all so much. 

I moved to the Midwest to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. Every day has gone by so slowly since I left. Some days, I wonder if it was the right choice to move at all. However, I know not a single one of you would tell me that chasing my dreams was the wrong choice. Knowing that fact helps me stand by my decision. If our lives are a book, I have a chapter titled MSJC. I entered that chapter with a GED, emotional baggage, unresolved trauma, friendlessness, but the courage to fix it. This next chapter is labeled UIC, and because of my time here at Mt. San Jacinto College, I get to enter it well-prepared with a 4.0 GPA, three associate degrees, confidence, and with my heart leading me along full-throttle. 

To my final piece of work completed as a student at this college and to my first piece of work as an alumnus of MSJC – cheers, you beautiful institution, you. <3