Highlander Highlights
Meet MCC social work student, Antonianett Garcia!
At MCC, Antonianett feels connected and accepted. She loves that MCC is an affordable option and says that her professors have always been wonderful to her. She is a member of TRIO and says the program helped her navigate college! Antonianett says that because of her time at MCC, she has not only learned so much but now feels confident enough to continue her educational journey.
“My advice to students is that the only thing that could hinder your success is yourself. I started my educational journey when I was 28 years old. A part of this was me feeling like I wasn’t capable but the irony of it all is I never tried. I look back now and I have been very successful in college and have surpassed my initial goals. Always believe in yourself and never stop dreaming.”
Meet MCC Engineering Department Coordinator and Professor, April Andreas!
If you ever find yourself talking about Skittles or Hot Pockets when programming, you’ve probably taken Dr. A’s Matlab class. With a Ph.D. in Systems and Industrial Engineering from University of Arizona and both a B.S. and M.S. in Math from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Dr. A was originally hired at MCC as a math professor in Fall 2019. With a little finagling, she got permission to offer an Intro to Engineering course “just in case anyone might want to take it.” To everyone’s shock, people actually signed up. That spring, she tried offering both Intro and a programming class in Matlab. The students kept coming back so the next fall and spring saw Statics, Graphics, Dynamics, and Circuits added to the schedule and a program was born.
Since then, the program has grown from a total enrollment of 60 to 285, and now boasts three full-time engineering faculty. Dr. A is the new Engineering Department Coordinator, which means she now has even more reasons to send lots of annoying emails and bother people to advocate for the program she loves so much.
Meet MCC Graduate, Noah Wingate!
Noah graduated from MCC with an Associate of Applied Science, later transferring to Baylor University and graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2021. This May, Noah will graduate with his Master’s in Personalized Molecular Medicine from UT Health San Antonio and begin medical school. While at MCC, Noah was on a member of student council, the Honors College, and Presidential Scholars program, and even served as a tutor.
“MCC provided me with the support and opportunity that led me to where I am now. I attended MCC after loving the dual credit classes I took in high school and knew MCC would be a wonderful next step for me. The professors and staff at MCC were excellent and encouraged me to push my education forward. MCC gave me the opportunity to continue my education at Baylor. Moreover, they went above and beyond at every step, helping me find my interests and passions. In addition, I loved being able to connect with new people at MCC and create lifelong friendships. I appreciate all that MCC offered me, and I hope to be able to return the favor to MCC and the Waco community someday.”