Humans of Mt. SAC
Mt. San Antonio College has always been more than a college or a campus. It’s a community. Humans of Mt. SAC focuses on members of that community, creating a space for them to tell us their journey to, at, and maybe even after Mt. SAC. If you’ve ever spent a minute at Mt. SAC, you know that everyone here has a story, and we can’t wait to tell as many as we can. If you have a story you think we should hear - or know someone who does - send an e-mail with the subject line “Humans of Mt. SAC” to foundation@mtsac.edu.
The Perla Sisters
In the first installment of Humans of Mt. SAC, we meet the Perla sisters. Born in Honduras, their journey brought them to the United States, Mt. SAC, and ultimately to continue their studies at Stanford and Columbia.
Chapter One - Before Mt. SAC
“I saw education as a responsibility to myself, but also to my family.”
”I was always studying, always thinking into my mind that I am going to make it. Like I'm going to save up money. And I'm going to go to college. That was my dream.”
Chapter Two - Applying to Mt. SAC
“I think that my decision to choose Mt. SAC was heavily because of the people that were on the front desk willing to help me, willing to answer questions, willing to say, ‘Don't worry, we'll figure something out.’ It was good for me to know that even though I hadn't chosen to go to the school yet, people were already providing solutions for what my fears were.”
Chapter Three - Support from the Mt. SAC Community
“I didn't have to worry that much about money because someone believed in me, and someone paid a certain amount of money for me to receive this scholarship and say, ‘Hey, you got this,’ and that was truly amazing.”
“When you are able to trust someone and to speak your dreams with someone, it really changes how you view your confidence and like your ability to succeed. Knowing that even though it's going to be hard, that there are people there that are around you to help you achieve that goal, whatever the obstacle on the way may be.”
Chapter Four - Falling in Love with School
"My professors were passionate about the things that they were talking about. And so it made it really plausible for me to think that my work in this classroom and this setting can be impactful because people care, right? People know, and if they don't, we are tackling those complex questions together. That was the moment that I was just like, ‘Okay, I'm—you know—again in love with school, in love with doing this, and really committed to giving it my all again.'"