Mt. SAC

Our tuition-free Accounting program begins on June 23. In this nine-week, online program, learn accounting vocabulary and theory; simple and compound interest; present value; consumer and business credit; mortgages; financial statements and ratios; inventory; depreciation; business taxes; and investments. Register now at www.mtsac.edu/noncreditapp. For more information, call (909) 274-4070 or visit www.mtsac.edu/sce/stv.

In our Drone Camera Operator (CRN 24144) course, learn the basics on how to take flight during the 2026 Fall Semester. To register for this open class, visit https://www.mtsac.edu/schedule/fall.html. Classes begin Aug. 24.

A tip of the hat to these graduating Mounties for their creative cap designs at Friday’s Commencement. 🎓

Mt. SAC is so proud of every graduate who earned degrees and certificates during the 2025-26 academic year. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Friday. Congratulations, Mounties! 🎓

Summer is almost here, Mounties! Register for an open class or two in our 2026 Summer Intersession and spend several weeks on campus with us. To start or continue on your path to your degree, visit https://mtsac.edu/schedule/summer.html. Classes begin June 22.

In our brand-new Beginning Flag Football (CRN 22160) course, learn and practice the basic fundamental skills relative to the game. To add this 2026 Fall Semester co-ed class, visit https://www.mtsac.edu/schedule/fall.html. Classes begin August 24.

As a junior in high school, Madeline Arriaga was focusing on finishing her final two years strong and planning her next step into higher education.

Life, as it does, had other ideas.

Despite being born and raised in California, Madeline learned that she did not have the the proper paperwork proving it.

“I had neither a birth certificate nor a social security number,” she says. “Learning this news was devastating and confusing. As my parents explained, the hospital had forgotten to give us the necessary documentation.”

Needless to say, Madeline was crushed.

“This was heartbreaking information for me to hear,” she says. “I had always wanted to go to a four-year university, somewhere away from home to spread my wings. I had also worked really hard to maintain a 3.8 GPA, so it felt like all my hard work went down the drain.”

Instead of giving up, Madeline chose to work harder and move forward. In November 2022, she obtained her birth certificate. But the fight for her social security number was a much tougher assignment.

“I spent the next year and a half fighting the social security office for my social security number,” Madeline says. “It was a grueling process, where I was accused of identity fraud and was told by the worker that she turned down my application solely because she could. During this time, I felt trapped and hopeless, often having nightmares about never receiving this documentation.

“Finally, after reaching out to Congresswomen Judy Chu and being assigned a caseworker I received my social security number around January 2024.”

She instantly sprang into action.

“I knew that despite not knowing what I wanted to pursue, I wanted to go to college, and set my sights on Mt. SAC,” Madeline says. “I immediately signed up for Spring 2024.”

Unfortunately, for Madeline and her family, her mom suffered a stroke and needed extra care.

“My mom fortunately was still able to walk and talk, but spoke like a toddler and struggled to take care of herself,” Madeline explains. “Because of this I had to learn how to drive myself to school, I learned by driving back and forth to the hospital. I obtained my license two weeks from the time I received my permit.”

Sadly, Madeline’s mom suffered another stroke in early 2025 and died of health complications in early May.

“In the last two years of my life, I have had a rollercoaster of emotions, and life changes,” Madeline says. “I’ve learned to adjust and be adaptable, to continue forward, and to live with the grief.”

As she had done before, Madeline pressed on. She has earned a 4.0 GPA on her way to Commencement.

“Following graduation at Mt. SAC, I plan to pursue my bachelor’s degree in real estate at Cal Poly Pomona,” she says. “While attending Cal Poly Pomona I intend to get my real estate agent license, and, once I graduate, I plan to get my real estate broker license.

“After getting some experience in my field, I plan to open up my own real estate office and name it after my late mother, as she was the person who inspired me to pursue a career in real estate.”

For friends and family of Mounties graduating today who cannot attend Commencement in person, watch the entire event live on Mt. SAC's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/mtsac. The event will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Today's number: 5,304

The Mt. SAC Child Development Center held its Preschool Graduation ceremony last week. Congratulations to all of the little Mounties who achieved this initial educational milestone. 🎓

Spencer Damaske has been swimming competitively since she was eight years old, but the reason she first started racing in the water may surprise some.

“My parents put me in swim because I had hyperhidrosis in my hands, also known as severe sweaty hands,” she says. “All the other sports are contact sports, but in the water nobody can tell.”

Despite the initial reason why she began diving in to the deep end, Spencer has many more that continue to push her competitive spirit.

“Swim is definitely a high-commitment level sport with early morning practices to long swim meets,” she says. “To me, it is worth every second and it has benefitted my life in so many ways including being able to manage my time effectively, staying in shape, learning how to eat properly, and coming home in a better mood than when I left.”

Her commitment to the sport has earned her a Top 16 time in California and a Top 16 time in the United States – both All-American honors – and she was an All South Coast Conference recipient.

“I was a member of four state championship relays helping my team place first in two relays and second in the other two,” Spencer says. “I also placed fourth in each of my individual events, boosting our team score. My team and I finished the meet strong and were the 2024-25 3C2A Women’s Swim and Dive Champions. This was the first time in the history of Mt. SAC that the women's swim team brought home the state victory.”

She revels in being part of a championship program at Mt. SAC, both for the experiences in the pool and the community it builds on campus.

“I feel competitive activities are an essential enhancement to your academic experience,” Spencer says. “Being in a sport allows you to have opportunities that not everyone else has including being a part of a team and instantly gaining many friends, being able to have priority registration, having a great support system for counseling assistance, as well as free tutoring.”

By utilizing everything Mt. SAC has to offer, Spencer has set herself up for her immediate future.

“It has always been a major goal of mine to swim (in Division I), and starting off at Mt. SAC was an essential way for me to achieve that goal,” she says. “Right out of high school, I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life, and I knew I wanted to become a better swimmer. Because of that, I decided it would be best to start at Mt. SAC.

“During my time here, I have been able to figure out what I want to study; I am a Mathematics major with the intention of becoming an elementary school teacher and applying math to my future career. Attending Mt. SAC has also enhanced my swimming skills.

“For those reasons, I am now committed to St. Mary’s College of California to continue my academic and swimming career at the Division I level. I am so grateful to forever be a part of the Mountie family.”

Today's number: 17

This graduating class of Mounties walks into the stadium for Commencement in 1987.

When Zhilin Chen came to the United States from Shanghai, China for her education, she decided to take it one step at a time.

Zhilin’s first few years were spent preparing for the GED.

“I did not want to rush into college classes because I worried my English wasn’t strong enough to actually handle the material, especially since I knew I wanted to major in something challenging,” she says.

Her most challenging time came during the 2025 Winter Intersession. Zhilin was finishing up requirements for her GED and working a part-time job when she added Honors Speech and Honors Philosophy classes to her schedule.

“For someone who is not a native speaker, these subjects felt overwhelming,” she says. “Every single day, before and after my work, I would sit at my computer and face screens full of philosophical arguments that felt impossible to follow. I read every sentence three times to fully digest them.

“I kept a notebook on my desk to write down and memorize every new word, because I wanted to actually understand the logic behind the text and expand my vocabulary in the learning process.”

Zhilin’s methodical process has worked, helping her earn a 3.96 GPA over the course of 78.5 units. But academic scores are not the only bullet points on her resume.

“Outside of my studies, I try to stay involved on campus to give back. I am part of the MESA Program, and I serve as a Campus Community Senator in Student Government,” Zhilin says. “These roles, along with my jobs as a warehouse lead, a restaurant helper, a teacher assistant in a daycare, and a manager in startup companies, have taught me how to manage my time under extreme pressure.”

In addition to all of that, Zhilin manages home life as well.

“While some of my peers can focus on their textbooks, I am constantly balancing the world of study, community, and personal affairs with the immediate needs of my family and the demands of my jobs,” she says. “This daily juggling of being a provider, a translator, and a student is what sets me apart, as it has taught me a kind of insistence that goes beyond just getting a high grade.”

Those grades, however, have opened doors to her next chapter.

“I am honored to receive the transferring offers from CSU Fullerton and CSU Los Angeles now, waiting for other results to be released,” Zhilin says. “I will take the hard work and discipline I learned at Mt. SAC with me to the next level of my education.”

Today's number: 78

Congratulations to the 2025-26 Legacy Leader Recipients at Mt. SAC:

Uriel Cardenas
Cassidy Carranza
Xenia Chen
Jocelynn De La Trinidad
Ava Gallegos
Elias Rivera
Lorry Nam
Antonio Watson
A Legacy Leader is a student who has made a significant impact on their community by demonstrating exemplary leadership skills, such as responsibility, inclusion, advocacy, and engagement. To learn about these Mounties, visit http://mtsac.edu/legacyleaders.

Yuying “Faith” Dang has had to overcome more than her share of health issues during the first 21 years of her life.

“I have a complex medical history, mainly due to being born with Spina Bifida, which has caused me to be paraplegic since birth,” Faith says.

She also is a former foster youth who had a caregiver fail to give her the care she needed to function during her day-to-day routine.

“I was admitted to the hospital for a few months and needed several surgeries because of it,” she says.

In addition to her health setbacks, Faith got a late start on her education too.

“Before being placed in foster care, I grew up in an orphanage in a rural area of China,” she says, “and I didn’t start receiving a formal education until the seventh grade.”

Despite her challenges, Faith keeps pressing on.

“I have not let my late start as a student, my disabilities, or my many health challenges become obstacles in my path toward an education,” says the bilingual student, who speaks Mandarin and English. “I am consistently a hard-working student, involved with on-campus programs, and have maintained a GPA of 3.26.”

Faith credits the support systems on campus with her success.

“The community at Mt. SAC has greatly impacted me in many ways, including the programs I’m part of, such as NextUp/REACH, EOPS, Arise, and ACCESS,” she says. “They have supported me a lot throughout my journey since I started. I have learned life skills and made many new friends through these programs.”

Through these connections, Faith has grown to be comfortable on a college campus.

“I was scared about going to college prior to applying to Mt. SAC because I needed to catch up on many subjects, such as English and Math,” she says. “I was afraid at first because I didn’t know what to expect. Now, I am doing great at Mt. SAC and have built relationships and a support network to help me reach my goals.”

One of those goals is becoming a transfer student.

“I will continue to challenge myself to be a better, more independent person by asking for help and information, doing the things I need to do, and working hard toward transferring to Cal Poly Pomona,” Faith says. “I hope to accomplish many new things in the future.”

Today's number: 3,024

Hey Mounties, when you snap selfies and videos of your graduation experience at Commencement on Friday, use hashtag , tag Mt. SAC, and we will share our favorites. For complete information on the ceremony, visit www.mtsac.edu/commencement. 📸🎓

With the end of the Spring Semester happening during this Finals Week and then the upcoming Summer Intersession, dining hours at Sodexo locations on campus will vary. To find the operating hours of restaurants at Mt. SAC when hunger strikes, visit https://mtsacdining.sodexomyway.com/.

Jonathan Rollheiser has been living a double life from the moment he set foot on Mt. SAC’s campus.

In one, he races with confidence and speed as a contributing member of the Men’s Cross Country team. In the other, he became a conference finalist in multiple events on the Men’s Swimming and Diving team.

“Being a dual-sport athlete and climbing my way up from the bottom of two teams required a great amount of grit,” Jonathan says. “Swimming and cross country are extremely high in cardio, which became very physically demanding especially with practices being a few hours apart from each other.”

While he used his freshman year to gain strength and find his footing both on the course and in the pool, Jonathan really hit his stride during his sophomore season.

“I was given the opportunity to achieve my goal of wearing a Mt. SAC jersey with pride,” he says of his second year running cross country, “and I was able to successfully complete the season with many personal records.”

Jonathan pushed the envelope even further with his work in the water.

“I set the bar high for my sophomore season with my overall goal to be a state competitor,” he says about his goals for his second year on the swim team. “After several months of hard work and dedication in self-driven individual practices, I saw results during our first meet of the season. I managed to beat all my previous times that had come from conference during my freshman season.”

That hard work has paid off for him.

“Because of my grit from training and a new deeper passion for swim I have committed to the University of La Verne for the 2026-27 swim season,” Jonathan says. “Being able to swim after Mt. SAC was hardly a thought before coming to the college.”

He credits his athletic mentors for his success and ascendance.

“I continue to be very thankful for the support I have received from my coaches,” Jonathan says. “I plan to continue to use my drive and passion for athletics to continue improving in my sports.

“This competitive experience at Mt. SAC has taught me to always take on the challenges that come my way in life. You will never know what could happen until you make it happen.”

Today's number: 2,886

Alice Rainwater has had to overcome and persevere more than her share of hardships on her path to graduation.

“My journey has not been easy,” she says. “I have experienced addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and many obstacles that at one time made me feel like I would never be successful.”

But the tide started to turn for her when she posed a simple yet difficult question to those around her.

“Everything changed when I finally asked for help,” Alice explains. “While incarcerated, I reached out for treatment, and a rehabilitation program came and picked me up from jail. That decision changed the direction of my life.

“Since then, I have remained committed to my recovery and helping others. I returned to school, earned degrees in Addiction Counseling, Sociology and Social Justice, and Liberal Arts, and now I work at the same rehabilitation center where I once received treatment.”

As a respected voice in recovery, Alice lends herself to others on campus to show what is possible.

“Rising Scholars is a program here at Mt. SAC that supports students who were formerly incarcerated as either youth or adults,” she says. “As someone who has experienced incarceration, being a part of this program has been very meaningful to me.

“I currently work in Rising Scholars as a Peer Mentor in the mornings. I help students connect with resources, navigate college, and stay encouraged as they work toward their educational goals. Being able to support others who have faced similar challenges is something I am very proud of.”

Alice doesn’t limit helping others to the confines of Mt. SAC. She also started her own nonprofit organization, Storm to Stability Recovery Living, which is focused on helping individuals rebuild their lives through recovery housing and supportive services.

“As someone who has personally experienced addiction, homelessness, and incarceration, I understand how important it is to have support and opportunities,” she says. “My future goal is to combine my lived experience, education, and professional training to help others find hope, healing, and a path forward.”

Her path forward includes transferring to Cal State Fullerton, where she will work on a bachelor’s degree in human services.

“After that, I plan to pursue a master's degree in counseling,” she says.

For Alice, her continued success would not have been possible without asking for help and pursuing education at Mt. SAC.

“I would like people to know that recovery works and that it is never too late to change your life,” she says. “Education has opened doors for me that I never thought possible. Mt. SAC gave me the opportunity to grow academically, professionally, and personally.

“My journey is proof that your past does not have to define your future. With faith, determination, support, and hard work, anything is possible.”

In our Small Business Management tuition-free course, learn the skills for starting, organizing, and operating a small business enterprise. To get started, visit http://mtsac.edu/noncreditapp. For more information, call (909) 274-4070 or go to http://mtsac.edu/sce/stv. Class begins July 20.