Our family’s MJC story starts with my maternal grandmother Inantha Johnson-Lyman attending in the late 1920’s when classes were first opened to women to take secretarial courses.

I began my studies at Modesto Junior College in 2012. I had no idea what my major would be until I started taking business administration and office administration courses.

When I started the process of enrolling at MJC I had been clean and sober for about 90 days and out of prison for about 8 years.

I began my higher education at MJC during my senior year in high school. I had no idea where I was going or what I wanted to be so I took a very helpful guidance class with Layla Yousif.

I began taking classes at MJC when I was 15 years old through a dual enrollment program at Valley Charter High School.

Agriculture has been a great blessing to me.  My time at MJC was the highlight of my Ag career. 

I’m a proud Modesto native, born in 1931 and raised on Morris Avenue.  I road my bicycle each day to attend John Muir Elementary, Roosevelt Junior High and Modesto High Schools.

I enrolled as a full time student at Modesto Junior College from 1992 to 1994. Hindsight is always “twenty-twenty.”

After graduating from Modesto High School in 1948, I attended MJC as my next step in completing four years of college.

I was born and raised in the Central Valley – I am happy to call it my home.  However, I didn’t always feel this way. 

In my mid-thirties I went through a major life transition.  I wanted a new challenge that could help me discover what I was capable of doing. 

After high school graduation, my first non-farm job was as assistant to the controller at Pacific Grape Products in Modesto; Alex Rasmussen was the controller.

I was a first generation college student, and had it not been for MJC, I would not have eventually received a PhD and become a professor.

While living in Mexico as a young man and playing tennis at a very high level, I was looking for options to improve my English.

While growing up I dreamed of becoming a nurse caring for babies. I entered MJC straight out of high school.

Throughout the nearly half-century I’ve lived in Modesto there has been a continual bright light, even a beacon, to beckon me to enjoy many worlds.

I was born in Sinaloa, Mexico. When I was eight years old, I was brought by my parents to the United States in 1980.

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky to a very poor family. My mother was from California but had moved to Kentucky with her mother to escape an abusive family situation.