Everything added up for Shealyn Whittaker while she was a student at Saddleback College.
A 2023 cum laude graduate with an A.A. in business administration, she's now headed to UCLA to study economics and accounting to further her passion for the power of numbers.
"I thoroughly enjoy problem solving and organizing through math," Shealyn said.
Those skills make it easy for her to sum up how well Saddleback assisted her in pursuing her goal of becoming a CPA and possibly obtaining her MBA.
"Saddleback helped me achieve my long-term goals by enabling me to attend college in the first place," she said. "I had always known that if I wanted to pursue a higher education, I would have to do it on my own, financially and otherwise.
"The Promise Program was a tremendous help in paying for college, and Saddleback made the path easier by outlining what I needed to do, who I needed to talk to, and all the other resources (the college) provided."
In addition to Saddleback's extensive student support services, Shealyn made sure she also took advantage of the full college experience Saddleback offers. Spending quality time with friends and classmates on campus was a favorite activity.
"I most enjoyed utilizing the study rooms ... my friends and I would go to the library and study together," she recalled. "Even if we didn't have the same classes, it gave us an opportunity to get together during our busy schedules and enjoy each other"s company."
Before starting at UCLA in Fall 2023, Shealyn is working in data entry and volunteering with Farmhouse Rescue, an Orange County program providing therapeutic interaction between visitors to the organization's farm and rescued farm animals. She's grateful for the opportunities available at Saddleback to enable her continued academic achievement.
"I used my time here to discover my passion and more smoothly transition into a four-year college with a set goal and plan," she said.
'The numbers don't lie: Goals + Saddleback = Success.