Pandemic not stopping MCC students from learning and reaching goals

MOHAVE COUNTY – The fall semester is right around the corner at Mohave Community College and students who took summer classes found online and remote classes beneficial to their everyday lives.  

Tabitha Gray, a General Studies major, is planning to graduate from MCC in December and then immediately begin at Western Governors University to earn her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education.  Even before the pandemic Gray enjoyed the flexibility that online classes offer because they fit her day-to-day life. She is a mother of two and works a full-time job, so attending classes in person is challenging.  

“Online schooling is a blessing for me. It has made it so easy for me to go back to school at 36 years old because I can do the schoolwork on my own time and still be able to spend time with my family,” Gray said.  

She said attending classes from home allowed her to complete her college coursework, while also taking care of her children. 

“Being in class on campus you also run the risk of bringing germs home to your family that they would not normally be exposed to and this goes for the staff as well,” Gray said. “It’s safer for everyone to take classes online or remotely through video conferencing.” 

Gray is a recipient of the MCC Strategic Planning 2020-2026 scholarship, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She decided to attend MCC to show her children that no matter your age, higher education is attainable and a key factor to helping improve your life. 

Alongside Gray, more than two thousand students took online and remote classes through MCC and found both learning formats fit their day-to-day lives.  

Abigail Brown, started taking dual enrollment classes at MCC while attending Mohave High School.  Dual enrollment classes are tuition free for high school students throughout Mohave County.

“My initial thoughts when MCC was going to remote learning were, ‘Ok let’s do this!’ I’m always up for a challenge and online learning is definitely challenging,” Brown said.  

Brown added that she is more of an “in-person learner” but the pandemic pushed her to adapt to reach her goals.  

“Through this pandemic, we have all come together and grown stronger especially as MCC students. Even though I couldn’t see my classmates in real life, the online classes still gave me that sense of human connection that we all wanted through the pandemic and I was able to grow close to my classmates and learn from them,” Brown said.  

Brown is now also signed up as a student at Northern Arizona University where she is a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Law, Rights and Justice. Her goals are to attend Harvard Law School, become a corporate lawyer and eventually a U.S. senator.  

She said taking MCC remote classes was similar to being in a class on campus in that you have classmates and the instructor with you in a virtual classroom, teaching lessons, asking and answering questions.   

MCC fall semester classes start August 24. The college 12 week classes begin September 14, and eight week classes start October 19.  Apply for free today at www.Mohave.edu, or call 1-866-MOHAVECC (1-866-664-2832).  

Remote & Online classes explained