![\"Square](\"http:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/05\/Mara-Waynick-Graphic--300x300.jpg\")
Square photo graphic of Mara Waynick wearing a necklace.<\/p><\/div>\n
Veronica<\/em>: Where are you from? Veronica<\/em>: What is your major? Veronica<\/em>: Who inspires you and why? Veronica<\/em>: What are your plans after graduation? Veronica<\/em>: What was your favorite memory from your time at MCC? Veronica<\/em>: Why would you recommend MCC to other students? Veronica<\/em>: What advice would you give to prospective students you wish someone would have given to you? To celebrate the upcoming commencement on May 29, we are featuring profiles of some of the extraordinary and inspiring members of the class of 2025. Although this is only a small sample size of all the incredible graduates this year, we hope that it gives everyone a chance to see through the eyes of students […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":718,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,103],"tags":[9,149,147,148,49,137,136],"class_list":["post-1959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-news","category-mcc-proud","tag-mcc","tag-149","tag-community-college","tag-graduation","tag-higher-education","tag-ny","tag-rochester"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/718"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1959"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2006,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959\/revisions\/2006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.monroecc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMara<\/em>: I\u2019m originally from San Diego, California, but I moved to Rochester, New York, with my family a few years ago.<\/p>\n
\nMara:<\/em> I\u2019m majoring in Chemistry, and I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in the field.<\/p>\n
\nMara<\/em>: <\/strong>My family inspires me the most. They\u2019ve been my foundation through every challenge and triumph. Their strength, encouragement, and belief in me (especially when I doubted myself) keep me going.<\/p>\n
\nMara<\/em>: <\/strong>After graduating from MCC, I will be transferring to St. John Fisher University to earn my bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Long-term, I hope to attend graduate school and pursue an industry career or higher education.<\/p>\n
\nMara<\/em>: <\/strong>My favorite memory is serving as President of Phi Theta Kappa. From organizing events to advocating for fellow students, it\u2019s been an experience full of leadership, learning, and lifelong friendships. It’s hard to pick, but one of my favorite events was a\u00a0night at a\u00a0Rochester Americans game in collaboration with MCC\u2019s VAPA Department, joined by artist Don Colley! The energy at Blue Cross Arena was electric, and it was the perfect chance for students to connect, cheer on the Amerks, and celebrate the arts and community. Huge thanks to VAPA and Don for making it such a memorable evening!<\/p>\n
\nMara<\/em>: <\/strong>MCC truly meets you where you are and helps you grow into who you\u2019re meant to be. The faculty and staff genuinely care, and there are endless opportunities to get involved, develop your passions, and prepare for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n
\nMara<\/em>: Don\u2019t try to do it all alone. Ask questions, get involved, and lean on the community around you. MCC has so many resources; you just have to take the first step and use them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"