The student retention specialist is a new position at MCCC created Dec. 2023 and filled by Angela Acosta.
Acosta described this position as multi-dimensional, as she works around a student’s needs rather than following a specific method.
She works closely with the Early Alert System, receiving information from faculty about students who are showing early signs of struggling.
It is her responsibility to evaluate the concerns described and reach out to the student, working with a variety of departments and referring these students to services on campus that could benefit them.
“We’re a Student Success Center, so our focus is to try to help students remove barriers,” Acosta said.
She described a list of services offered on campus, including tutors, workshops, note takers, test readers, and an on-campus counselor for both students and staff struggling with mental health.
Acosta described her favorite part of working at MCCC as both the people and the environment.
“This has just been such a delight for me to step out of what I was doing and come in and do something different,” she said. ”I feel very impactful with the ability to just remove hurdles for people.”
The Student Success Center is always looking for ways to improve services, reviewing what’s missing and what can be provided in addition to what they already have.
