Stay true to your future self, embrace growth, and seize every opportunity that comes your way — they can open tons of doors.
— Axli Alvarez
2025 San Jac alumnus
Student and Alumni Success
Behind every data point is a real person. Each journey is unique, yet connected by hands-on learning, supportive faculty, and workforce-focused programs that help students move toward a brighter future.
from passion to plate
After graduating from high school, Sa’Rah Robertson knew exactly what career path
she wanted to pursue. Robertson weighed her options and, “with God’s help,” chose
San Jacinto College’s culinary arts program. She started in fall 2022 and considers
this the best decision she ever made.
Read more about Sa'Rah's journey.
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Chasing the action
Finding purpose through EMS program
As a kid, Michael Manthey got an adrenaline rush from all things emergency-related, and no wonder with his dad’s police radio buzzing in the kitchen or his mom dashing off in nursing scrubs to her hospital shift. The mix of chaos and compassion felt like home.
From shelter to CEO
Alumnus exchanges survival mode for laser focus
After earning his associate degree in early 2022, a bachelor’s degree in business management followed for Luis Perez in 2023. Perez’s training took Collaborate Telecom to the next level. The company expanded to partner with 200+ telecommunications providers and suppliers and to serve customers nationwide.
My daughter motivated me to start my business, and my business motivated me to
return to school.”
Former San Jac business student
Today, as a successful entrepreneur and mentor, Perez focuses not only on helping
youth who are struggling to find their purpose but also on creating a legacy for his
family.
setting a new course
Would-be pirate adjusts her sails in maritime program
The youth program on Galveston’s tall ship Elissa — plus, too many viewings of “Pirates of the Caribbean” — sparked Aleah Little's love for the sea. Little unfurled the sails, tied knots, and polished “so much brass.” Instead of derailing her dream, the elbow grease confirmed it: She could do this forever.
In summer 2025, Little interned as a deckhand on whale and glacier tour boats for Allen Marine near Juneau, Alaska. Her work shift began as early as 3 a.m., when she started the engine and inspected the 150-passenger catamaran. Other duties ranged from leading safety demos and tying up to cruise ships to chipping glacier ice for passengers’ drinks.
Dare to grow
Seeing Axli Alvarez’s goals today — neuroscientist, CEO, and motivational speaker
— you’d hardly recognize her two years ago. Back then, the Crosby High School student
dodged student events and clubs. “Dare” wasn’t part of her vocabulary.
Since childhood, Alvarez has marveled at the mind’s magical ability to adapt. She has experienced the power of reframing challenges and laser-focusing on goals. This is the same advice she gives others.
from breaking point to breakthrough
Ali Haire was ready to quit.
“I was very close to dropping out. I’d struggled mentally, and I could only give so much of my time.”
But a conversation with her logistics professor, Ivy Jenkins, shifted her perspective. Now, at Third Coast in Pearland, Haire is learning the petrochemical side of logistics and hopes to become a project manager, eventually advancing in leadership — and maybe even teaching.
Embracing cosmetology career, reinvention
Rhonda Campbell has discovered reinvention can happen at any stage of life. The Houston native recently completed San Jacinto College’s nail technician program, channeling creativity and determination into building a new career while honoring the artistic spirit she shared with her daughter.
Since 2016, Campbell lost her husband Don, her son Kinsley, and most recently her daughter Roshawn in 2024. For years, Campbell’s life revolved around caregiving. When her daughter passed, she found herself unsure of what came next.
Keep Reading
Jump into the rest of the report by visiting another section. To read the report in
its entirety, visit our Report to the Community.
