Autumn McMahon

Autumn McMahon is a Retention Specialist for Working Adults at Cañada College. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Autumn missed being part of an academic environment. To remedy this, she began looking for job opportunities at Cañada College. Autumn says, “It is inspiring to support students who work hard everyday and continue their education.” As a Retention Specialist, Autumn’s role is to help students navigate campus resources and assist in setting/achieving their academic goals. As an employee, Autumn hopes the students she consults walk away from meetings assured that attending Cañada College is one of the best decisions they have ever made. Autumn gushes, “This is how I felt as a student and how I continue to feel today.”

 

 

Autumn’s career goals are ever evolving. Autumn says, “I continue to be influenced by the students I work with, my colleagues, and former professors, all of which have driven my new found passion for public policy, specifically education policy.” Autumn feels what is most unique about Cañada College is the sense of community created on campus. Organizations, such as Phi Theta Kappa, provided her opportunities to develop her academic passions and community engagement. Autumn says, “Both passions have fundamentally shaped me as a person and shaped the experiences I brought to my new community after transferring.” Autumn attributes her academic success to taking a chance on herself and enrolling in community college. Additionally, she began setting new academic goals that she always worked to meet. Autumn says, “Never before had I thought I would transfer to UC Berkeley, major in Political Science, and graduate with honors, but my dedication at Cañada College made this dream a reality.” 

 

Autumn’s advice to students hoping to transfer is to also take chances on yourself. Not only in choosing which universities you apply to, but which classes and extracurricular activities you pursue at Cañada College. Autumn exclaims, “Use your time in community college to take advantage of opportunities to explore your academic passions and possible career paths. Go Colts! And Go Bears!”