When Meagan Young attended SBCC about twenty years ago, she was fresh out of a disastrous marriage and had a two-year-old son in tow. SBCC proved to be a lifesaver, as it provided her with not only an education, but scholarships, guidance, subsidized childcare, and a job as a peer mentor at EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services).
“It was amazing,” Meagan recalls. “One of my professors, Dr. Haslund, took me under his wing and gave me valuable leadership experience.” Having dropped out of high school, at SBCC she was able to build her self-confidence, and in turn had greater hopes for her future. After earning an associate degree at SBCC, she transferred to UC Berkeley and obtained her BA.
Meagan then went to work for a company based in Oakland that later moved its headquarters to New York City. She moved with the company, and went on to earn a master’s degree at Columbia University in Information and Knowledge Strategy. Her career path had gravitated toward information and technology, and she succeeded in developing major plans and platforms, including a strategic plan for innovation at LYRASIS, a consortium for libraries, archives, and museums. Later, Meagan took on the role of Director of Product and Content at Columbia University Medical Center.
“It’s been a wild and amazing ride,” Meagan said. “It’s one I never could have predicted or even imagined back when I was a single mom who had dropped out of high school…SBCC, and support through the SBCC Foundation, were instrumental in giving me the opportunity to succeed.”
Meagan’s son is a recent college graduate, and has started his career as a civil engineer.
