Pamela Tang

High School: Piedmont Hills High School 

Mission College 
AA – Psychology, December 2009 
AA – T Sociology, December 2009 
Certificate of Achievement – Transfer Studies (CSU GE-B), December 2009   

University of Southern California 
BA – Exercise Science and Psychology, May 2012 

"When I was in high school, I decided to go to Mission College because I was unsure of my long term career goals.  I met with the Transfer Center Counselor, and she helped build the foundation for the next two years at Mission College. I decided I wanted to go to USC for their kinesiology program to someday become a physical therapist.  I kept in contact with my counselor every semester to make sure I was still on track to transfer to my dream school. 

When it was time to apply, I was confident that I did everything I possibly could to make my application and experiences stand out.  I still vividly remember the day that I received my offer letter from my dream school.  I was ecstatic that my time at Mission College paid off!  USC offered me the Transfer Deans Scholarship and a generous university grant that made it an easy decision for me to move to LA.  

When I transferred to USC, I had to adjust to living in a new city by myself.  I joined extracurricular activities to help keep me busy between classes and studying.  The classes were tough but it was also important to enjoy my brief time away from home.  I do not feel like I missed out on any college experiences because I made the most of my situation at Mission College. 

I am glad that I made the financial decision to go to a community college for my first two years because I reduced the amount student loans that I would have had to take out for my education.  I graduated USC with $24k in student loans and figured that I did not want to go through graduate school to pile more on top of my loans.  I am currently working at Dentsply Sirona as a Medical Device Territory Manager.  I ended up in a sales role that allowed me to pay off my student loans within 2 years and have not regretted my decision to change career goals.  Although I am not working in a field that is related to my major in college, the network, the prestige of the school, and connections that I have made by going to USC has helped me tremendously at work. 

I encourage Mission College students to take advantage of the small class sizes at Mission and go to your professors' office hours.  Talk to the counselors and have a game plan to set yourself up for success to transfer.  Join extracurricular activities such as Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) and the Associated Student Government (ASG).  Rent your textbooks and try your best to buy them used.   Enjoy the journey and make friends and network with everyone you meet through college.