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For Garrett Shakstad, there is nothing more exciting than sharing a room with  professors and students.  

“A good teacher has a huge influence,” he says. “I love the learning process – and  working with students to figure out a career path.”   

Director of Veterans Services Center, Dylan Bender represented �鶹��ý at two major conferences focused on veteran transition and success in higher education. At the 2025 Military Influencer Conference, Bender presented The Warrior’s Dilemma: Why Higher Education Is the New Front Line of Veteran Transition, emphasizing the pivotal role community colleges play in helping service members adjust to civilian and academic life. 

In a recent regional labor market study commissioned by the Orange County Regional Consortium in collaboration with Lightcast, an underscored �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) as a robust economic engine in Orange County. The study highlighted �鶹��ý’s substantial $738.4 million impact on the local economy in Fiscal Year 2023–24, representing approximately 0.2% of the county's total Gross Regional Product (GRP).

For the fourth year in a row, �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. The results, released today at , and via a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 199 colleges and universities. In all, achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. 

While Talla Khattat’s educational path is not a simple or straightforward one, the �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) student and recent UCLA graduate is brimming with ideas, talent and sheer grit – traits which will most certainly help her forge a successful career.

The definitive renaissance woman, Talla, 22, has multiple career aspirations – traveling investigative journalist, pianist, composer, teacher and film producer – and one day aims to succeed at all five.

�鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) has once again set a historic milestone in its four decades of serving Irvine and the surrounding community. As of September 8, �鶹��ý’s official fall census enrollment headcount has reached 16,230 students, the largest number since the college’s founding in 1985.

Jenny Huynh is proof positive that one can leverage core skills to segue into a dream job.  

Now a global sustainability manager at apparel companies and sister brands Alo Yoga and Bella + Canvas, she embarked on a career in corporate sustainability after several years in the fast-paced field of public accounting and financial auditing.  

Her transition to a career dedicated to sustainable stewardship in the apparel industry was a gradual one. “A career doesn’t have to be linear,” she says. “You can always pivot and find something different.”  

Seven �鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) students, part of a cohort of 51, showcased their research prowess at the , held on August 7 at the Titan Student Union Pavilion.

�鶹��ý (�鶹��ý) alumna Michelle Packman has carved out a unique niche for herself in the ultra-competitive music industry. 

The Laguna Hills native is now a Grammy-nominated string producer, composer and arranger – and has composed and recorded strings for over 300 artists.