Antoinette Albert has learned that life is about making good choices. She’s had to make some tough choices herself as she overcame a childhood in which she was placed in foster care when she was a toddler.

“Everything in life comes down to a choice,” she said. “It might not be the easiest choice or the fastest choice. But there’s strength in knowing you have that option.”

Albert, who grew up in Los Angeles, was placed in foster care with her aunt when she was 18 months old because her mother suffered from a mental illness. When she aged out of foster care at 18, she had to get a job and find a place to live. She took a few college courses and worked a series of jobs.

Her life changed when she took a job for a woman who is a quadriplegic. Albert said that despite her disabilities, the woman had a full life.

“It really encouraged me to understand that you can choose regardless of your circumstances to have a life that you are proud of,” Albert said. Albert came with her client when she moved to San Diego County, and now considers her to be a family member.

When the COVID pandemic hit, Albert could no longer be a caregiver and decided to go to college full-time. She enrolled in MiraCosta College in Spring 2023 and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average.

“I’m pushing myself as hard as I can because I’m in a direction that I feel confident about,” she said.

Albert will be graduating with an associate degree in behavioral science and will be attending Loma Linda University to earn a bachelor’s degree in medical radiography. She plans to work as an MRI technologist.

Albert said one of the best choices she has made is attending MiraCosta College.

“MiraCosta has been so supportive,” she said. “No matter what I ask, it’s always met with a smile.”