Mark Richards, an attorney with the McCune Law Group, decided he wanted to go to law school while he was a student at MiraCosta College. He is now giving back to MiraCosta College by serving on the board of the college’s foundation.

Richards grew up in Oceanside and attended El Camino High School, but said that as a first-generation student, he wasn’t familiar with what he needed to do to apply to a university. MiraCosta College was nearby and offered a stepping stone to attending a four-year university.

Richards said he enjoyed his time at MiraCosta College. “It was fantastic,” he said. “All of my professors were extremely knowledgeable and had great academic backgrounds. The resources at Mira Costa were phenomenal, even compared to the state schools I was looking at.”

Richards said he had always been interested in social and political issues, and his academic counselor at MiraCosta College encouraged his interest in becoming a lawyer.

He earned his associate degree at MiraCosta College in 2011, then transferred to UC Berkeley and received a bachelor's degree in political science. He graduated from Hastings College of Law in 2017 and passed the California Bar. His law firm specializes in representing plaintiffs in complex lawsuits.

Richards, who now lives in Carlsbad, said he would encourage a student seeking a law degree to consider starting their higher education at a community college. “There is no downside to it,” he said. “I was as prepared in comparison to my law school peers. The cost savings were amazing, especially if you are considering going to school for seven years.”

He also enjoyed the smaller class sizes that MiraCosta College offers compared to a lecture hall at a university. “The smaller learning environments where you are constantly interfacing with your professors is very comparable to the law school model,” he said.

Richards said he hopes the success he has had in his career will inspire potential MiraCosta College students and donors. As a member of the foundation board, he hopes to increase access to education for North County’s at-risk youth.

“My passion for MiraCosta College centers on expanding educational opportunities for individuals who may have faced challenges in traditional K-12 public education or those who have been away from academia due to personal hardships,” he said. “I believe that everyone deserves a chance to pursue learning and achieve academic success, regardless of their past experiences or circumstances.”