Charlotte Crewse was looking for a second chance for her education after struggling in high school online classes during the COVID pandemic. She found the fresh start she needed at MiraCosta College.

Crewse and her family had moved to Tennessee from Long Beach just before her senior year in high school. She had heard high praise for MiraCosta College and decided that’s where she wanted to attend.

“When I was younger, I had been told a lot that I was intelligent, but it didn’t come to fruition in high school,” she said. “Coming to MiraCosta was a clean slate for me. It was a mindset shift of leaving the past behind. I knew that if I worked hard, I could achieve success.”

Crewse found the support she needed and has a perfect 4.0 grade point average, earning her selection as a Medal of Academic Merit winner. It is MiraCosta College’s highest academic honor for five students who are chosen for their outstanding academic achievements and community involvement. Sponsored by the MiraCosta College Foundation, each recipient receives a $1,500 scholarship.

Crewse said one of the professors who inspired her most is English Professor Daniel Ante-Contreras. Her research project in his class on the effects of political satire and an analysis of the television series “VEEP” was presented at research conferences at UC Riverside and UC Berkeley.

In addition to her academic achievements, Crewse is also the director of legislative affairs for MiraCosta College’s student government. She was a representative at the statewide Student Senate and advocated with legislators for community colleges.

Crewse, a political science major, will be transferring to UC Berkeley this fall. She hopes to go to law school and become a lawyer to work on civil rights and civil liberty issues.

She knows she made the right choice when she decided to attend MiraCosta College.

“I’m so glad I came here,” Crewse said. “The staff and faculty just love to check in and talk with you. I don’t think that’s possible anywhere else.”