The first thing that stopped Andrew McKinnell in his tracks at MiraCosta College wasn't a class, a professor, or even a conversation. It was a line of flags.

“Seeing those flags, all the universities where students had transferred – that was really inspiring,” Andrew recalled of his first visit to the San Elijo campus. It was a small detail, he acknowledged. But for a kid from Oceanside who was ready to step up to the challenge of higher education, that wall said something he needed to hear. It demonstrated that the path forward was real, and it started right at MiraCosta College.

Today, McKinnell is living proof of exactly that.

Andrew grew up in nearby in Oceanside and watched as both his older sister and older brother pursued their dreams at MiraCosta College. So when it came time for Andrew to choose a school, the decision was easy. Not only did he already know the education was top notch, but the financial savings were critical.

“College was a different level for me,” shared Andrew. “I was a decent student in high school, but I didn’t apply myself fully because I was also focused on volleyball. I knew I wanted to make the most of my time at MiraCosta College.”

Whereas high school Andrew had kept mostly to the sidelines when it came to academics, college Andrew showed up ready to run.

Within his first year on campus, Andrew had co-founded a political action club with his girlfriend, jumped into student government through the Inter-Club Council, and applied to work as an Honors Navigator. When asked why he was so quick to jump into academics and clubs, Andrew pointed to the environment on campus.

“In high school, I was a little scared about failure, which led me to just coast too easily,” he shared. “When I came to MiraCosta College, I wanted test my limits and just try as many things as I could. There are so many resources available to students and the professors are eager to help you. All you have to do is put yourself out there."

Andrew arrived at MiraCosta with political science on his mind. But the more he dug in, the more his focus evolved. An interest in climate change led him toward economics and the question of how to build financially viable solutions to an existential crisis.

Said Andrew, “I wanted to make a positive difference in the world, and I realized I needed a strong foundation of economics to advocate for more viable solutions to climate change.”

Along the way, professors like Dr. Leila Safaralian, Dr. John Phillips and others left their mark on his journey. They always kept their doors open to Andrew and would chat about his interests in politics, math, and teaching. Despite a demanding schedule, Dr. Safaralian took Andrew on as her only Honors student one year. She saw his potential and encouraged Andrew to pursue both a graduate degree and a PhD, neither of which he had previously considered.

“I wasn't even really thinking about that,” Andrew noted. “But that was meaningful to hear it from a professor I looked up to.”

For Andrew, his honors classes and club life at MiraCosta College was never about padding an application. The initiatives he's taken on are rooted in real problems he's watched unfold around him.

As president of the Spartan Society for Political Action, he organized 15 voter mobilization events across the 2024 and 2025 election cycles, reaching more than 1,000 students and helping MiraCosta achieve historic voter turnout at a time when participation was dropping nationally. He also led a successful campaign collecting more than 400 student surveys to present to the college's Board of Trustees that resulted in the permanent extension of library hours. And just recently, he accepted an internship with State Senator Catherine Blakespear, who chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, a role squarely aligns with his growing focus on climate finance and environmental policy.

Throughout all of it, Andrew has also been navigating the very real financial weight of being a student. In his first semester, he applied for MiraCosta scholarships through the college's portal and received $1,000 from the MiraCosta College Foundation, a game-changing amount that allowed him to remain focused on his studies. In his second year, thanks to his scholarships and job outside the classroom, Andrew was able to become a financially independent student, a transition that made those scholarships feel even more significant. So significant, in fact, that he was selected as a student speaker at MiraCosta's scholarship awards night, where he spoke about the impact the funds had on his ability to stay involved, and stay afloat.

In the fall, Andrew will be attending UC Berkeley and is eager pay all the support he received from his professors and peers forward.

“MiraCosta College has everything a student could need,” shared Andrew. “Even if you weren’t an honors student in high school, this is a place where you can redefine your identify and pursue your dreams.”