Emanuel Prince came to MiraCosta College for many of the same reasons a lot of graduating high school seniors do. “I’m not a really good test-taker and I was worried about the SAT,” he said. “I also live down the road, so I could stay at home and retain a little bit of stability while going to school. And, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go into a four-year college or university right away.”

Turned out to be a great choice. The Class of 2021’s Student Speaker, Prince graduates on the President’s list with a 4.0 grade point average, is the first-ever Associated Student Government Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and is active in the Black Student Union, Umoja, and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

He transfers this fall through the Presidential Scholars Program to California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he will major in sociology—with an emphasis in criminology and justice studies—as he continues a pathway toward law school, preferably UCLA. His long-term goal: effect change in a criminal justice system weighted against people of color by working from within as either an assistant U.S. attorney or as a deputy district attorney.

Prince is as committed as they come. As Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Prince helped launch a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion scholarship and a Black/African American Student Equity scholarship that are on track to be awarded in spring 2022. He’ll be just as active at Cal State, Dominguez Hills as a Presidential Scholar and student ambassador.

His college involvement began early through MiraCosta College’s Summer Bridge Program. “By far the greatest program I’ve been a part of at MiraCosta,” Prince said. “Absolutely amazing in introducing you to what MiraCosta has to offer, getting ready for the college experience, and connecting you to a cohort of students that provide you with a sense of security and belonging.”

No matter where he goes, Prince said MiraCosta College will always remain a part of his identity. “The faculty and staff at MiraCosta College put the students first in everything they do. I’m so glad I came here.”