Student Spotlight: Nicole Mardesich

Outstanding student to transfer to prestigious business school

ECC graduate Nicole Mardesich used the resources at El Camino College to launch herself into the prestigious business program at the University of California, Berkeley. Nicole will transfer this fall to the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley to major in business administration. One day she would like to pursue a career in a consulting or accounting firm. She said El Camino College programs such as the Honors Transfer Program and the Transfer Center helped her achieve her goal of transferring successfully to a four-year institution, and the college's small class sizes gave her the focused instruction she needed.

"Being in a small-class environment, I was able to get hands-on help from all my teachers," Nicole said. "Not only did El Camino College offer me a chance to further my academic endeavors, but it also helped me grow as a leader."

When she wasn't studying or attending classes, Nicole spent countless hours giving back to El Camino College through her work with student government. As the ECC Student Trustee this past year and the Associated Student Organization (ASO) director of finance two years ago, Nicole said she was particularly proud of accomplishments such as implementing "hydration stations" throughout the El Camino College campus. Through this program, FloWater refill stations provide purified, good-tasting, chilled water to refill water bottles.

"I was looking for a program that allowed me to give back to the school while simultaneously gaining valuable leadership experience, and that is what I found in ASO," she said. Nicole also worked as an El Camino College student ambassador in the ECC Office of Outreach and School Relations and was vice president of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society.