Her parents always told her she could do anything, and now she believed it too. It was there she was able to make a plan, and with the help of an attentive counselor and life lessons in time management, Micaela began to see herself differently. Micaela transferred to Folsom Lake College, a Los Rios campus with a smaller population located in a serene setting. But then she made a significant discovery about herself and took advantage of an important opportunity that only Los Rios Community College District could offer her. Those first few semesters of community college felt like an extension of high school and an extension of the anxiety Micaela use to face there. It seemed like the logical next step for a young woman who grew up with high expectations, but who did not see herself as a student, and considered a degree only a mirage on a distant horizon.

Like many of her high school peers living in Elk Grove, Micaela moved along after graduation to Cosumnes River College.

She would sometimes get anxious about taking tests and would shut down rather than take on what she considered an overwhelming experience - making it through school.

Micaela always thought school was difficult. Micaela Stafford Student / Student Equity Advocate / Folsom Lake College 'I was a Student Equity Advocate my last semester at FLC, it was an amazing experience and I felt welcomed by my peers and I made a lot of friends that I think I’ll have for a long time.'

Film semi family