Ally

Above, Ally Serrano shares her experiences as a Mount Marty student. Below, Ally explains how she's been inspired by MMC’s tight-knit community. 

Ally Serrano

Biology with a Spanish minor

Corona, CA

When Ally Serrano moved across the country to start college at Mount Marty in the fall of 2017 she knew life at small private college would be very different from the high school she attended in California, but she was ready. “I came from a very big high school where no one knew each other, so when I got to campus for the first time, I thought, wow, I’m really about to have a family here.”

A Refreshing Change

An entire academic year later, Ally says she found the environment she was hoping for when she made her college decision. “Coming to MMC is one of the best life decisions I have made so far,” says Ally. “The professors know my name here, which is nice, and I’m able to talk to them one-on-one when I need help — some of my friends who are going to bigger schools have never even spoken to their professors, not even during class!”

As part of her Wisdom of Benedict class, Ally was asked to present a project on her favorite Core Value. Though she values MMC’s commitment to hospitality, awareness of God, and lifelong learning, Ally knew she had to choose community.

The Big Question

“I chose community because I think it is the central idea of all of the other topics,” Ally said, “and I figured since my topic was community, I should go around MMC and see what the people around me think about when they hear the word.”

Ally's Take

When asked how she would answer the question, Ally replied that to her, a community is a group of people who share a common interest and have your back. She added that the key to feeling like a part of any community is getting involved. “Since I joined MMC this year, I’ve been in a lot of things on campus; the softball team, band, SGA, and next year I’ll be an Orientation Leader. Because I’ve been involved in so many things I’ve made connections that I will be forever grateful for.”

When asked if she thinks Mount Marty is a good example of a community Ally simply replied, “Yes. MMC is my home away from home.”