The president/superintendent of MiraCosta College fights for equal opportunity for all
“Even in India, we were a minority religion. Only 2% of the population was Christian, but 98% was Hindu. And so, from the time of my birth I was always a part of a minority group. And we don’t use that word “minority” anymore, but it kind of helps you understand that I’ve always sort of been an “other” in the places where I am. And so, I try to be really mindful of what that feels like and how you really feel that you don’t belong. And you’re given that signal almost every day. And so, I think that’s something we try to address at MiraCosta College. Because it is painful. It sends a negative signal to people that they’re not welcome and that they don’t belong. And that’s the exact opposite of how we want people to feel at MiraCosta.”
Dr. Sunita Cooke, the President/Superintendent of MiraCosta College says the school is “committed to making sure that we don’t leave anyone behind or leave people unserved.”
She knows what it is like to be feel out of place. North County Informador spoke to her about how her own experiences have helped her understand students’ journey maneuvering the community college system.
Born in India, Dr. Cooke moved to the United States with her family when she was about five. The Indian government allowed them to take eight dollars per person, so her family arrived in this country with 40 dollars and hope for a good education for their children.
“Part of what motivated my parents to leave India was that we had a caste system in place. And that caste system determined at the moment of your birth…what you would do as an occupation, who you would marry, how much money you would make, if you would get an education or not get an education.”
She says her family believed in a culture where all people could have more opportunity. They knew education was a key to that opportunity.
But the road was rife with obstacles. “I would say hardship has been a part of my life throughout. I mean, we came here literally with nothing. Our family had very few resources,” she says.
Her experience helps her relate to her students, and today, she honors her past by working with them at MiraCosta. “What drives me is really making sure that we have opened doors to people who seek a better life, better opportunity, and that we are mindful that not everybody comes to this place with the same opportunity, or the same background,” she says.
She says community college is there to support students on their educational career journey.
“It certainly is what MiraCosta College is about,” she says. “Where we try to be available to all those in our community that seek an opportunity for a better life, a better education, a better career.”
Making Decisions
Dr. Cooke understands that the educational path is rarely a straight line. “I didn’t make the right choice necessarily when I started college,” she says. She first studied law, but soon realized her path was in science and math. “And so, I changed my major after my first year of college,” she says. “I always tell students, ‘Don’t ever feel like you’ve made a mistake. Everything that you learn in college is learning what you do like, what you don’t like, what you do want to be doing, and how you want to spend your time thinking.’”
MiraCosta can offer students the space to make these decisions without employing so many resources. The college offers scholarships and grants to help students attend free for two years so that they don’t get into debt and can more easily pay later university costs. “Only a very small percentage of our students actually take out loans to go to college” she says.
She asks us to remember that student success and equity are the heart of what the school does, and she offers some advice for students who may be facing challenges.
“Sometimes it’s hard to believe in yourself because of all of the messages that you may have received throughout your lifetime,”she says, but MiraCosta is there to help along the way.
“There is no one that gets to their endpoint, no one gets to their career goal without having significant support from others.” She tells students not to be shy about asking for help, because the entire community of the three campuses is there to offer that support.
At all three campuses, she says they are currently using funds to build a gateway “that helps students start strong,” where they can find all the services they need in one place, including financial aid, admissions and records, and counseling. “Right now, you have to kind of go hunting around for them, and it’s not easy to find, and that becomes a barrier for students,” she explains.
The planned construction that is currently being designed will help future students navigate the services more efficiently. “We’re really excited about it,” she says.
Role Models and Trailblazers
Dr. Cooke’s first teaching position was at a community college in Houston, Texas, where she was the only woman in sciences at the time and was one of two faculty members of color at the school.
“So, I have a long history of understanding what it’s like not to fit the traditional norm, to be a woman in science, to be a woman of color in science. I have a lot of compassion for people who look around the room and feel like they don’t belong because I’ve spent a lot of my life under those kinds of circumstances,” she told us.
She is grateful for all the role models who have opened doors for her and says she is doing the same for others.
To knock down barriers, she talks about the focus on underserved student groups. MiraCosta College is a Hispanic-serving institution, with about 40% of students from this background.
Last year, the school was ranked in the top 3–4% for graduating Latino students, according to Dr. Cooke. “That’s the result of our college having focused on student success and eliminating equity gaps for our students for over seven years now,” she says.
Latino students have increased their associate degree attainment by 85% over this time, 15% higher than the overall increase.
“That’s how we close equity gaps,” says Dr. Cooke. “Similarly, we’ve experienced those increases for our African American students as well as Pacific Islanders.”
The school also attempts to make sure the faculty mirrors the representation in the community.
Dr. Cooke leads the efforts to reach out, both on and off campus. “I’m often invited to go to Día de los Muertos events or other events in the community,” she told us. This outreach helps students feel comfortable on campus, she says. “There is always a space for you here at MiraCosta.”
