Success Story: Patrick MacLauchlan

[photo: Patrick, inside, with a faint smile]

"I came to Pierce College at first because I just didn't want to watch daytime TV," Patrick MacLauchlan said. "I was never really a good student, never serious about homework. In fact, when I was in fifth grade I dreaded school so much my dad had to come home from work and drag me to school."

MacLauchlan's attitude has changed, thanks to the self-examination he has done as a result of the mentorship of Bret Burkholder and the Pathways program. Both the men's mentorship and Pathways programs are designed to build study skills and academic success.

"I learned a lot about myself and how I learn," MacLauchlan said. "I'm hands-on and now I've adjusted my perspective about classes."

This coming from a man who flunked his sophomore year in high school on purpose and faked for a psychiatrist so he could go to an alternative school. He is not proud of what he did, but is realistic about his mistakes. He now carries a 3.0 grade point average for the quarter.

"The freedom of college gave me a lot of room to slack off, but Bret noticed I wasn't doing well and called me in to talk. We discussed what I want to do and what would make me happy. Now there is someone here I don't want to let down."