{"id":1208,"date":"2026-05-07T10:01:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1208"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:01:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:01:38","slug":"santiago-canyon-grad-helps-current-and-former-foster-youth-overcome-barriers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1208","title":{"rendered":"Santiago Canyon grad helps current and former foster youth overcome barriers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As student services coordinator for the NextUp and Guardian Scholars programs at Santiago Canyon College, Esther Meade supports current and former foster youth as they pursue their goals through higher education.<\/p>\n

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But Meade\u2019s commitment to SCC and the community it serves extends far beyond her current role. It represents a nearly two-decades-long connection to the place that shaped both her path as a public servant and her efforts to honor her mother\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

Born in Garden Grove and raised in Orange, Meade first stepped onto the SCC campus at age 16 as a short-term employee who took ID photos during student registration.<\/p>\n

After graduating from El Modena High School in 2009, there was no doubt in Meade\u2019s mind that she would attend SCC. A first-generation college student, she earned an associate degree in 2011 before transferring to Cal State Fullerton, where she completed her bachelor\u2019s degree in communications in 2014.<\/p>\n

During her time as an undergraduate, Meade worked for Santa Ana College and the Rancho Santiago Community College District in Auxiliary Services and Administrative Services. After graduation in 2014, she returned to SCC for a full-time position in the Office of Admissions and Records, where she discovered her passion for helping students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved removing barriers for students to get enrolled and the idea that a five-minute phone call with them could help solve a problem that could have prevented them from continuing,\u201d Meade said.<\/p>\n

Meade began providing phone and counter assistance to students, helping troubleshoot registration and online access issues. She later advanced to more complex roles such as transcript evaluation, batch registration and other processes. In a department that holds a great deal of campuswide knowledge, she valued connecting students to the correct solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understood our responsibility to make accurate referrals and transfers, and so I took a lot of pride in that, making sure I got students the right information,\u201d Meade said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

In 2016, while working full time, Meade was encouraged by her then supervisor, current SCC Dean of Enrollment and Support Services Tuyen Nguyen, to pursue a master\u2019s degree in human communications, which she completed at CSUF in 2018.<\/p>\n

After several years in Admissions and Records, Meade joined SCC\u2019s International Students Program, traveling to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for student recruitment. She spent more than six years in the department as a program specialist and later as program coordinator, improving processes and supporting incoming international students as they adjusted to a new culture. It was a period of significant career growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so grateful for this experience, to learn recruitment and to not just be exposed to but experience other cultures across the world in my work of supporting students,\u201d Meade said.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Meade was approached by SCC leadership to work with NextUp and Guardian Scholars, support programs that assist current and former foster youth in achieving their educational goals through access to scholarships, workshops and community resources.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

While she loved serving SCC\u2019s international students, Meade has found it gratifying and humbling to support the foster youth of her community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that\u2019s really close to my heart because it\u2019s the community that I grew up in,\u201d Meade said. \u201cMy goal is that NextUp and Guardian Scholars give them that space to grow confident. \u2026 They have such beautiful, unique insights and perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meade\u2019s student-centered approach is rooted in her ability to listen in a way that makes students feel heard. Both Nguyen and her current supervisor, SCC Dean of Counseling and Student Support Services Jennifer Coto, have seen her impact firsthand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer empathy is genuine and drives her commitment, allowing her to build trust with students and create opportunities for the campus community to better understand and support foster youth,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n

Coto shared a similar perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cEsther\u2019s compassionate and attentive nature makes her especially well-suited to support current and former foster youth, as she creates a safe and welcoming space where students feel valued and supported,\u201d Coto said. \u201cThrough her genuine care and encouragement, she helps students build confidence, feel a sense of belonging and recognize their ability to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meade feels her journey as a public servant has been guided by her mother, her north star, who worked as a grocery store cashier for 28 years. Before her passing in 2021, she built lasting connections with customers through her kindness.<\/p>\n

In her honor, Meade and her sisters established the Rebecca Romero Memorial Scholarship to support SCC students with dependents.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like my work is honoring my mom\u2019s life,\u201d Meade said. \u201cShe had so much love for people in the community who didn\u2019t get that love every day. \u2026 I\u2019m continually using her love to determine my best foot forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meade sees community college as a direct connection to the people she wants to serve, those working to improve their lives, their families and their futures. Thanks to the support she has received from SCC, she is committed to making that difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t do this alone,\u201d Meade said. \u201cCampus leadership has supported my career growth, and for that, I am grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

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