Dr. Ashanti T. Hands is the seventh president of San Diego Mesa College, one of the largest community colleges in California. She is a student-centered practitioner and disruptor of the status quo with a deep commitment to equity, excellence, inclusion, and belonging. Her ‘Why’ is rooted in love, joy, and creating conditions that matter for students to succeed.

Dr. Hands has led transformative efforts to advance student equity and success, workforce development, and institutional accountability. She is guiding the implementation of the college’s Mesa2030 Master Plan and supporting regional prosperity through Mesa’s contribution to the San Diego Community College District’s $5.8 billion annual economic impact. She is also an alumna of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship and Wheelhouse CEO Institute and was named one of the San Diego Business Journal’s 500 Most Influential People in San Diego in 2024.

Prior to her presidency, Dr. Hands served as Dean of Student Affairs and Vice President of Student Services at Mesa College, and as Dean of Student Affairs at UC San Diego. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a specialization in community colleges and an M.A. in Education/Multicultural Counseling from San Diego State University, and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego.

Dr. Hands brings empathy, compassion, and a profound belief in students’ inherent worth and potential to every space she leads.

John Fink is a senior research associate and program lead at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University. John leads CCRC’s research examining how community colleges are strengthening dual enrollment programs and improving transfer student outcomes. His recent dual enrollment research has described how colleges are extending guided pathways reforms to dual enrollment, detailed postsecondary outcomes for dual enrollment students by state, and disaggregated access to dual enrollment for colleges and K-12 schools.

John’s research has also been published in journals such as American Education Research Journal, Community College Review, Research in Higher Education, and the Journal of Higher Education. John’s work was recognized by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) with the Transfer Champion-Catalyst award in 2019, and he is currently the Research Commission Chair and board member of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).

Morse High School in San Diego has a strong partnership with San Diego Community College District. They offer several dual enrollment opportunities on their campus, during the school day, as well as online. They are a Golden State Pathways and CCAP grant recipient, currently working to integrate dual enrollment into each of their CTE pathways.

Site visit attendees will learn more about Morse High School’s dual enrollment program and partnership, tour the school facilities, and learn about their students’ experiences through a special student panel.

Breakfast, lunch, transportation, and school donation included with site visit fee.

This year’s high school site visit is supported by the San Diego & Imperial Regional Consortium.