Feeling a little nervous about returning to college, Zachary Perales of Pottstown was quickly relieved after he started classes at Montco. The small, intimate size of the classes at Montco’s West Campus in Pottstown was a perfect fit for his learning style. This environment allowed him to learn independently while he received the support that he needed from his professors.

If you are considering community college, this is where you should come. The faculty and staff are always reaching out to help while also giving you the opportunity to grow.

Perales has an interest in computer science with the goal of possibly becoming a software engineer. He eventually wants to create applications to aid individuals’ online presence.

While working and supporting himself, Perales graduated with a 4.0 GPA and made the Dean’s list. He is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the international honor society for community colleges, and was awarded this year with the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team Member Scholarship.

In addition to his computer science skills, Montco has given him the chance to improve his communication skills, which has helped him to express himself and build friendships with his classmates. His positive experience at Montco has enabled him to be more trusting of people in general, he says.

Perales says his first professor at Montco, History Senior Lecturer, Professor Lawrence D’Antonio, was one of his most impactful professors in his college journey.

“Professor D’Antonio cares about his students and is happy to see them succeed,” he said.

Perales plans to transfer to a four-year institution to continue his education in computer science. He believes computer science and programming is vital to society today,

“Everyone should learn a little bit of programming at some point in their life. It is needed in almost any field today,” he said.