Full Circle - Quinton

Next Step has a new Employee! Quinton recently joined Next Step as the new Graduate Transitions Coordinator. He may look familiar if you have been affiliated with Next Step for a while; That’s because Quinton is a former Next Step Student. He enrolled in Next Step to get his GED back in 2014 when he was teenager. After getting his GED, he enrolled at Merritt College with the help of Next Step’s College Transition Program. From Merritt College, he went on to get his Bachelors of Arts in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis. Prior to his time at Next Step, Quinton worked in education in various capacities including tutoring, student advocacy, and as Student Director for American Indian Recruitment and Retention, a student-led program at UC Davis that works to support Native American/Indigenous students in enrolling and attending University. When asked how it feels to come full circle and be back at Next Step, Quinton had this to say:

It feels great to be back at Next Step. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and guidance I received from the staff here when I was a teenager. My experience at Next Step was the catalyst for me to continue my education without the limitations placed on me by dropping out or where I came from. I am happy to be able to return to Next Step on the other side of the desk, and look forward to helping students in the same way that I was helped.

If you see Quinton in the office, say Hi and welcome him back to Next Step.