Myron Soyangco's journey into higher education began with disappointment.
After his parents suddenly announced in 2008 that his family would be moving from the Philippines to California, Soyangco had a decision to make. He had just graduated from high school in his home country with a stellar academic record, but it was too late to enroll at a four-year American university as he’d wanted to. His choices were to redo his senior year in high school (“and who wants to do that?” he says) or enroll at Irvine Valley College.
“I was a very competitive student in the Philippines, but I knew I would be competing here with students with a 4.0 GPA and AP classes, and we just don’t necessarily have that academic translation where I am from,” he recalls. “I also knew I wouldn’t be able to compete with the contracted admission rates at four-year universities, and it was cheaper than going as a nonresident to a four-year. It would also make me more competitive and was an opportunity to start right away.”
Soyangco admits his initial perception of community colleges was that they were a “remedial option,” merely a stopgap measure toward the real goal: A university. It wouldn’t be long before his thinking would shift drastically as he discovered the flexibility, diverse student body, and accommodating structure that allowed him to explore majors and grow academically.
Grow so much, it turns out, that he now oversees operations and influences strategy for three major facilities at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in San Diego as a manager of operational excellence. “I help hospitals get better, better,” he quips.
Today, Soyangco is also a fervent advocate for community college education — adding that his own trajectory is a testament to the too-often untapped potential these institutions offer.
“I started off thinking community college was a necessary stepping stone,” he admits. “I thought it was for people who couldn’t get into their universities of choice or for other non-traditional students. I didn’t even want to tell my friends about it when I enrolled.
“But I came out of the experience super proud and a huge advocate.”
While at IVC, Soyangco took full advantage of the wide variety of resources on offer. He took up to 32 units per semester and joined the campus chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, strategically using this platform to distinguish himself and build connections as a new immigrant. He says academic counselors at IVC played a crucial role in guiding him through the cost-effective exploration of classes, enabling him to take courses like Japanese “just because it sounded cool.” This decision not only expanded his horizons culturally, but also exposed him to the intricacies of different diasporas within the Irvine community.
Beyond the academic realm, Soyangco's community college experience provided opportunities for internships, such as working with the UCLA Stroke Force under UCLA Health Ronald Reagan Hospital. His involvement in community outreach programs, teaching about stroke symptoms, and encouraging candidates to participate in stroke neural studies sold him on the impactful intersection of education and hands-on experience.
He soon found himself exploring various STEM fields and landed on chemistry, a pivotal choice that eventually led him to a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at UCLA. Soyangco acknowledged his arrival at UCLA revealed the unique rigor of a university setting, yet he credits the nurturing environment of IVC for preparing him well.
He says the diverse student population at IVC, encompassing working individuals, parents, and returning students, broadened his perspective and nurtured an understanding of different communities.
“Being exposed to different kinds of students is so much more available in a community college,” Soyangco adds. “It’s not just your traditional students out of high school, but people juggling jobs and families, people returning to school after years of being into the workforce.
“Being around that grows your mind into who is out there, what really matters and how you become wiser in your decisions,” he adds. “When you plan to go out partying on a Friday night, you’re surrounded by people who work on Fridays or take care of their kids – it’s much more apparent all the different communities you can engage with.”
Although Soyangco still advocates for rigorous study habits, he emphasizes that community colleges are also designed to “meet students at their needs,” offering a more accommodating pace compared to the faster speed of a university. Despite the differences, Soyangco believes community colleges serve as a great “nursery” for students eager to get started with higher education.
Reflecting on his journey, Soyangco acknowledges the unexpected benefits of taking a wide variety of classes at IVC, and says these seemingly unrelated courses now influence his life in often surprising ways.
“I still look back on the art and film and Japanese classes I took at IVC, and to this day I’m influenced by all that, from how I’m able to communicate patient information, to powerpoints to board members or political parties,” he explains. “I took a random music class and now I can speak more eloquently at charity fundraisers that have classical music.”
It’s no surprise, then, that his advice to students of all ages and stages is to “go out there and try, experiment, and embrace opportunities to learn.” Soyangco’s own learning journey not only reshaped his understanding of education, but also exemplifies the extraordinary transformations possible when disappointments lead to unanticipated benefits and become stepping stones to success.