Pima Student on a Career Path Discovering Volcanic Secrets

By Dina Doolen, Marketing, Communications and Strategic Outreach

When Anisah started at Pima Community College, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. A single geology class — and an inspiring instructor — changed everything. Now, thanks to hands-on experience and a mentor who encouraged her to dream big, she’ll soon be studying at the University of Arizona turning her passion into a career.

Why Pima?

Anisah had several scholarships that covered her expenses to go to Salpointe Catholic High School. She knew attending a university right after graduating wasn’t financially realistic, so she chose Pima.

“Pima’s definitely the more affordable option. I figured PCC would be a really good way for me to try and figure out what I really wanted to major in.”

Discovering Geology

She started in the Associate of Arts program, considering a digital arts or animation major. Then, a geology class changed everything.

“I immediately fell in love with it,” she says. “I was like, ‘This is something I’m really passionate about and I really want to continue doing.’”

So, she switched to the Associate of Science program.

“Since I was a young kid, I’ve always been into rocks and nature and all that. It’s not just a rock. It tells you about how the Earth was created, where that specific rock came from. . . . It’s the oceans, the climate and all those things.”

Mentorship with Instructor Paula Nasiatka

Anisah credits much of her success to the support and guidance she received from Geology instructor Paula Nasiatka, who encouraged her to apply for the paid Clouds 2 Core summer intern program through U of A, even after she wasn’t accepted the first time.

“Without Paula I would not have applied to this internship. I would not have found out about it. I was able to keep in contact with her because she was just so helpful and so friendly and was really passionate about helping other students explore their interests even if it’s not geology.”

Internship Experience

Thanks to Paula’s mentorship, Anisah was accepted into the Clouds to the Core (C2C) program, run by U of A’s Department of Geosciences for students from tribal and community colleges in the Southwest. In it, she studied the volcanic history of the Galiuro Mountains, northeast of Tucson.

“I was kind of nervous because I thought I took on too much. I really didn’t know a lot about these other types of plate tectonics and it just sounded really – I was like ‘what did I sign up for?’”

At U of A’s Arizona Laserchron Center, Anisah used multiple processes to help extract zircon crystals from rock samples to determine their age and presented the findings.

“I found out through this that I really enjoy doing lab work. I really enjoyed doing this internship. I thought it was just really fascinating – even listening to others about projects that were happening.”

She says her supervisor, postdoctoral research associate Clay Campbell, Ph.D., explained the high-level concepts and methods in a way that helped the interns get the most out of the experience.

How Pima Helped

Pima’s flexibility allowed Anisah to explore different subjects and discover her passion.

“Here at Pima, it’s all up to you. If Pima wasn’t so flexible with what classes you can take for a gen ed, I probably wouldn’t have done geosciences. I think there’s a lot of different things I probably wouldn’t have done if I wasn’t able to be so flexible.”

She says Pima also has led her to become independent and active outside of class. These days, she keeps busy as a member of folklórico groups Grupo Miztontli and Arizona Folklórico Dance Co., and as a third-year page at Joel D. Valdez Downtown Libary, working 19 hours a week.

Anisah’s Advice for New Students

• Use Tutoring – “It’s free and the tutors are really good. I’ve had some pretty good physics tutors here.”
• Go to office hours – “Even teachers (that) I’ve already had their class, I’ll reach out to them and be like ‘hey, can you help me with this?’ And they’ll be like ‘just come to my office hours.’”
• Join clubs and events – “I would recommend going to clubs, especially because I do understand that college does feel kind of lonely. Pima sometimes has events going on, so maybe stop by for at least one of those. They’re kind of fun and you meet new people.”

What’s next?

When Anisah graduates from Pima in 2026, she will transfer to U of A as a Geosciences major, with an emphasis on Geology. She also is intrigued by U of A’s Gem Science major, which includes internship and employment opportunities with the Gemological Institute of America.

“That’s something I’m very interested in – the gemstones . . . they focus a lot on the geochemistry. As much as I do love geology, it’s not like a for-sure job as soon as I get out of college. So, that’s what really is interesting to me.”

She also plans to boost her résumé over the summer by taking on summer classes and a second job.

With her newfound passion for geology, hands-on experience, and the support of her mentors, Anisah is confidently moving toward her bright future in geosciences.