National Student Athlete Day: Angela Macias

 April 5, 2024

Angela Macias is making waves at Kingsborough. The basketball player from Brooklyn became a KCC student in 2020 after taking a year off after high school because she felt she needed to be more mature before starting college. Her mother, Nicole, works in KCC's Registrar's office and helped Angela get to know the school. "I'm more than happy that I am attending Kingsborough because it's opened a lot of doors for me and taught me a lot about myself," she said.

So far, the time she has spent at Kingsborough has been great. As an ASAP student, Angela gets academic support, early registration, MetroCards, and other benefits to help her stay on track. "ASAP is one of the best programs in the school," she said. "It really does help you get your degree as soon as possible." 

She had a tough time when her job caused her to fail a summer class and jeopardized her financial aid, but she was able to use ASAP's resources to rebound. The thing she's most proud of is keeping her GPA above 3.5 after that stumble. "Kingsborough definitely helped me get back on track," she beamed.

Angela wants to become a leader and role model, especially when it comes to making mental health problems less of a taboo subject. "When people hear the words "mental health," they sometimes think, 'This person is crazy.' But it's not about illnesses; it's about your wellbeing," she said. Her life experiences are what drive her passion.

After a rewarding internship, Angela would like to work with the elderly population if she could volunteer anywhere. "Being the reason they were smiling and looked forward to us coming was so fulfilling to me," she shared. 

Angela will graduate in June with a degree in mental health and human services. She may pursue graduate work after earning her bachelor's degree to further her understanding of mental health. She reminds current KCC students that "failure to plan is planning to fail.” Her advice is to “stay on top of things. Don't procrastinate. And take classes you'll truly benefit from."