Counselor Molly Mercer is a great teammate for GCC Student-Athletes

Sitting in her office, on a Zoom meeting or on the phone, Glendale College Counselor Molly Mercer often gets that surreal feeling that she is looking in a mirror when working with student-athletes plotting their futures. They need advice and help with classes just like she did. She is asked to provide support dealing with career goals and if their athletic futures should and could be part of the conversation.

Since 2014, Molly Mercer has been a great teammate to have for GCC students and athletes. But it is the student-athletes at GCC that probably receive the greatest benefit from the experiences she shares with them as a career counselor and assistant athletic director. But maybe as important is her experience as a former community college student-athlete herself, someone who knows the challenges they face on and off their fields of play.

From her origins as a softball player for Crescenta Valley Little League and Crescenta Valley High School to helping pitch the Mount San Antonio College Mounties to the 2007 state championships, she has sat where they are now. The fact that she ended that season with a 1.22 ERA, batted .429 at the plate and had a 3.72 GPA and earned Academic All-American honors put her in a prime position to transfer to a four-year school.

"I think my experience with a winning softball program at Mt. SAC has allowed me to relate to the unique challenges of a community college student-athlete. As a community college athlete, you often walk into a classroom with the cards stacked against you. Sometimes professors have had a prior negative experience with an athlete, or the student-athlete may come from a school that has not prepared them academically'' said Mercer who transferred to Cal Lutheran and Cal State Northridge " Regardless, if a student-athlete wants to continue playing their sport at the next level... they need to excel in the classroom. As a community college athlete, I understand the struggle and challenges faced when it comes to the demanding schedule, the expectations from coaches and teammates, and the academic rigor. I empathize with the struggle and I can also share my story with our students and share with them the tips that helped me graduate and transfer"