For many people, navigating high school is hard enough. Pitman High senior Megha Saini, however, found the time amid her high school education, sports and social life to earn her associate’s degree an entire month before earning her high school diploma.
Saini walked at Modesto Junior College’s 101st commencement ceremony on April 28. She was one of 800 who earned a degree – and quite possibly the youngest.
“I really didn’t know anybody else there who was walking,” she said. “It was a cool experience, but definitely a unique one too.”
Saini earned her associate’s degree in Psychology from MJC, something she had been pursuing since her freshman year at Pitman in 2019.
“I was just thinking that I needed to do something on the side other than basketball,” she said.
If Saini’s name and the sport of basketball start ringing any bells, it’s because she is a two-year varsity player for the girl’s team at Pitman High, and was one of the starting guards for the Pride this past season.
“I love playing basketball, but I wanted something else, and when I heard about dual enrollment from flyers and the Career Center at Pitman, I just decided to check it out,” Saini said. “I looked at the community college courses for the fall and the spring, so then I decided to try it and see how it goes. I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field and knew I was going to be in school for a while, so I figured I might as well get started then and get a little ahead.”
“A little ahead” may be an understatement. In fact, Saini took seven AP courses and multiple honors courses at Pitman High separate from the dual-enrollment courses, in total transferring around 70 credits, all while maintaining a 4.6 high school GPA.
“It got busy at times,” she admitted. “Last semester was pretty stressful because then I was taking 12 units and was just juggling classes, but I knew this is what I was getting myself into. And I knew I can go 100% with both high school and MJC. With me, if I can put my 100% into it, that's what I invest in. If I probably can't put my 100% in anything, then I don't pursue it because I want to put my fullest into what I do.”
And she isn’t stopping there. This fall, Saini plans on continuing her higher education at UC Merced to major in Human Biology and minor is Psychology. She explained that the medical field really interests her because she wants to be of assistance to those who are at some of their most vulnerable times. She has seen first-hand how her mother, a nurse herself, has made changes in people’s lives, while also seeing the impacts of good health care when her grandfather had heart surgery a few years back.
“My grandpa and his surgery really made me realize, ‘This is my loved one and he’s having this really big surgery that’s going to help him a lot,’” she explained. “The human body is so vast and the heart is a vital organ in the body and we need to take care of it. Becoming a doctor or a physician in cardiology is something I can see myself doing.”
Saini has toured the UC Merced campus on multiple occasions. Aside from being close to her home in Turlock, she has been drawn to the campus’ expansion.
“I really like how it's rapidly advancing and that's something I really want to be a part of. I’ve toured the research labs and they are all great and I’ve met so many of the current students studying in the medical field. I just think that it’s a place I can really thrive in,” she said.
As she prepares for her high school graduation on June 1, Saini hopes that her journey can inspire others to chase their dreams.
“If someone has a goal, set your mind to it and make a plan,” she said. “Start exploring and navigating what you're going to do. It doesn't have to be super detailed. And once you do that, just be determined to put 100% effort into it.
“People come from all walks of life. It’s never too late and never too early to pursue your educational dreams or pursue any type of dream. Everyone has dreams and aspirations, so go out and try to fulfill them.”
