Santiago Canyon College alum Erica Floyd.

​SCC Student Finds Her Passion in a Chemistry Class

Erica Floyd launched onto the campus of Santiago Canyon College (SCC) in 2012 with a traditional freshman schedule that was heavy in the humanities, not classes that she saw as a pathway to her individual career destiny.

It wasn’t until she sidestepped into a chemistry class that Floyd’s passion for a subject was ignited, where she found a voice in class discussions and built confidence for the next level of her engagement at SCC.

“A friend from chemistry class insisted that I attend a Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society meeting, where five members were recruiting for a secretary. I thought, I can do this, so I volunteered to be the secretary, and within six months I was the PTK president,” Floyd laughed.

Floyd enthusiastically carried the banner for PTK, interfacing with other campus clubs to recruit new members, participating in campus events and fundraisers, the Associated Student Government, and attending meetings of other college chapters. One year later, President Floyd had built the SCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa’s membership to 30 members.

Upon graduating with honors in chemistry from SCC, Floyd transferred to UC Davis where she earned a B.S. in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior. A summer research project in neuropsychology had her questioning a career in research. A casual drop-in on the Nursing Club at UC Davis (where she became an officer within one quarter) led to a decision to hit the front lines of medicine as a nurse.

“The tools that I gained from my membership in PTK were invaluable and transferrable to the UC Davis Nursing Club, where I handled public relations, brought in speakers, coordinated events, and served as the campus representative for the Student Wellness Initiative,” said Floyd. “Those were all skills that I brought with me from my experience at SCC.”

Floyd came back for a brief stint at SCC for one anatomy class before she transfers to the nursing program at California State University, Long Beach.