Associate Counselor

Dona Phan serves Mission College students in the Counseling and EOPS Center. She is bilingual in Vietnamese and English. Dona started working at Mission College as a student assistant and has been working in Higher Education for over 10 years. Dona was motivated by her college counselors who gave her guidance throughout her college years. Dona becomes a college counselor to help students define their educational goals and succeed in their educational journeys.

According to Dona, “Although I have a graduate degree, I faced many challenges throughout my college years that could have prevented me from succeeding that included the followin being a first-generation college student, an International student, speaking English as a second language, growing up in a low-income household, and choosing the wrong major."

Furthermore, she states that "Although I worked two jobs and helped my family deliver newspapers on the weekend, throughout my college years, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study in the U.S. I believe that education is a key to professional success. My goal is to help, motivate, and provide students with the resources they need to reach their goals."

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Education

•  MA, Counseling and Guidance, San Jose State University
• BA, Psychology, San Jose State University

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Fast Facts

Dona enjoys watching Kdramas and plans to visit Korea to attend her favorite actor’s concert after COVID.