Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson, president of Mount Saint Mary University (MSMU), received the Community Impact Award from the Mexican American Bar Foundation (MABF) on June 8, honoring her commitment to creating equity in Los Angeles.
Under McElaney-Johnson’s leadership, MSMU has been ranked by the New York Times as the number one college for overall mobility, selected over hundreds of other private colleges. The ranking considers MSMU’s success in helping students move up to greater income levels than they could have expected before attending college. MSMU also has one of the highest proportions of Pell Grant recipients across the country’s private colleges.
MSMU predominantly serves women of color, representing 83 percent of the undergraduate student body. Sixty-eight percent are Latina.
“I am truly moved. I accept this incredible honor on behalf of the students and graduates of Mount Saint Mary’s University who make an impact on this community every single day,” said McElaney-Johnson. “I am so humbled every day by our students’ determination and their perseverance. We are not just educating students to graduate. We are preparing them to be unstoppable leaders in their communities.”
In addition to McElaney-Johnson’s honor, the MABF awarded Mount Saint Mary’s University alumna Karla Ballesteros ’16 with the Steven Espinoza Immigration scholarship to be used during her final year of law school.
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