Promise Partner: Baylor alumna supports future San Jac Ravens

Mandy Gosch didn’t have to attend San Jacinto College to understand the importance of helping other students go there.

The sky may be the limit for dreams, but the wallet is often the limit for achieving them.

“A lot of kids have these aspirations of what they want to be — maybe a doctor, a welder, or a dentist,” Gosch said. “The world is open for them to explore. But there's a big reality in that sometimes that's really expensive. And it's hard to pursue your dream when you [wonder], ‘How am I going to pay for this?’”

When the 30-something Baylor University alumna attended the San Jacinto College Foundation’s gala last year, she wanted younger students to have the same opportunity she had: to explore their career options and earn a degree.

Becoming a Promise Partner — providing a debt-free certificate or degree to a local high school graduate through the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship — resonated.

“It was an easy yes for me,” she said.

Pivoting career plans

More than a decade ago, Gosch started at Baylor determined to become an obstetrician/gynecologist and deliver babies. One microbiology class and organic chemistry class later, she realized her interests lay in a different field: psychology.

“Knowing what you want to do is just as valuable as knowing what you don't want to do, because that helps you narrow down and see where your interests match your unique skills,” she said.

She pivoted, thanks to the chance to “test her options” in college.

Helping grads, shelter dogs

Today, Gosch serves as chief of staff for Pasadena-based Pinnacle Reliability. As a member of the executive leadership team, she runs the company’s coordination/engagement department. Psychology — understanding people and their motivations — is key in this role.

If you can do good in the world and you can help a kid eventually become a thriving member of society by contributing to the Promise Program, do it.

Serving on Pinnacle Reliability’s philanthropy board, Gosch has participated in many local education initiatives. Supporting the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship and helping future San Jac Ravens was a no-brainer, even for a Baylor Bear.

Giving is a lifestyle for Gosch. Along with five friends, she also runs Lola’s Lucky Day, a nonprofit that rescues stray or owner-surrendered dogs from shelters. She fosters senior dogs until they can transfer to new parents or strokes the paws of hospice dogs that are spending their last moments with her.

Making a lasting impact

From furry friends to high school graduates, Gosch believes in helping others — not for the recognition but “because it’s the right thing to do.”

“If you can do good in the world and you can help a kid eventually become a thriving member of society by contributing to the Promise Program, do it,” she said. “They might never know your face. They might never know your name, but the impact that you're going to make on their lives is lasting.”

Learn more about becoming a Promise Partner

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About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than 1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.