Gloria Hernandez '21
When I first started as a freshman at Ӱ it was a new experience for me. Being in a new environment felt awesome. I live in Culver City; thus, I would commute to Ӱ, but I love the drive. What I love about Ӱ is the community and how diverse it is. I don’t feel different or out of place… rather, I felt welcomed at Ӱ. One of my best highlights about Ӱ is welcome week and just seeing everyone come to the stands was awesome. Another memorable highlight at Ӱ is the shop stands and being able to buy unique goods. Lastly, I have to say that one of my memorable moments was being able to see the Shark Lab. I was doing a research project and had an opportunity to work with the shark lab and see what they do. All in all, my experience at Ӱ for these four years has been great.
What made me go to Ӱ was the diverse environment, and being LatinX I want to be in a community where I feel welcomed. After visiting various Universities, I didn’t feel the same as how I felt when I went to Ӱ. Not to mention, at the time it was known around my high school that Ӱ was the hardest Cal State to get into. This motivated me to apply and try to get into Ӱ. I felt proud of myself when I got early admission and got the chance to go to my top pick. What finalized my decision to go to Ӱ was that it was close to home. I am very close to my family, and it just worked perfectly for me.
This was a question that I asked myself recently before I finished my last course. To be honest I felt lost and confused on what I wanted to do after school. I had a plan all my life that I was going to go to medical school and become a doctor. However, during my junior year I realized I had a lot more I wanted to accomplish before deciding on medical school. Thus, my new plan is to get my recreational therapy certification and after that I want to get into a nursing program. I want to go for it and see what happens and I will go from there.
I got involved with myBEACH Program and Ӱ Alumni because transitioning out of college can be hard. Thus, being able to stay connected and informed about campus events, job opportunities, networking, or just staying in touch with the Ӱ community is important. I know for me the transition has been a bit hard and I am glad that I can count on myBEACH Program and Ӱ Alumni for any help or questions that I may have.
