Connie Calimbas

I attended three community colleges (College of San Mateo, Skyline College, and Chabot College) and transferred to California State University Long Beach in Fall 2014. This was actually the first school that sent me my acceptance letter and I was stoked! During my spring break at my community colleges, my parents and I visited the campus. I fell in love with Long Beach: the school, the people, things to do, and places to see. It was difficult leaving my loved ones, however I was ready for an adventure that was over 400 miles away from home.

I came to this school as a Human Resources Management major. I realized changing my major would be beneficial and switched over to Consumer Affairs. Nonetheless, I am still fervent about the business industry. I turned my old major into a minor, and unexpectedly took on a second minor in Entrepreneurship. I have been consistently taking classes year round and maxing out my units per semester; therefore I am still able to graduate on time.  

My best living situation would be to dorm on campus since I did not know anyone in the area. Living on campus has not only been convenient, but I met numerous people and built countless friendships. I was determined to be a well-rounded individual for my last two years of college. I joined a sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and found my home away from home. Being in a sorority gave me opportunities to speak in crowds and overcome my fear of public speaking. I am in an honor society, Kappa Omicron Nu, and I am polishing up on my leadership and business skills. I am also on the Club Cheerleading Squad as a flyer, and I am glad to be doing what I have been passionate about since I was 11. Lastly, I am a member of Beach Newman, a club where I can express my faith with other college students.

Aside from my life at campus, I work at Nordstrom (Newport Beach location) in Customer Service. I have been working for the company for over three years, and I realized I would like a career where I can help people, whether it is customers or employees. Having an extremely busy life doing a variety of things made me ambitious and charismatic about what I do. I make time for myself, try to call/text my parents everyday, and hang out with my friends. Having extra-curricular activities is all about time management. Being affiliated with several organizations has opened doors for me and I look forward to seeing what my next adventure will be.

If there were advice I can give to a future freshman or transfer student, I would say this: be true to yourself and don’t look back. Things are not always going to go as planned, and that is perfectly okay. Risk it or no reward! You are going to experience an assortment of events. Utilize all the resources our school has to offer like the Career Center (afternoon workshops), the Rec Center (6am workouts are worth it), the library (my second home), and even the USU (the rooms during the evening are a great location to study). Make your time at The Beach something you want to be proud of. Don’t be afraid to join clubs and reach out to your fellow classmates. You’re only in college once… and don’t forget, graduation starts today :)

My parents taught me to always stay humble. I have numerous dreams and aspirations for my life after graduation. I hope to land a corporate internship out-of-state this summer. I am also in the process of studying for the GRE and researching graduate programs to enhance and expand my education in Consumer Affairs, Human Resources, or Public Policy. My dream career has always been to be Vice President of Human Resources for a big company at corporate level. If life takes me to a different avenue, I hope to find an alternative that involves serving others, being ethical, and seeing my hard work pay off. Even if I face challenges whether it be tomorrow, next year, or in five years, I will continue to keep going and learn from my mistakes. I will find and create my definition of happiness.

Go Beach!