Gloria Hernandez '21
When I first started as a freshman at CSULB it was a new experience for me. Being in a new environment felt awesome. I live in Culver City; thus, I would commute to CSULB, but I love the drive. What I love about CSULB is the community and how diverse it is. I don’t feel different or out of place… rather, I felt welcomed at CSULB. One of my best highlights about CSULB is welcome week and just seeing everyone come to the stands was awesome. Another memorable highlight at CSULB 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 CSULB for these four years has been great.
What made me go to CSULB 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 CSULB. Not to mention, at the time it was known around my high school that CSULB was the hardest Cal State to get into. This motivated me to apply and try to get into CSULB. 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 CSULB 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 CSULB 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 CSULB 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 CSULB Alumni for any help or questions that I may have.
