Pooja-Accamma Somaiah
My path to CSULB started when my high school advisor, who is also an alumni of CSULB, told me what a fantastic and well-established school Long Beach was. At the time, I had narrowed down my choices to local schools I could commute to since I would have to pay for college on my own. I always trusted my advisor’s advice and he had explained to me that CSULB had such incredible resources and an incredible alumni relationship for me to network off of and help me accomplish my goals for my undergraduate. I have never looked back or regretted accepting my offer to Long Beach.
The moment I stepped onto campus my freshman year, it has been a non-stop world wind of adventures, friendship, memories, and of course those nights I stayed up for 72 hours straight to complete projects, lab reports or study for exams. I have been able to accomplish all my goals I had set for myself before entering college and much more!! One of them was studying abroad, and in the Spring of 2016, where I traveled to Glasgow, Scotland to study Engineering and visit countries in Europe that I had only dreamed of visiting. Not only that but I never expected that I would get the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Israel through the Beach Hillel Club and visit remarkable and historical sites. Through these experiences, I was able to learn more about the person I am and the person I want to become.
The Beach is such a diverse campus that I have met and become close friends with incredible people that have changed my life and how I view it. Many of the memories and friendships I have created stem from clubs and organizations I have joined such as Tri Delta Sorority and Society of Women Engineers. Through socializing with the students at Long Beach, I have learned more about humility, bonds of friendships, and purpose of networking.
Lastly, being a woman engineer at Long Beach has been nothing but a rewarding experience. I was able to see past the stereotypes society creates for engineers and met individuals that are driven to help humanity as a whole. There were no thoughts about wealth but pure thoughts of creating devices or products to help people in need. I am truly blessed to have been able to be apart of groups and projects that prompt this ideal and come across such intelligent and humble students.
I am a changemaker. When I graduate university in the spring, I want to continue changing lives in other countries while experiencing different cultures, challenging myself to learn new skills, and improving the skills I already have. I have accepted an invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana to not only contribute to improving people’s lives around the world but be a part of making a difference in a country. I will be using my engineering degree from CSULB to teach math to secondary students in Ghana.
The Beach has given me experiences and friendships that contributed to my learning that I would not have gotten if attending another university. It is only right to show my appreciation by donating to the Alumni Association. It is a way of giving back and sharing my experiences after university to the next generations to come.
- “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” – Anonymous
- “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” -Madonna
- “If you do not go after go after what you want, you will never have it. If you do not ask, the answer will always be NO. If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.” – Anonymous
Maryam Moussavi, Gary Hill & Kip Haggerty
Lower Campus – Society of Women Engineers Office
Delta Delta Delta Fraternity; Society of Women Engineers; IEEE; Miss America Organization; Beach Hillel Club; Study Abroad; 20th Century Fox Intern (Fox Film Corporation)
