Amber Marie Karl
I came to CSULB as a transfer student from Golden West College (GWC). Starting as a junior was a bit of a tough transition, especially because I was working a lot during this time. I was comfortable arriving to the school parking lot fifteen minutes prior to class starting, because I could get anywhere on the GWC campus within minutes. CSULB is a lot bigger with many more students and faculty, which required me to adjust accordingly.
By the second semester, I felt more comfortable. Those long walks from my car to my first class were opportunities for me to catch up with my friend or to simply enjoy my surroundings. Also, I added a second major during the first half of my Beach experience. The child development and family life education courses were transformative and the professors were amazing!
My last few semesters were consumed with internships, honor society induction ceremonies, volunteer opportunities, the Senior Beach Bash, and events like Walk A Mile In Her Shoes and the spring concert. I will truly miss CSULB. The make up of the student body is what makes one’s experience at The Beach irreplaceable. During my time at CSULB, I met many amazing people and learned so much from them. CSULB is such a beautifully diverse school.
I chose CSULB because of the diverse community of students, proximity, and the specific courses that were offered for my major. First and foremost, I have to thank God for giving me the gift of resiliency. Getting accepted to a Cal State was my dream and God blessed me with abundant opportunities. The reconciliation of my relationship with my mom saved me. My mom was my biggest supporter when I applied to Cal State Long Beach and she was my biggest cheerleader at my CSULB graduation! My family has been through a lot, but I would not change a thing. They are mine. They have helped pave the way to CSULB and during my time at CSULB many of those relationships have grown stronger. The love I have for my siblings kept me fighting to reach my goals. To add, I would have not made it to CSULB without my boyfriend and his family. When he transferred to CSULB, my motivation to transfer to CSULB was even greater. I am very blessed to have my other half by my side. His family has treated me as family and housed me when I had nowhere to go. Also, my friends Stefani and Andria helped me get to CSULB. These ladies have been such amazing friends and supporters. Lastly, my awesome counselor at Golden West College helped me progress to CSULB. I was notified by GWC that I was going to be on academic warning for failing classes. I didn’t believe that people like me went to universities. My counselor helped me debunk that myth. Then, she helped me come up with goals and a proactive plan to get to CSULB.
I worked very hard to seize opportunities as they were presented. I am an introvert; so naturally, it has been a challenge to be involved. These past two years at CSULB, I pushed myself to be highly involved in class discussions, communicate with professors regularly, and meet new people. I maintained a very high grade point average, which gave me the opportunity to become a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society (KON). As a member of KON, I took advantage of some of the opportunities to serve the surrounding community. I also took advantage of the awesome workshop opportunities and drop-in counseling hours at the Career Development Center! The most memorable opportunity I had was when I participated in the annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event. It was the perfect opportunity to raise awareness to stop sexual violence and to be a part of the solution.
Currently, I work at a preschool in Orange County. In the mean time, I will be researching master’s programs in school or higher education counseling to apply to for the upcoming year. I am a first generation college student who graduated from an adult school with a high school diploma. I could list an infinite number of reasons why it was extremely unlikely for me to even finish high school. In fact, those reasons and risks can be found in one of my child development or family life education texts. My goal is to help students reach their fullest potential. I prayed for a cheerleader when I was growing up, so when I become a high school or community college counselor, my students will have the biggest cheerleader in their corner!
- Professor: My three favorite professors are Dr. Nancy Dayne, Professor Lorraine Carson, and Dr. Carlene Fider. Dr. Dayne A.K.A Teacher Nancy is such a positive and upbeat person. Her passion for the subject she teaches is so inspiring and she makes students want to keep learning more. I know she is a very busy woman, but you would never know because she always makes time for her students. Professor Carson is one of the most understanding people I know. The manner in which she presented the course material allowed me to retain the information and, more importantly, apply it to my own life. I truly believe God placed me in Professor Carson’s courses when I needed it the most. I learned a lot about myself through her courses. I used to talk her ear off before or after class when I needed advice and a listening ear. I know we will be drinking some coffee and sharing words soon! Lastly, Dr. Fider is such an amazing professor! She set a positive tone for the classroom every day I was there. I love how much she enjoys teaching about children. Her attitude is infectious and her passion is inspiring!
- Class: My favorite class was Family Stress and Coping (CDFS 319) with Professor Carson. I learned a lot of material that was applicable to real life. I learned about resiliency, compassion, and forgiveness. This course helped break down walls and aided in healing my soul.
- Spot on Campus: My favorite spot on campus was obviously The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf!
- Quotes:
“One characteristic of resilient children-those who flourish in spite of challenges-is that they have someone in their lives who is crazy about them.” H. Wallace Goddard, Tamara Gilliland, & Natalie C. Goddard -TORIN, I’m crazy about you!
“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Roald Dahl“You're in the arms of the angel. May you find some comfort here.” Sarah McLachlan
