Aaron, not Erin

The hallway was nice and cool, and wasn’t very crowded as we sat down to start. I sat in an empty hall on the first floor, just past where some dirty shoe prints on the floor trail off to nothing. Aaron sat next to me, setting his stuff down in doing so. Upon beginning, we realized we didn’t have anything to talk about, really (or, at least, nothing that came to mind).

It was there where Aaron (not to be confused with Erin) and I had an unofficial-official interview.

Aaron told me about his job as a pizza delivery man; he got paid per hour and for gas, and he got to keep his tips. He also told me of his undying love for corgis, specifically those of the Pembroke Welsh variety. Sadly, his apartment doesn’t allow dogs, so he’s forced to get his corgi fill from the internet.

When the discussion turned to college, he told me he felt “free”; he loved the feeling of choosing his own schedule, of long breaks between classes, and the responsibility college brings.

After college, Aaron want to start working. His dream job is with either the aerospace company Boeing or the interstellar researchers at NASA. However, if those fall flat, he’s going for his master’s degree so he can make more money in the long run.

Besides work, he wants to travel, to “get a little taste of everything” on long road trips or even abroad. He wants to try new foods and understand different cultures.

After that, we went our separate ways, knowing just a little more about each other than we did before.

Pillar of a Generation

Pillar of a Generation

It was a humid afternoon and we had just been assigned partners for our very first English project. Our task was simple, interview a classmate to get to know them and write about it in a profile, but to me it seemed like a daunting task to capture a person in a few pages. The name she called out with my own was Stephanie Corales, a name that I was delighted to hear. I had met her previously through the honors college, so I knew a bit about her already, but I was still excited by the opportunity to get to know the girl with the warm smile and vibrant eye shadow. She put me at ease while we talked and she allowed me to get to know her deepest inspirations and motivations which lead her to speak about one of the aspects of her life that she was most passionate about- her education. Stephanie’s studies are what she prides herself on and she recognizes her own duty to strive to her greatest potential academically for herself and her family as a first generation student, as seen in the following moment of the profile.

She knows that she has a responsibility to not only her parents who were born in Mexico, but to her younger and older siblings who have yet to attend a university as well. She motivates her siblings to strive to do their best because she knows how powerful a bit of guidance can be in a person’s life and exemplifies this through her family. She especially motivates her sister who attends Rio Hondo college, who coincidentally is her biggest role model in life. Stephanie views her sister as a mother figure who helped raised her to be the person she is when her parents were out of reach

Something I’ve realized about Stephanie is that she is relentless when it comes to her education. She chooses to use every possible aspect of her life as fuel to add to the fire of burning passion for her future. There are many options that this girl could’ve taken in various situations in her life, but she never chose to see the bad and instead focused on what she can do to be better. When I talk to her it feels as if I’m talking to a person with laser pointer vision aimed exactly at what she wants in life, which is something I deeply respect as I do not have that privilege. I admire Stephanie for her persistence and constant desire to aid others in whatever way she can and I understand her personal experiences that lead to becoming the person that she is today.

Never Stop Giving Back: Escarleth

Think of the things you are passionate about; what do you make time for despite how busy you are? Do you pursue a creative hobby, play sports, or spend time with friends and family? Do you have a designated “relax time” of playing video games, watching YouTube, or engaging in social media?

Meet Escarleth, a Biology major here at Cal State LA who gives back to the community in her spare time. Born in Honduras, she grew up there with one older and one younger brother before moving to the U.S. at the age of eleven. She is working toward a career in pediatrics, and spent her free time in high school volunteering in various workshops with children and caring for post-surgery patients at the Valley Presbyterian Hospital. There, she became fascinated by surgery and its capacity to heal and started considering a career in surgery as well as pediatrics. Now, she regrets not being able to volunteer as much because of her job— she does have to work to pay for her education, after all— and wishes to return to it once she has more free time.

One of the most significant contributions to her chosen field was her grandmother, who looked after her throughout her childhood. Escarleth spoke about how she liked and took responsibility in caring for her grandmother in Honduras, who suffered from asthma, by preparing her medications and making sure she was taking them. Once her grandmother passed away when Escarleth was twelve, she was set in her profession. “I want to give back everything she did for me, but to other people because I wasn't able to do it for her anymore”, she explained. In addition to this, she was looking after children starting at a young age- mostly her cousins in Honduras- and she discovered her inclination to working with kids. She describes herself as being really good with them; babysitting was even her first job.

Escarleth also enjoys reading fiction, watching Netflix, and dancing. As a result of having to move around a lot throughout middle and high school, she didn't become too close to her friends as part of her defense mechanism— the pain of separation wouldn't be as bad in the end— and engages in writing not only as a hobby but as a form of self-healing: “I would just write everything down- it was my outlet”, she told me about writing journals.

Regarding previous thoughts on career paths, she had thought before about becoming a lawyer- “I’m very good at arguing and debating with things”, she said. But her experiences growing up- working with children, wanting to give back to others after her grandmother passed away, and volunteering in the hospital during high school, have resulted in Escarleth’s ultimate choice in terms of how she wants to spend her life. She now is leaning most toward becoming a pediatrician after all, although she tells me she still is intrigued by surgery and wants to keep it in mind. Becoming a pediatric surgeon is definitely a viable option for Escarleth, bringing together what she has learned about herself from childhood until her time in college right now.

Passion for Learning

A Passion for Learning

It’s not every day that you meet a stranger so easy to talk to. The calm demeanor and casual style of Daniel Romero, the 18 year old from Pico Rivera allowed for us to easily converse about his personal life. Born in Whittier, California, Daniel spent most of his life in the town known as Pico Rivera aside from two years lived in East LA. Along with Daniel, his household is comprised of his two parents and older brother who are all originally from Mexico. Daniel’s relationship with his family is generally strong, but he tends to feel undermined by his older brother who currently attends Cal Poly. In fact, Daniel denied his acceptance to that university in order to avoid the unnerving comparisons between their studies.

The first time he encountered a situation in which he felt overshadowed by his brother was when they were children. We’ve all heard the stereotype that older siblings tend to be the ones who take fault as opposed to the youngest, but that was not the case in the Romero household. Daniel often found himself in trouble when he “wasn’t like” his brother. My curiosity to learn more about the topic was extinguished by vague answers when asking to elaborate. I realized it was most likely a topic that wasn’t too pleasant to discuss, let alone one Daniel would feel comfortable talking about with a stranger. This overall topic came into conversation when asked if he could change anything about his life for the better. “I would choose to be the older brother instead,” he responded which initially took me by surprise. The answer, however, stemmed from Daniel’s desire to obtain more responsibility and respect, especially in the educational world. It was even clearer then that schooling is of the utmost importance in his life, as is his strong desire for recognition for his outstanding work ethic.

            No matter what the future holds, Daniel wants to gain as much knowledge as he possibly can in order to develop a successful name for himself. Overall, I was happy to gain a new friend and learn more about the life of a fellow student. Daniel Romero is definitely someone who will find success in the future. There are rarely times that I accept absolutes about the unknown. However, after spending some time talking to this young man, I am sure he is destined for greatness.

The Puzzle of Life

It was a long, hot summer afternoon, and we were sitting near a planter outside Salazar hall. Our professor had given us our first big assignment which was to make a profile on a classmate. As she called my name, I turned to look at my partner trying to get my first impressions, thinking to myself, “where could the name Toma be from,” while processing her face with her name.

Looking very comfortable with what seemed to be a crop top with shorts, as well as sandals, it seemed like an appropriate outfit for the weather. She introduced herself again as “Toma,” but as I began to ask more questions, she let me know her full name was “Tamara Dayton” representing her Russian background. Although she came from a Russian family, she was an only child born in San Jose, CA.

As we talked about our passions, she expressed how spirited she was with helping others. As she continued to explain, it was as if a puzzle was unraveling in front of my own eyes. She continued to reveal how she was “the one friend who her friends can confide to”. She went on by stating how good she felt helping others and plans describing her becoming a psychologist. Through her future endeavors, she hopes to become a counselor and possibly an adolescent psychologist. Her passion for making people feel better resembled her emotions as she seemed thrilled and electrified in a way by just talking about her future. Toma went on as she conveyed the idea of uplifting and brightening people’s days, or even lives, by using her own personal
experiences to relate to people. As she continued to talk, it was evident that she was “passionate about life.” She got personal by filling me in her goal of “impacting people’s lives” as her passion glowed through her, proving she really wanted this.

As we were coming to the end of our interview, I realized that this was less awkward than it seemed at first. It was really interesting to know the story of someone else. I realized Toma’s vibe was very contagious. However, those brief thirty minutes with her were not enough to get to know her. I recall her saying out of nowhere from the start that although she may not look like a kind person, she really was friendly. This is what counted and it was evident through her optimistic way of thinking. Despite some unavoidable obstacles that Toma will face in the future, it is prominent to state that she does not lack faith and has self-confidence. Her passion gave a whole new meaning to life and gave me a new perspective from taking on a challenge of being a vegetarian to a simple wish of wanting to escape the inevitable death. Toma embraced the key characteristics every person should have.

Santa Baby

JJ, one of the many CSULA students, is a “Santa baby”. Yes, he was actually born on December 25^th. He loves dogs and enjoys the company of his remarkable Greyhound, Sergeant Chip. He’s got 4 published works, including poetry, and even had a brief moment on TV for episode of the show “The Middle”.

As of today, JJ doesn’t work but is a full-time college student. Unlike most, he never intended on going to college. He didn’t look forward to CSULA, and during his freshman year, he said, “I just want to hurry up and for it to be over with”. He’d tell you that, “College is just a way for the poor to stay poor”. However, his Honors College friends help him enjoy college more and more each day.

Did you know that JJ is the biggest Disney fan you’ll ever meet? If you’re into Disney, JJ will be your “go-to” guy. Aside from looking in to the Disney College Program, he’s been trying snag a job with some of the local Disney stores. His long-term goal to infinity and beyond is to one day work “somewhere that has a Disneyland nearby”, possibly at Tokyo, Paris, or Florida.

JJ’s true passion lies in clothing design, both for people and for dolls. He plans to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in business and start his own business to capitalize on merchandising, specifically Disney apparel, for people of all ages so that nobody is left out. In short, JJ would tell you all about his passion with three short words: “I design shit.”

Lastly, a word of advice from JJ: be ready for the chaotic parking. “There’s never spots”.

Meet Haydee

“I always look on the bright side of life and try to focus on the future.”, is how the vibrant Haydee describes her personal way to living a happy and carefree life. By having just one conversation with her and watching how the dark brown eyes of the brunette light up when she talks about her plans for the future, you are able to tell that she lives this motto to the fullest.

Haydee was born on July 14^th, 1999 to two immigrant parents. Her mother Maria, an immigrant from El Salvador, and her father Sergio, an immigrant from Guatemala, came to the United States to establish a better and brighter future for their children and in hopes of pursuing the “American dream”. As the youngest of four, and also the only girl, Haydee grew up in a household where the two most important things in life were family and religion. As a member of the Mormon faith she has been able to turn towards the support of her family and temple in her times of trouble and distress. When asked if she would like to serve on a mission, Haydee replied with an eager “Yes! I would love to go on a mission and get to experience travelling to somewhere new.” She plans to wait until she is married however so that she will have the chance to serve with her husband and get to travel and teach about God with him.

Not only is Haydee dedicated to her family and faith, but she also shows a dedication to pursuing a college degree. As a native Angeleno, she chose to attend California State University Los Angeles so that she would still be able to live at home and stay close by her parents and brothers who have now started their own families. Haydee is the first in her family to attend college and she knows how important and special this opportunity is for her future. Although she is currently undeclared, she hopes to major in either psychology or sociology so she can learn about what causes us to feel and express certain emotions.

This interest in helping others was sparked in her when she began to drift away from her faith and began to feel sad and depressed for absolutely no reason. This sudden change in emotions soon caused Haydee to want to discover what and why this was making her feel this way. Was it her social economic? Was it based upon what was happening back at home that was making her worried and unsure about what to do? By studying psychology, she hopes to discover what caused her to feel these emotions and hopefully will be able to help provide others with a support system so that they too will know that they are not alone. 

No matter what degree she decides to pursue, it is very clear that Haydee is destined to help others and make the world a better place.