Why did you choose to come to UNLV?
I chose UNLV because it is close to home and truthfully because it is affordable. I also heard great things about it from my own teachers in high school.
What role has the ASC played in your success at UNLV?
The ASC has been incredible. It provided me with the support I needed to push through an entire semester of virtual learning. Beginning my first semester, that was new to me. When I had a question or doubt about something, I could rely on the coach that was appointed to me. Also the advising that was offered by ASC really helped me understand what I need to graduate because I had a couple of confusions about that. Eventually, they helped me decide that I really wanted to major in mechanical engineering.
When you were younger, what did you dream about doing for your career?
Ever since I could remember, I wanted to be a doctor. I was always fascinated by the healthcare industry. But, I questioned if that’s truly what I wanted to do. During high school, I was in the medical program, more specifically the sports medicine program. I really enjoyed it, but in order to confirm that that’s really the path for me I decided to volunteer at Sunrise Hospital in the junior volunteer program during the summer. While I enjoyed the hospital setting and the patient interaction, I just decided that it really wasn’t for me.
What are your plans after graduating?
After some digging and looking around and talking to people, I just discovered biomedical engineering which is my end goal at the moment. I fell in love with the idea because I would still be able to help people through the creation of products and machinery. That’s why right now I’m doing mechanical engineering and in the future go to graduate school and do biomedical engineering. I hope to get a job and help create the healthcare industry, possibly designing medical primary devices while working up to become a biomedical engineer.
What did it mean to you to receive the Jump Start scholarship?
I was thankful. I was excited. It meant a lot. As a first generation college student, I wasn’t really sure how I was going to pay for college. Especially due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs and were in tough situations. I'm truly grateful for the scholarship especially since it helped me attend college without having to stress about student loans and just all the financial aspects about school. I’m just thankful and appreciate the fact that there are people who are willing to invest in my education and help support me with all this.
The Jump Start Scholarship requires you to meet with an Academic Success Coach. How would you describe that experience?
I enjoyed meeting with the Academic Success Coaches a lot. My coach's name was Bailey. She really helped me during the pandemic. I had a lot of questions and she made sure she would answer them to the best of her ability. Or, if she didn’t know some things, she also made sure to refer me to a lot of useful resources in order to make sure I got what I needed. Many of the resources I didn’t even know were offered by UNLV, so I discovered new things through her.
What are you most proud of after a few semesters at UNLV?
There were a lot of times when I really didn’t want to continue with school. I’m proud of myself for being able to push through all the challenges that came up as a result of virtual learning. I learned new studying and learning habits that I’ll definitely keep using and I’m telling people about. I’m just excited to go back in person.
