Majors: Criminology and Criminal Justice and Spanish
Minor: Ethnic and Race Studies
What is your current position/career?
I am currently working at Harbor House, which is a nonprofit organization here in Thousand Oaks, and I am the Office and Program Manager. My current career is part of the basics for a future in social work.
How did Cal Lutheran and/or the criminology and criminal justice, and Spanish programs set you up for success in this position/career?
The criminology department set me up for a lot of success in my career and my goals for the future because it allowed me to learn a lot about my interests and what aspect of the criminal justice system I wanted to be a part of. In terms of the Spanish department, it helped me strengthen my abilities in speaking the language, and has allowed me to make strong connections with clients that were constantly facing language barriers with our non-Spanish speaking staff (nobody speaks or really understands it). While interning and taking classes in both of the programs I majored in, I found that the combination of both programs was helpful in my success during my internship at Harbor House Thousand Oaks, and I was able to reflect on my internship in both programs.
What skills or proficiencies did you acquire at Cal Lutheran, through your studies or other activities, that you now use in your current position/career?
Throughout my time at Cal Lutheran, I learned a lot about my career goals and how I was going to reach them, mainly from speaking to professors or the content of some of the courses I was in. I would say that most of what I use in my current position derives from what I was able to learn and be a part of in both the Criminal Justice department and the Spanish department. Whether that be how I engage with our clients or staff, or it be my viewpoint in some of the cases we receive. Learning about topics like rehabilitation and reentry allowed me to fine-tune my understanding and interest in helping underserved communities and getting them the resources and help they deserve.
The Spanish department allowed me to be able to expand my knowledge of the language. I was able to learn how to speak it properly and to use it in situations based on my work. Many of the classes in the Spanish program allowed me to put both of my majors into the perspective of my future in my career, where I learned how to adapt to professional situations while speaking in Spanish.
In general, what were some of your favorite aspects of the criminology and criminal justice, and Spanish programs? Such as research, classes, professors, etc.
I can thankfully say that I had the best experience in my classes and learned very quickly how approachable professors really were. One of my favorite classes in the criminology and criminal justice program was CRIM 412: Methods of Research with Dr. George. The class allowed me to select a topic of interest and expand my knowledge on it for the entirety of the semester. I was able to stick to something I liked and not have to learn, write, and present about a topic that I had no immediate interest in.
In the Spanish program, I would say that the professors were the absolute best. They are all willing to help you expand on your abilities without making you feel like you are not able to speak or write in Spanish. I always felt like I was being uplifted and helped. Every class is meant to aid in your abilities, whether it be professional, personal, or academic, and also expand your vocabulary.