Right after graduating, I started working in venture capital, with impact funds that invest in underrepresented founders. The environment at Cal Lutheran gave me the confidence to pursue my interests in venture capital, with a particular focus on supporting the Latino community.The strong presence of the Hispanic community at Cal Lutheran reinforced my desire to make an impact by deploying capital into Latino-owned businesses.
Cal Lutheran has a very distinct and developed criminal justice department that offers a variety of networking opportunities through clubs and required internships. The major also implements a structured curriculum that pushes and encourages students to be the very best they can be. The psychology department is built to provide you with foundational knowledge as well as routes to take based on your interests, some of them being biopsychology, child and family development, and law and criminal behavior.
The criminology & criminal justice program at Cal Lutheran incorporates an internship as part of graduation requirements, which pushes students to gain work experience and helps them stand out from the rest upon graduating. The political science program also has interesting travel seminars and experiential learning opportunities like Model United Nations and Urban Politics in Washington D.C.
I love business administration because there are so many routes you can take. I was able to learn so much about various aspects of business while still focusing on the marketing side of things. I’ve learned through this department that it is very important to understand all aspects of business, even if your emphasis is on something else. I believe this has made me a more well-rounded individual.
The film and television program is very hands-on, and the equipment and spaces are up to date, which helps students get comfortable with the equipment quickly. The faculty’s connections to production studios and sports and news companies help provide many internship and job opportunities for students. The Theatre Arts curriculum encourages students to get involved in both sides of the theatre (tech or performing), really expanding their knowledge and allowing for growth and discovery of new passions. I have been passionate about theatre and performing for the majority of my life, but the theatre department at Cal Lutheran has confirmed those passions.
In both physics and computer science, I particularly enjoyed delving into research projects that allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. Overall, the combination of hands-on research opportunities, engaging classes, and supportive faculty made my experience at Cal Lutheran truly rewarding and memorable.
Connecting my love of being in tune with myself, as well as understanding how to share love with others, I realized helping people through their sensuality struggles, emotionally, mentally, and physically is my calling in life.
Growing up in the disadvantaged and marginalized community of Nyeland Acres in Ventura County, I never saw women, let alone women of color, represented in the legal field. The lack of representation in my community left a profound impact on me and made me aware of the systemic barriers and biases that hinder minorities from pursuing their dreams. With a deep commitment to social justice and a desire to utilize the law as a tool for positive change, political science provides me with the necessary tools and perspectives to pursue a career dedicated to advancing justice and equality.
I have always been passionate about approaching English with a social justice lens. In high school, I was fascinated with learning about untold stories of minorities while I invested myself in literature that connected with my experiences as a first-generation Latina woman. I found novels like I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez and so many others that pushed me toward majors such as English and Ethnic Studies.
My research experience (as a Pearson Scholar for Leadership and Engagement in Global Society under the guidance of Dr. Fiore Urízar) and my Spanish classes gave me skills to guide my career. My study intersected Literature, Art, and Sociology and has led me to excel in graduate school, publish academic articles, and work in art museums.
Through extracurriculars like Model UN, I gained public speaking experience, and the interdisciplinary nature of the global studies major allowed me to explore multiple areas of study that helped make me a well-rounded candidate for master’s programs and the job market.
I had to create a portfolio throughout the program that highlighted my work and defended my work to my professors at the end. It made me feel accomplished and like I chose the right path for my future.
The blend of communication and business courses centered around marketing communication and business administration allows you to strategically immerse yourself in each field. The leadership, management and technical skills I have also learned within both of my majors have prepared me for wherever I choose to go in the future.
Studying philosophy not only laid the foundation for my critical thinking skills, but it has also allowed me to think about the law in a broader way. Even more practically, studying philosophy was extremely useful in preparing for the LSAT and succeeding in rule-based reasoning that is inherent in legal practice.Through the political science department I was able to participate in the Lutheran College Washington Semester in D.C. and the Oxford program (virtually) as well as work in various internships like with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Public Defender. All the professors in the department helped me identify my passions and pursue my goals by encouraging me to do things that I never thought I could do.
I believe biology is a universal degree that covers pretty much everything, there are so many career paths to explore such as pharmaceuticals or zoology. The thing that intrigued me about the environmental science major was the types of labs that were offered under it. Many of them involve field work, like the water resources lab. And this summer, I participated in directed research with Dr. Megan Fung. Through that I gained laboratory skills as a first-year and an amazing opportunity to begin my journey toward my dream career.
I feel both of my degrees have interesting courses as well as real-life applications for continuing my educational journey towards an MD, PhD, or both.
I chose environmental science because it is an interdisciplinary major where there are a plethora of skills you can learn. I wanted to study something highly applicable across many fields in STEM and humanities so I would get the best of both worlds. I love how I can decide if I want to study present issues like climate change or study past climates through research.
I found that the combination of my majors was helpful in my success during my internship. I would say that most of what I use in my current job derives from what I was able to learn and be a part of in both the criminal justice department and the Spanish department.
I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was little, and interested in politics for just as long. The political science department has kept my peers and me engaged with certain topics and guided us with helpful advice and support. Through both faculty and student-led productions, informative field trips, and a wide range of classes, I’ve also gotten a well-rounded education in Theatre Arts, as well as an incredible environment.
I chose my majors (Political Science and Psychology) because I have always wanted to make a difference in the world by being aware of the political systems in place and what is going on in people’s minds. My majors intrigue and challenge me to pursue a career where I can positively impact the world and the people around me.
I love both physics and music production passionately, and I wanted a challenge that reflects my capabilities. My double major expresses my ideas about developing intelligence along with talent and a bit of charisma. I love to do what is unexpected, maybe even irregular, and surprise people with capabilities they didn’t know I had.
I love that I am able to have one major that is specifically focused on one area of study, but that I am also in the position to incorporate an interdisciplinary major such as Global Studies into my academic experience at Cal Lutheran. I believe this will broaden both my appeal to potential employers, as well as my overall world-view.