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 chose to major in psychology because I am fascinated by how the brain processes information and how it rebounds from injury and disease. Exploring multiple topics within psychology through my classes and working with professors on research teams has allowed me to discover my passion for clinical psychology. My dad graduated from Cal Lutheran in 1989 with a German minor; my whole life he spoke highly of the program with Dr. Walter Stewart. My minor has been helpful, especially when studying the history of psychology and the founding German psychologists. I am currently working as a German department assistant and am excited to help tutor students as they learn the language.
Psychology offers a very broad educational experience where you can find many specific avenues of interest. Taking Adult Development and Aging (PSYC 305) helped me narrow down my future career. I chose a religion minor because I love how religion can be applied to numerous settings and how it can open doors for people to meet and learn from one another. Religion can be interpreted in many different ways and therefore offer much to us in everyday and scholarly discussions.
I would recommend biochemistry for any student that wants to understand more about the basic building blocks of life. Learning some of the concepts at first can be frustrating, but it is really rewarding to be able to apply them in a lab setting outside of lectures. I am also an applied scientific computing minor and am learning science communication skills that can be applied to many career paths, such as medicine, science journalism and quality control. This will allow me to have more options for career paths after I graduate and aid me in my further studies as a biochemistry major.
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 have always loved numbers and hands-on work, so a chemistry major allowed me to explore my passion for analytical chemistry. While at Cal Lutheran, I have the best of both worlds: tons of hands-on experience with direct and personal guidance and collaborative quantitative work. As I immersed myself in the science buildings on campus, I realized that I have access to a wide range of instruments, a variety of research topics to explore and extremely supportive professors.
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 think a psychology degree can get you very far in life because there are a lot of different routes you can go down with it. Making connections and talking to people has been the biggest help with identifying my path! My future plans are to pursue my graduate degree in licensed social work (LCSW) and begin practicing in a clinical aspect.
As a Latina in STEM, I would like to have an impact on improving human health and combating diseases, and believe the knowledge and skills I am receiving at Cal Lutheran will definitely nurture that goal of mine. I wholeheartedly recommend biochemistry and molecular biology to future students at Cal Lutheran.
I recommend the psychology major because what you learn becomes applicable to your own life, and you get to earn a college degree while learning more about human nature and how to work better with people.
The biology major has helped to solidify my interest in a medical career by providing academic exploration, exposure to healthcare-related experiences, mentorship, peer interactions, research opportunities, and pre-medical resources and support. By majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and public health, I can fulfill the pre-medical or pre-health requirements necessary for admission to professional schools and succeed in these programs.
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.
Majoring in biology, there are endless routes that you can go with it, and it made me feel more at ease not being boxed into a certain career based on my major. I also knew that majoring in biology at a smaller school could optimize my opportunities to build my resume and become a more competitive applicant for graduate school.
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.
My research was focused on identifying mutations in common canine cancers and examining how they relate to human cancers.
Working this summer with Dr. Kingsbury was eye-opening to say the least. Every day was an adventure in learning all the advanced techniques that professional chemists use to expertly manipulate materials.
I fell in love with street art while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Working with Dr. Fiore, I decided to focus on Latinas making street art, and graffiti and muralism in Los Angeles.
The faculty at Cal Lutheran really take an interest in students’ performances and their interest in their fields. They were always open to talk to me about any questions I have about the academics, graduate schools, and possible jobs I could apply to.
The Swenson Science Summer Fellowship helped me to learn more about what to expect out of the trial and error process and how to encounter the unexpected in a lab setting.
The research I conducted this year was in the area of neutrino physics, in association with the MicroBooNE collaboration at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
The Swenson Summer Research Fellowship has provided me with the opportunity to not only expand my organic chemistry knowledge, but to also delve into the world of scientific discovery and grow as a student, researcher, and a person.