By Lili Ramirez
Staff Writer
Yes, I go to Cal State Dominguez Hills. And yes, it does exist.
As an inbound-transfer student from El Camino College, when it came time for me to apply to universities, quite honestly, CSUDH was not my school of choice.
I grew up in the South Bay, and whenever I told someone I was planning to attend Dominguez Hills, I received what I like to call a “whatever face.’’
You know the look: someone’s trying to be happy for you, but seems somehow disappointed at the same time. The face is usually followed with comments like, “Well, anyone can get in there,” and “That’s my backup school.”
I went into my first semester with a negative attitude. I became “that student,” the one who only came to school for class and left.
I never bothered to talk to my classmates or see what the university had to offer, and it now makes me cringe to think of how I had absolutely no Toro pride.
Approaching my second semester, I began to be more open-minded, thanks to the encouragement of one of my classmates. I began interacting with students and roaming the campus a little more than usual. This led me to create amazing connections, friendships and gain exposure.
Our campus has so much to offer. We have a wide variety of clubs that cater to diverse interests, awesome events and, most importantly, extraordinary professors who have greatly impacted our college experience.
For me, one of those people was Brant Burkey, a professor in the Communications Department. He is the perfect example of someone who wants to make a difference and has, in my life and in the lives of many other students.
Aside from his engaging teaching skills, he has an awesome personality. People like him are what make college experiences so memorable. He genuinely cares for his students and wants everyone to succeed.
Being more involved in my campus community has also positively impacted my life. For example, I am the director of promotions for the Human Resources Management Club. I have volunteered to help students improve their job-interviewing skills, and obviously, I am also actively involved with the student newspaper.
CSUDH wants to see their students succeed. Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to tour one of the biggest Spanish-language television networks in the country, Univision. Not many other universities are offered these kinds of experiences.
My advice to those who are experiencing stigmatization for attending CSUDH would be to become more open to the situation you’re in, and don’t be scared to get involved. This is your university; why not make the best out if it?
Throughout my time here, I have asked students how they came to CSUDH. Some say “out of convenience” or “this is the only school that accepted me.” The truth is, none of us ended up here. We were meant to become Toros, whether or not we realize it.
There is little academic difference among the CSUs, and the few differences are positive. Our university is not ridiculously impacted, and we can actually take the classes we need. We also have myriad of resources waiting for us whenever we need.
I will be graduating in May 2017, and it makes me proud to say that I am no longer the pessimistic student who started here in fall 2014. I have gained a completely different mindset and I am happy to be a Toro.
Once a Toro, always a Toro.
