I grew up in Sebastopol, California, about 15 miles from the Sonoma State campus. I attended Analy High School for all four years, and graduated in June of 2019 with bi-literacy status in English and Spanish. I knew that I was going to attend either Santa Rosa Junior College or Sonoma State University because I wasn't ready to leave Sonoma County at that point. My entire life is here in Sonoma - my family, my friends, the places I played as a child, the streets in which I learned to drive, and a community that I cherish. But now that four more years have passed, I am ready to say farewell to Sonoma and go wherever the universe needs me to be.

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I decided on Sonoma State after a woman at my high school's college and career night informed me about the Hutchins program. I had always dreamed of being a teacher, and the accelerated Hutchins track sounded very practical. But my undergraduate journey has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. I originally came to Sonoma State as a Hutchins track 3 student, prepared to work extra hard to obtain both my degree and credential in four years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with my life more than I expected it to. I switched to track 2 in the spring of my second year, and it ended up being the best decision for my mental health and academic success. I declared a minor in Spanish to continue my journey toward full fluency, but this also fell through after just one semester. Ultimately, I chose an area of concentration in Visual and Performing Arts to fulfill my track 2 status. This wouldn't have been my first choice, but I am now very grateful for the education that I have received in various fields of music and art. And though I was bummed about leaving track 3, I am lucky to now have the adequate preparation to apply to a credential program when I'm ready. Lastly, I know that my loved ones are proud of me for all that I have accomplished. I am the first one in my family to graduate with a BA from a four year university, and my three younger siblings are looking at that as an example. But even if nobody else was proud of me, I am proud of me :)