What was your major?
Geography
What year did you graduate?
2018
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was introduced to Grossmont College when I was a junior in high school attending Grossmont Middle College High School, located on the Grossmont College campus. In this program, high school students are dually enrolled with Grossmont Union High School District and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District to gain college credits while finishing their high school diploma. This educational experience assisted me in transitioning from teenage life to adulthood by learning new study habits that support succeeding in college and university. Eight years later, I work full-time for the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency as a Senior GIS Analyst. I have experienced the full breadth of the ups and downs of life. With the experience I gained at Grossmont College I am able to fully support myself and surpass my professional goals.
What person, course, or experience most influenced you while at Grossmont College?
I would not be where I am without the following professors: Judd Curran, Mark Goodman, Tim Cliffe, and Gary Jacobson. In 2016, I enrolled in Geography 130 – Human and Cultural Geography with Professor Goodman and that course changed the trajectory of my life. The class exposed me to the interdisciplinary study of geography and taught me how to succeed in such a challenging academic environment.
What are some of your favorite memories?
One day I was walking into the Earth Sciences office to meet a professor for office hours, and Professor Judd Curran stopped me and recommended I apply for an internship position focusing on Geographic Information Systems/Science (GIS) with the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. At that time, I am not sure I believed in myself and my abilities. However, Professor Curran offered to be my reference. I applied for the position in 2017, and I have worked for the County ever since. While that was a huge accomplishment for me, I have so many memories of laughing so hard it hurt with my peers in late-night study groups that will always stick with me. I met so many nice individuals during my time at Grossmont.
What was your journey after Grossmont College? What do you do now?
From Grossmont College, I transferred to San Diego State University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with Emphasis in Environment and Society. While at SDSU, I enrolled with Mesa College to earn a Certificate of Achievement in Geographic Information Systems. I graduated from Mesa in May of 2019 and used my certificate to promote from student worker to full-time employee with the County of San Diego Land Use and Environment Group. From there, I completed my B.A. with SDSU in May of 2020. In April of 2021, I was promoted back to the County Health and Human Services Agency as a Senior GIS Analyst and have worked with them since.
How did Grossmont College prepare you for what you do today?
I would have no idea what to do with my life or what career path to embark on without Grossmont Middle College High School and Grossmont College. I totally empathize with the experience first-time college students have of not knowing what to do with their professional lives. It is really scary transitioning from high school to college or changing career paths. At Grossmont College, I had so much support and encouragement. My professors, in every area of study, went above and beyond to help me succeed and work with my schedule. As a former tutor and teacher’s assistant for Earth Sciences, I spent days building comradery with my peers and supporting their success. In that experience, we as students were able to support each other in setting career goals and meeting those goals.
What are some of your most notable accomplishments?
I have built a very impressive professional resume for myself. In 2020 and 2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked as an emergency responder mapping cases in the County for the Emergency Operations Center. To the present day, I still work in emergency response mapping incidents such as wildfires to power outages. Yet, one of my proudest accomplishments revolves around the security and stability my education and career have provided me. According to a 2018 report by the California Speaker’s Office of Research and Floor Analysis, “an estimated 40% of community college students experience very low or unstable access to food.” I was one of these students, and it is my responsibility to share my story with my peers to bring this conversation to the forefront. My job and my education allow me to live a fulfilling and healthy life.
Is there anything else you’d like to add or anything else about yourself you’d like to share?
I implore students and prospective students to reach out for help, resources exist to make our lives easier. The community college system has abundant resources from mental health counseling, food pantries, tutoring, career fairs, to community building. I am so grateful I attended Grossmont College and was honest about my life experience – the professors cared and guided me to the resources I needed.