Hello friends,

~HAPPY ARIES SEASO! AS THE FIRST SIGN IN THE ZODIAC, HERE IS TO NEW BEGINNINGS~

Today is my birthday :)! I am so grateful to be celebrating another full year around the sun. I am thankful the universe has granted me health, community, and what seems like endless prospects. I am extremely privileged to be where I am in life. I know this moment–being a grad student at Stan State–will, in no time, seem like such a long time ago. That is nerve wrecking, and another reason I take in everything around me with nothing but optimism and appreciation.

I’ve never been big on birthdays, at least not my own. I’m sure many of us can attest to feeling guilty for putting ourselves in even the slightest of spotlights and instead choose to make space for others instead of taking any up for ourselves. While it is great to be humble, I am recognizing there is difference between being humble and being self-less. It’s 2020 and with everything happening around the state and country, we should be celebrating ourselves more than ever!

This birthday, I am celebrating embracing my capabilities and interests in entering academia. As a first generation student, I am one of the “lucky ones” and feel it is my duty to enter academic spaces with nothing but confidence in order to help others do the same later. Besides, it would be very un-Aries of me to do otherwise! As an Aries, I am ruled by Mars, whose astrological symbolism represents competitive, warrior-like energy.

Only a few months ago I visited my friends at my undergrad institution (who are still undergrads) and was told I am one of the ones who’s “made it,” which was something I had yet to be told so bluntly. Since then, I refuse to deny it. I am making it through a system that can be difficult to navigate when you’re the first in your immediate and extended family to enter. I am making it through a system that doesn’t always offer a short-cut but instead what seems like numerous obstacles. I am making it through a system that truly tests me and my ability to deal with bureaucratic guidelines. Amidst all of these barriers and limitations, am making it, and for all these reasons and more, I celebrate myself and any/all first generation students navigating the education pipeline.

This year I am celebrating myself during a time of immense political and economic uncertainty. These are difficult times for us all but I know that a year from now I will be be celebrating having made it through them in every way possible. I will be celebrating my growth then. I will also be celebrating my growth to come, as I am doing now.

Happy birthday to me! I may still not be permitted to rent a car without extra fees, but I am still celebrating myself and all the other Aries of the globe. Us fire signs may not be having the BEST fire season this year, but we’re still the fun sign (if I do say so myself).

Hello friends,

We’re living in very uncertain times (to say the least) and I hope everyone is doing well. I’ve forgotten how long a day is when it isn’t consumed by things like getting to class, internship commitments, or job duties. Now that California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all Californians to stay home for 30 days, I’ve been busy searching for new hobbies and getting back to old ones.

This 30 day shelter in place order is an opportunity to ground myself and my future objectives. I am taking this time to focus on myself and I truly mean that. On Twitter and other online mediums, people throw that phrase out there and don’t really explain it. I interpret “focusing on myself” as a chance to critique myself constructively, and develop plans to grow from them. I am assessing myself and my current progress, looking for points of improvement, and *aiming* to surpass them. This isn’t easy, though. As the author of my own life, it’s incredibly effortless to view myself and my actions/decisions in the best of lights. I am trying to look beyond that and thankfully have a lot of genuine people around me to do that. My friends and I all want to see ourselves strive and thrive. We want to know that we are really being the best that we can be, and in the name of friendship, offer one another critiques to develop. I’m so grateful for this. In undergrad I didn’t really have this. Everyone was kind of just “doing their own thing,” trying to decide on ways to answer the big question of “What’s Next?” Now that I’m in grad school, my time spent with others feel much more sustainable and organic.

Some of my biggest critiques and assessments include gaging PhD programs and the route(s) to get to them. I know that I want to attend a research intensive (R1) university, and I’m trying to layout the map to get there. I am doing more program-related research, looking at PhD application processes, and keeping my mind open to any/all possibilities. I’ve also taken it upon myself to ask professors directly for research opportunities.

In undergrad, I studied abroad at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. In many ways, UNAM is the largest most prestigious public university in all of Mexico. Most of my masters thesis will be centered on Mexico City culture–my favorite city–so it is a given that I aspire to do research at UNAM or any institution within Mexico City. I have reached out to faculty from universities here in California to help connect me with faculty or staff at UNAM to make my current research objectives come to fruition. I will be continuing making connections and simply introducing myself and my intentions during this pandemic. This, hopefully, will help make the process of conducting research at UNAM or in Mexico City much simpler later.

Below is a photo of me at UNAM :)!

I can definitely say that socially distancing is going as fine. My professors are very supportive through this (all classes have transitioned to online instruction). Students in the MSW program, myself included, are constantly hearing from them via email. They always remind us that these uncertain times can call for different measures in terms of tackling coursework and they’re be available to guide us through that process. I’m so thankful for this because I cannot imagine continuing classes online without their assurance.

I know I’m handling this social distancing well because of the multiple communities around me. That includes my family, friend circles, and academic support systems. I am blessed and fortunate. These uncertain times are not ideal but they’re necessary, so I’m okay.

Hello friends,

I hope everyone has had an eventful yet positive week. I know my week was very fluid in comparison with the previous weeks in the semester, but it ended up going pretty well. A lot of my time now will be consumed with working on getting published (in a peer-reviewed article) and I am so happy to share that that goal is becoming more of a reality each day.

What this means is that the research I am participating in now (as well as later in my grad student career) will eventually be vetted by academics from specific journals and if the work I am participating in moves passed the submission phase and is approved, will become published! This is so big!

As an aspiring PhD student, I need and want to have my name out there in as many journals as I can. Becoming published also means that I am able to present my work at conferences across the state and beyond. A published article will also be extremely validating. It would be a much needed reminder that my work is worthy and on the right path (whatever that may be).

I am currently working as a research assistant with some of the best professors I’ve had to date, and some of the projects we’re working on as a team may very well become published by the end the year (hopefully), and because I am a co-researcher, I will also be a co-author!

I really can’t believe that I have been given this opportunity at Stan State, but I need to because it is happening!

Aside from that project, I have also submitted the first part of what will become my masters thesis and was given some very inspiring words from my professor. My professor told me that the project I plan on investing the next few months on will be very sophisticated, in-depth, and worthy of submission in a journal article! I definitely will share more on that with time, but for now, I am glad to know that my professor sees potential in my work.

I am so thankful that Stan State has given me these opportunities. Even if they don’t happen immediately and will probably be very time consuming, I’m ecstatic to know that I at least have the option to try. Had I decided to enroll at some bigger school and program, I don’t think I’d be able to do half the things I am doing now. I would simply be another fish in the pond. Here at Stan State, I don’t feel limited or restrained to pursue these academic interests. I’m grateful that the MSW program I am in is also not one that is strictly career or practice oriented. It is led by academics who value, appreciate, and embrace research.

With everything that is going on right now across the state, this week, one full of affirmations, has reminded to never look down on where we are today because it is the platform we will use to elevate ourselves tomorrow. The time and energy invested in getting to point B will all be worthwhile no matter how difficult it may be at the moment. It’s all a process and I’m thankfully experiencing it with a great network and support system at Stan State.

Hi friends,

The semester is getting so real every week with deadlines, midterms, projects, and so on. It can be stressful but moments like these always serve as a huge reminder of my purpose in grad school.

As a first-gen student, another reason I am passionate about pursuing a PhD is to give back to my community, to take up space in a university, and hopefully inspire others to enter academia. University (first-gen) students always talk about the importance of representation in the university, and I’m thankful the MSW program I’m in is representative of addressing that need.

Even though it can be stressful, grounding my grad school experience  in purpose keeps me motivated and going. Purpose is everything (I think). ^_^

Hello everyone! 🙂

I hope Pisces season is going well for everyone (still). This weekend I submitted my application to the California Pre-Doctoral Program! I have spent months working on my application. I was exhausted and after having my professors give me a generous amount of feedback, I felt ready to submit. Who knows what will happen, but I am proud of myself for applying! I will keep everyone updated :)!

I am getting back home from a long weekend in Los Angeles (LA). I took advantage of being done with midterms to visit my friends from undergrad.  I have not been to LA in a while and every time I am there, I am reminded of how much I appreciate the smaller city of Turlock. I am glad I ended February in LA and came back home to a new month in Turlock.

LA was a lot of fun. I am a fan of the beach, the sun, and the big city vibe, and in general, a change in environment and geography every once in a while. But after a few days away from home, I was ready to come back to the calm, yet lively city of Turlock. Something about Turlock’s size is just so comfortable for me. I feel as though here I can grow and not feel so pressured or rushed. In LA I felt like I had to keep going or else I would get lost in the traffic. It was fun at first but I am so glad that is not my day to day experience.

Turlock is surrounded by smaller towns and this makes Turlock a popular hub for shopping and spending time with others. The city of Turlock may not be LA big, but it has so much to offer. I am also learning more of the city as the school year goes on. Additionally, this week the Congressman who represents Turlock in the capitol will at Stan State! I’m excited to meet him and hear what he has to say to the community.

While I was in LA having a fun time, I recognized that I missed the local, iconic locations in Turlock. Some of my favorite places to eat and hangout with friends are in Turlock and the surrounding areas.  Some of those favorite things to do in Turlock include getting my brows threaded at Eyebrows Masters, watching movies at the Regal theater, and spending an evening at Angelini’s Italian Restaurant in downtown with friends.

I hope this week goes pretty well for all of us! It’s a new month and I’m super excited for what’s to come. Similarly to “new year, new me,” I like to view new months as fresh starts and opportunities to pick up where I left off or start something anew altogether.

Here’s to a new month and new prosepcts! :]