In her own words
Alejandra Lopez
Higher education was something my parents pushed me to do and continue to do so. They did not have the opportunity to attend college. I want to achieve a degree that my parents did not have the opportunity to do. I would like to set an example for my younger siblings and future students. Attending college has allowed me to open my eyes to new opportunities for my personal, professional and community-focused goals. I’ve had the opportunities to explore various careers and fell in love with the education field. Attending a community college and being an active member on campus has allowed me to explore my strengths and weaknesses. I have learned what I am capable of, what hobbies I love, and learned about available resources for my personal and professional development. My career goal is to become a kindergarten or first grade bilingual teacher. As I was growing up, my primary language was Spanish. It was hard for me to learn English. I want to become a bilingual teacher because I was in that position once and I want to teach students in both languages. It will show them that language should not stop them from anything. I want to show students the importance of education. Pursuing a higher education has enabled me to learn a wide range of knowledge. I have an understanding of the field I am going into, how students learn and progress, and how I can push them to be successful.