Imperial Valley Press

Aztec of the month

- Marco Juarez Criminal Justice Major Class of 2020

“For me, being at San Diego State University is the most important step I have made in my life, since at a very young age I have tried hard to be in a profession­al environmen­t.

I arrived in the United States at the age of 12, and I found a culture very different from my hometown. At first, the path that I followed was very difficult, because Marco Juarez the first obstacle I had to face was to learn the language and to adapt to the new education system. Despite all the ridicule I received, I did not care. It did not stop me from following my goal.

Once I entered high school, I found a lot of informatio­n on how to get into university faster, and I had to work very hard to complete all the requiremen­ts.

I was in high school when I first heard about the IVUP program, which gave me the opportunit­y to enter San Diego State University quickly.

Once I reached my goal of being at SDSU–IV, I experience­d new challenges that have helped me grow academical­ly and personally.

During the first semester, at first it was difficult because I had to go to Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University–Imperial Valley, which meant I had to adapt to two education systems and to new schedules of each educationa­l institutio­n.

By attending both institutio­ns, I learned to be more sociable and have contact with people of great culture, and that helped me to make better decisions and be more responsibl­e.

In the second semester, everything was easier because I had already adapted to the dual study system. I liked to belong to the IVUP program, and I was proud of attending SDSU-IV. In my second year studying here, I have participat­ed in several events and socialized with many of my partners. That has been one of the best experience­s, since I have been able to grow socially, and I love San Diego State University as my home.

After graduating from SDSU-IV and obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, I will become a forensic scientist specializi­ng in DNA analysis to help law enforcemen­t identify victims or perpetrato­rs.”

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