Senior Interviews, Part 2

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Erin Sullivan: Trinity College
Michelle Yu: University of California, Los Angeles
Joseph Hala’ufia: Boston University
Kirsty McBurnie: Cal Poly Pomona
Caroline Breaux: Academy of Art University

Erin Sullivan: Trinity College

Why did you choose this college/university?
I chose to attend Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut because going to school back east was something I always wanted, it has a strong liberal arts program with rich tradition, and offers what I think will be the full college experience.

What will you be studying?
As of now I am undecided on a major because I am focused on becoming a well-rounded person and having a liberal arts education so I can find out what field I would like to study.

How has Aragon influenced your desire to study this? (Didn’t really have an influence) Or what exactly influenced you to study this? Did you always know you wanted to do this?
My parents encouraged me to study liberal arts because they have always told me to go to college for an education and not a career.

What are you most looking forward to at college?
I am looking forward immersing myself in change and gaining a different perspective that will foster learning and growth.

What does your course schedule look like?
I am taking a wide range of courses that are required of freshman to have us learn to write, discuss, and think critically.

How did you narrow down your college search?
It took many hours of conversations and research to narrow down the colleges that I wanted to consider. I talked to a private college counselor, my parents, and past teachers to help me find schools that were a good fit.

How do you think you’ve changed since you began high school?

In the beginning of high school I was reluctant to ask for help in classes I was struggling in, but now I have learned the importance of being my own advocate and getting the support I need to be successful.

Can you describe your most memorable experience at Aragon?
My most memorable experience at Aragon was the opportunity to attend Sojourn to the Past because it gave me life lessons that could not be taught in the classroom.

What will you miss most about Aragon?
I will undoubtedly miss my friends the most. They are people I have been close with for the last several years and leaving is going to be difficult.

How will you keep in touch with friends/family?
I will most likely be texting friends everyday, planning visits for every holiday, and using Skype as much as possible to keep in touch with friends and family.

What lessons from AHS will you take with you?
The most valuable lesson I will take with me from Aragon is the importance of learning both inside and outside of the classroom, and how being a student is not only with a book but also with an open mind.

How are you feeling about going off to college?
Going off to college seems somewhat scary, but I have been preparing for this practically my whole life, so it is something I am very much looking forward to!

What are your plans for the future?
I am not making any plans for the future yet because I usually just take one day at a time.

Any advice for incoming seniors?
To all the incoming seniors I would say to not freak out about taking AP classes to look good on an application—take classes you’re interested in and enjoy your senior year. I would also say to not limit your college search to just California because there are so many outstanding colleges out of state that are worth looking at.

Michelle Yu: University of California, Los Angeles

What were the factors that made you pick UCLA?
The location and spirit of the school were some of the primary factors in selecting UCLA because I wanted to be in a lively and academically stimulating environment, which are definitely some large aspects of living in LA. Financial aid was also another large factor in choosing UCLA because I wanted to know that once I graduated, I wouldn’t be burdened by excessive student loans.

What other colleges were you considering before deciding on UCLA?
Before choosing UCLA, I had a really hard time choosing where I wanted to go. I was really considering going to either UC Berkeley, Boston University, or NYU. But when it came down to it, UC Berkeley was too close to home and Boston University/ NYU were too far away from home.

What field/major do you want to go into in the future?
I’m not sure of what exactly I want to major in, but I’m definitely leaning towards the social and health sciences field.

What do you plan on doing after college?
I’m not too sure of these plans as well, but I plan on hopefully attending graduate school for public health and obtaining a MPH.

What kind of new things do you want to explore once you’re at UCLA?
I definitely want to take advantage of the vast amount of resources and activities at UCLA. College is definitely a time of exploration so I want to get involved in as many activities as I can, whether that be through research, volunteering, or joining clubs.

How has Aragon helped you in the college application process?
With all the college informational sessions and college visits, it was hard for Aragon not to get involved! The staff and faculty at Aragon were always very supportive and ready to assist me with any problems I had.

What do you look forward to the most in college?
I’m most excited about gaining some independence and meeting new people in a new environment. I’m also really eager to find and get involved in cool opportunities/activities that I’m passionate about.

What will you remember the most about Aragon?
Definitely all the friendships and bonds that I’ve formed over my four years here at Aragon. It’ll be really hard to leave everybody once graduation rolls around!

Do you have any advice for the underclassmen at Aragon?
Take advantage of the multitude of resources around you and participate in activities that you enjoy, not because you feel obligated to.

Is there anything else you want to mention?
Go Bruins!

Joseph Hala’ufia: Boston University

Why did you choose this college/university?
I picked Boston University because I really like the campus, and out of all of the colleges I was accepted to, it seemed like the one that would be most helpful in connecting me to future occupations after [I graduated from] college.

What will you be studying?
Most likely education or history; one of the two preferably. But I might dabble in business too.

How has Aragon influenced your desire to study this?
Aragon’s really prepared me well since all of the classes have been relatively difficult and pushed me to do the best I can. Also, Boston is a great fit for me because coming out of Aragon, [I’m used to] a mix of cultures and at Boston it’s very similar. And then just meeting teachers here like Mr. Colglazier and Ms. Hu who have been really effective teachers in what they do has pushed me towards [education].

Other than Aragon, what exactly influenced you to study this? Did you always know you wanted to do this?
Through my whole education career, I’ve really enjoyed assisting others—most of the volunteer work I’ve done has been at Sunday school or being a cabin leader at outdoor education.

What are you most looking forward to at college?
Probably the whole culture change; going to the east coast is definitely huge. I’m probably going to have culture shock for the first couple of months. And then living independently—you’re kind of sampling it before you have to do it yourself.

What does your course schedule look like?
I haven’t really thought about it yet but most likely just a lot of general education classes for the first couple semesters.

How did you narrow down your college search?
Basically, I visited a few colleges and after that I just looked at what was the most financially [fitting], and also able to help me after college.

How do you think you’ve changed since you began high school?
I’ve definitely gotten a lot more relaxed when it comes to big projects and things like that. Rather than being so tense over things, I’ve learned to just take a breath. I’ve also become more social, just coming out of my shell and being able to talk to people and be more outgoing.

Can you describe your most memorable experience at Aragon?
This last year has been full of a lot of moments, but I’d probably have to go back to sophomore year when our basketball team made CCS and that was just a really fun time for me.

What will you miss most about Aragon?
Definitely the people at Aragon; everyone’s pretty much friendly knows each other and everybody just gets along.

How will you keep in touch with friends/family?
Facebook is definitely helpful but also whenever I come back just reconnecting with people because face to face contact is definitely the best way to go.

What lessons from AHS will you take with you?
Mainly just to keep working at it and when you get knocked down, [knowing that] you’re always able to come back. For example, you may face a setback early in the semester with a bad grade or something, but you’re always able to make a comeback and people are always willing to help you.

How are you feeling about going off to college?
Really excited. But also nervous because I’m going to miss everyone back here.

What are your plans for the future?
I haven’t really thought about that yet. All I know is that I’m definitely going to be coaching somewhere, especially for basketball and volleyball. That’s the closest I’ve come to planning my future so far.

Any advice for incoming seniors?
Do your college applications early. Try to do a lot of research on colleges during the summer. I know you want to relax and all of that, but it’s probably better to get through all of that stress during the summer when you can relax at the same time and take days off whenever you feel like it, because when you get back to school, the first semester is not as easy as everyone says it is.

Kirsty McBurnie: Cal Poly Pomona

Why did you decide on going to Cal Poly?
The main reason I want to go to Cal Poly is because it’s one of the only good schools on the west coast with fashion merchandising. And I always wanted to go to SoCal.

What do you plan on studying?
I’m doing fashion merchandising because I didn’t want to do a typical academic class. I love fashion, and I can’t make or design, so I want to do something more on the selling side of it.

Of what does fashion merchandising consist?
For merchandising, you have to take sewing classes; there is a class of production and one where you have to work to sell to school.

Do you have any plans to do something extra-curricular?
For extra-curriculars, I’m planning to continue singing in an a cappella group, but I’m going to take it easy. I’m also considering joining a sorority.

How did you decide on attending Cal Poly?
Ms. Trish was a huge help in making a decision because I was stuck between San Diego and Cal Poly. Cal Poly just fits better and it has for to offer me.

Caroline Breaux: Academy of Art University

Can you tell us about the Academy of Art?
The school is very art-centered. There are departments for many things. I’m focusing on game-design. I’m interested in creating games. In game design, one can do the animation, do texts, others do models and characters—I’m interested in doing models.

When/how did you realize that you wanted to go to the Academy?
[I realized I was interested in the Academy of Art because] I like the [gaming] program MAYA. Also, in the beginning of this year, I started taking Saturday classes at the Academy of Art, and I had a lot of fun.

What is appealing about the Academy?
I’ve always wanted to go to art school, and the school is close-by in San Francisco; it’s convenient. And my mother heard good reviews about the school.

What do you plan on doing after school?
I’m interested in any gaming like Wizard, Sega, Nintendo, and Riot. I like seeing smaller companies grow.

Do you know what the social scene is like?
I’m staying at a dorm over there. I’m not sure about the social scene, but I’m finding out.