Choose the Right People

After being under the umbrella for many years, college has allowed me to step from underneath the covering to get wet a little bit. There were many things that I learned from my college experience from prioritizing and time management to the basics of learning how to survive and live on my own. I know every college student have had or will have their own unique experiences, but it is still extremely important to take care of some of the basics in terms of having a successful college experience. One of my most important things that I had to do was to decide the people that I would spend most of my time with.

Oftentimes, our childhood friends were our neighborhood buddies, but what I learned in college was that the people I surrounded myself with were more than just buddies. I realized that in some degree they had to be people that will push me to greatness and vice versa. I had to learn the difference between the Construction Team vs. Demolition Team. Essentially, I needed to be around people that were "builders" and not "destroyers".

I learned that my baseball teammates couldn't just be my default circle of friends. I had to search out and mingle to find a solid group of friends and acquaintances to associate myself with. It was important for me to be a part of organizations like NSBE and ASME. It was extremely beneficial that I befriended people who took their academics seriously, not only because they gave me a solid study group to be a part of, but they also pushed me (if only indirectly) to do better.

But, it is still difficult, and at times unrealistic, to have a squeaky clean circle. However, it is important to be cognizant of the people that you surround yourself by because there is a saying that says "you are the average of the 5 people you hang around the most."

I understand that with your new freedom you may just want to have fun and enjoy the college life a little. Trust me, I had my fair share of fun as well. But, I warn you that the path can spiral downward rapidly if you are not careful and mindful of people who distract you from your main reason for being there.

So, I would like to leave you with this when building your college circle:

• Determine who are "builders" and "destroyers"
• Join groups and organizations with like-minded goals of achievement
• Don't be a afraid of diversity on your circle (you can learn alot)
• Find a good mentor (very helpful and insightful for me)
• Set-up your study group (go for the best of the best in your classes)
• Maintain a good relationship with professors and instructors

First Generation College Attendee

I was a first generation college student when I attended the Loyola Marymount University, and later transferred to the University of Miami-FL (GO Canes!). My mother and father never attended college. My grandparents never attended college, and as far as I know, my great-grandparents didn’t attend college as well. So, following the footsteps of my older brother, and continuing the path for my younger brother, I am honored to wear the badge of being a part of the inaugural generation of my family tree that was able to attend college.

Many of you, like me, face the same situation of being first generation college students and I understand the pressures that come along with it. There are a lot of high expectations placed upon us (and rightfully so) because we have embarked upon a world that has never been discovered by many of our family members. They view us as the pioneers that will forever alter the course of generational paths by writing new chapters of greatness that will be deeply rooted in our family trees.

Going into my first year of college I can honestly say that I didn’t not know what to expect. It is always a new experience when going to a new school, let alone a new chapter in your life. However, I knew that it was an exciting time for me in which there was a lot to be learned and absorbed.

I told myself that the most important thing for me to do was to make sure that I got the most out of this experience and not to waste the opportunity that I was given because so much was riding on it. So many proud eyes were watching me. So many tears of joy were wept, and to the best of my ability, I didn’t want my first generational experience to be a failure. Now, it is not to say that I did not have my hiccups, because college is a learning process and a lot of this process is learning how to balance (which I will talk about in future posts).

During college, I had two major responsibilities – academics and baseball. I chose to pursue my love of space and my dream of becoming an astronaut by majoring in Aerospace Engineering while continuing to pursue my dream of being a major league baseball player. What I quickly learned was that this was not going to be a walk in the park because there were so many other outside influences that were a part of the college experience.

Thirteen years later, after attending two colleges and reaching the pinnacle of my baseball career as a major leaguer, I stand one semester shy from graduating with my degree in Aerospace Engineering. In order to pursue my career in baseball I had to leave school early, but I did return to inch myself closer to graduating.

Being first generation means that you are making history. So in the spirit of “making,” I encourage you to make the most of it.

I am proud to say that both of my brothers graduated from their respective schools (Sacramento State University and Washington State University) and earned their “first generation” college diplomas. I will soon join them.

Much SUCCESS!