Describe your personal, educational, and professional experiences and how they informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree.
Growing up I was never really expected to go to college or talked to about college. My grandma moved here with my mom from Mexico and my mom got her GED after having me so neither knew anything about the process. I only really applied because I was in AVID in high school and figured it was the next step. I decided to go to CSUF and moved out at age 17. During my time there I worked part time, interned on campus, had a leadership role, and volunteered at a local community center. After graduating I started a job at a nonprofit that I absolutely loved and motivated me to do more for my community. I ended up taking a longer break than I thought before applying to grad school. When I finally did, I did not get accepted and was devastated. Tried again and decided to pursue my Masters in Social Work at CSULB. Two years of commuting to school, work, internship, & a leadership role I have finally finished. I graduated officially on 5/21/2020 and am set to start my career in June.
What challenges did you encounter along your educational trajectory? How did you overcome those challenges?
There were many challenges including deciding on my major, building connections, and balancing roles. Halfway through my undergraduate journey I switched from being a kinesiology major to sociology. For this I just really did my research beginning with the core classes for kinesiology which were a lot of math and science. I didn’t do well in anatomy so that was my sign that it wasn’t for me. So I did my research on other majors including classes and future jobs which led me to sociology because it was topics and positions that intrigued me. Building connections was hard the first two years. School, working, and trying to maintain a relationship had me feeling disconnected. So I joined an organization on campus called Hermanas Unidas. I made lifelong friends and mentors there and also gained leadership skills. Balancing roles and staying organized was overwhelming. What helped me was using my planner and google calendar to plan everything out.
What advice do you have for individuals who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree?
It is never too late and YOU DO BELONG there. Imposter syndrome is real but you are there for a reason so what makes you happy. It’s going to be hard but think of all of the possibilities. For my first internship I received a name plate as a gift that said “Vivian Gonzalez, MSW”. This gave me motivation to make that come true everyday. I also got a tattoo that says poderosa to remind me that I can do anything. I encourage everyone to find something to keep you going.
What did you enjoy most about your graduate/professional program?
The friends I made! I would not have been able to do it without their support. Whether you’re commuting or it’s all business to you at school take the time to make friends! You won’t regret it.
Vivian is a proud Latina & first-generation student. She lives in the Inland Empire and recently started her career as a social worker with the county.
