College Talk

the rest of my life.’ If any students find themselves struggling to make a final decision on what college you wish to attend or if you even want to attend a college at all or getting a head start on college applications or decisions, it’s important to remember to find a career path you want to pursue for the rest of your life and is something you enjoy. If you haven’t applied to any colleges or universities, Hattendorf says, “For those who haven’t even applied to any colleges yet, it is not too late for many schools, you can apply to private schools, Christian schools, and of course community college.” Don’t feel left out if you haven’t applied anywhere at all, Hattendorf said, “Don’t feel like you missed the boat. I encourage you to still do your research, look at what schools and when their admissions and applications deadlines are and get on it.”

As seniors ponder what their college life will be, they have some hopes and some goals entering into college. David Lazo-Rivera (12) hopes to learn new skills that will help him in the future in his real and work life. LazoRivera says, “I’m looking forward to being able to lead in any situation, learn to communicate with anyone and during emergencies, and to teach others skills that they will need in the future.” New experiences and new people coming into your life could be nerve-wracking or exciting for different individuals. While many of our seniors are excited to meet new people, study in the subject they are passionate about, or excited just to be attending a college or university of their first choice, the memories of highschool and of their old friends will forever hold a special place in all of our seniors hearts.

Even the Alumni of Loma Linda Academy treasure their memories of highschool. Kailey Gianni (‘19) is attending Laguna College of Art and Design and is in her second year majoring in animations with hopes to work for big corporations such as dreamworks. Gianni says, “College might throw you in for a loop, so prepare for that! It’ll get a little tough but it’s fun!” Kailey decided her major after finding her passion for the arts in high school.

There are also other individuals such as Angelo Alverico (‘20). Alverico is currently in his first year at Crafton Hills College and majoring in Kinesiology in hopes of becoming a physical therapist. Alverico says, “So far, college is really interesting, to say the least. It’s just like high school but with more work and stress.”

Aaron Mitchell (‘20) is attending Riverside Community College and is hoping to become a zoologist in his near future. Mitchell gives advice to incoming college freshmans, “Take it seriously, stay determined and focused but at the same time balance it out.” As many seniors, including Wagner, are preparing to move on to the next chapter of their life, they provide advice to those who are still wondering what they should do for college, career, and their future. Wagner’s advice to the underclassmen is, “Check with a counselor and make sure they have taken all the required classes for the colleges they want to apply to, check for scholarships at any school they are remotely interested in, and to do campus tours if they are able to!” Smardzija says, “Spend serious amounts of time dedicating yourself to learning everything you can about the schools you’re applying to, because your level of interest in the school will be reflected in your essays. Spend as much time as you can refining your essays and making sure they paint a good picture of your life and tell a story that’s interesting to read.” LazoRivera says, “Make sure that u think about what u want to be and if you’re sure that’s what u wanna do your whole life, and find a college that u are gonna be ok with and that you are familiar with.”

As the class of 2021 concludes their highschool journey in just a few short weeks, we prepare to say our goodbye as we see the senior class leave for college. Many seniors prepare for the next chapter of their lives, transitioning from child to adulthood. Taking the next steps to what will be the future of all our seniors. Enjoy the last few weeks until it’s time to say goodbye to what we knew for so long and though the seniors didn’t have a typical senior year; memories have been made. Make the most of senior year and get excited for college.

“College might throw you in for a loop, so prepare for that! It’ll get a little tough but it’s fun!” - Kailey Gainni “I’m looking forward to being able to lead in any situation.” - David Lazo-Rivera

June Birthdays

Natalia Drachenberg 2 Eric Liao 3 Nathan Ro 3 Amelia Souw 3 Sibonginkosi Ncube 4 Abigail Andrews 8 Jarron Mangunsong 8 Charles Amoateng 10 Alexander Tello 10 Emma Paden 10 Keoni Pang 10 Iman Haq 11 Nikki Bravo 13 Kaleb Gomez 13 Clarissa Tching 16 Zane Rice 19 Kira DeLeon 20 Diti Shah 21