An Interview with ATS Alumna Christina Arredondo

Christina graduated from Windsor High and ATS in 2012.  After completing her Bachelor's degree at San Jose State in 2016, she now is enrolled in a Masters in Counseling program at CSU East Bay. She shares some insights from her experience here.

1.      Why did you select San Jose State for undergraduate studies?

I originally wanted to attend UC Irvine for my undergrad, but I unfortunately did not get accepted. I was stuck between choosing either UC Santa Cruz or San Jose State University, but I ultimately ended up selecting SJSU because at the time I was interested in pursuing a forensic science degree and SJSU was the only CSU that I knew of that offered a forensic science program.

2.      How has your college experience contributed to your career interests?

During my freshman year at SJSU, I switched majors from forensic science to psychology. I loved everything about psychology and learned about the various job opportunities in this field. Being in the psychology program, I became involved with the Psi Chi Honor Society, where they exposed us to professionals in the psychology field. I also became a volunteer rape crisis counselor for the YWCA in downtown San Jose. It was this experience that sparked my interest in pursuing a career in counseling.

3.      How did you choose your grad school program?

When I was a sophomore at SJSU, I took my first upper division course on abnormal psychology, where I met a professor who encouraged me to look into the Master’s in Counseling program at CSU East Bay. The more I explored what this program had to offer, the more I became excited to apply. Fast forward two years later, I received my acceptance offer into CSU East Bay, where I am currently attending my first year of grad school.

4.      When did you know you wanted to go onto grad school?

During my last two years at SJSU, I researched numerous graduate programs, and I decided to apply to grad school right away rather than taking a gap year from school. I knew that I wanted to be a high school counselor or a college advisor, but in order to get there I needed a master’s degree.

5.      Describe your most rewarding college experience.

My most rewarding college experience was being a part of EOP. Through the EOP program, I learned about numerous resources and tools to help me succeed in school. Through EOP, I attended my first graduate school fair at St. Mary’s college, where I got to learn about different schools and their graduate programs. EOP pushed me to be a better student, to push past barriers, and persevere through hardships.

6.      If you were to start college over again knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?    

Knowing what I know now, I would have pursued more internship opportunities in my field. I would have also looked for housing off-campus my 2nd year because living on-campus is so expensive. Other than that, I don’t think there is anything else I would change.

7.      Do you have any advice for students starting out on their college experience?          
I would encourage students to be involved on-campus whether it be joining a club, a Greek organization, a sport or simply just showing up to school events. It will really help to make your college experience more fun and memorable. When it comes to purchasing textbooks for classes, look them up cheaper on other websites or through Facebook pages that students make for their school because they will be so expensive at the bookstore. Also, make sure to maintain an organized planner with all your assignment deadlines. I suggest ordering a passion planner, which has by far been the most efficient planner for school, and this can be ordered online at www.passionplanner.com. Last, but not least, step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You never know what you will gain or learn out of a new experience.