The end of freshman year is right around the corner, and I couldn’t help but feel bittersweet about it. There’s a sense of anxiety that’s been washing over me lately: Have I been spending my freshman year right? I’m haunted by the idea that we can experience something for the first time only once, meaning I won’t get a do-over on my first year here at Texas State. That’s when I started to wonder if other freshmen felt the same way about their first year. Did they also feel this mix of anxiety and excitement, or did their freshmen journeys look completely different from mine? To find out, I sat down with a few of them to explore their stories.
Demi Rodriguez: Turning Loss into Purpose
My first conversation was with my good friend Demi Rodriguez, a biology student with a minor in pre-medical studies. As Demi shared her experiences with me, I discovered a fascinating and inspiring story.
How is your degree plan related to future aspirations?
When asked how her degree plan related to her future aspirations, Demi’s answer was firm; she wanted to be an oncologist, which is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer.
What inspired her to take this track?
“My grandma died of breast cancer,” Demi said. “So, as a young child I was interested in it. I learned there were doctors for cancer, and so I wanted to do the same.”
Are there any specific types of cancer or niches within the field you would like to explore?
“I am open to all of them,” she said. “But maybe breast cancer if anything, because of how common it is in my family.”
As it turns out, Demi had already taken concrete steps toward her goals, showing she was serious about saving lives. She was inspirational to me since she was only a freshman and able to take action so early in her college career.
“I have networked with some students who are already going into medical school,” Demi said. “They told me that they’re willing to let me shadow them.”
Demi told the story of how she lost not only her grandmother, but multiple relatives to these fatal diseases. She has several aunts and cousins who have passed away as well.
Demi’s story was one of many losses, but also an abundance of hope. As her friend, I know she is bound to do incredible work in cancer research and treatment. Because of people like Demi, more families will have more time together, and many lives will be saved.
Elise Ramos: Finding Strength Through Struggle
A fellow Her Campus writer for our TXST chapter, my dear friend Elise Ramos, also had an insightful story to tell, and I’m so thankful she shared it with me.
Elise told me she was an English major with a minor in pre-medical studies. As an English major myself, I was instantly intrigued by her decision to combine both the humanities and STEM in her studies.
What inspired this degree plan?
“I have always wanted to do something health-wise because I have a really rare condition called Addison’s Disease,” Elise said.
Addison’s Disease affects only one in 100,000 people. This endocrine disorder happens when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones, such as cortisol and aldosterone, to sustain the body.
“As somebody who’s spent a lot of time in hospitals with doctors ignoring me or not giving me the right kind of help, that’s something I want to change, and also to learn how to treat myself,” she said.
Many physicians don’t know how to treat her condition, Elise explained that she basically treated herself.
“I’ve learned how to give myself an injection with a three-inch needle at the age of eight,” Elise said.
In relation to her freshman year experience, Elise told me how her condition had impacted her college lifestyle.
“I always feel the need to be wary about it,” she said. “I think it affects my college life because as much as I would love to be normal, and to treat my disease like it’s not there, it still follows me like a shadow.”
As both an English major and pre-medical student, Elise believed the power of language and her condition go hand-in-hand.
“While Addison’s disease is not something I would have chosen for myself, I have become the person I am because of it,” she said. “It strengthened me, and learning how to write, speak, and express myself has given me a lot of voice through that.”
Abby Ipiña: First-Gen To Law School
My next discussion was with Abby Ipiña, a criminal justice major with a minor in Spanish. When she first came to Texas State in her fall semester, Abby explained that she hadn’t even considered law school, despite her degree plan.
“I wanted to do social work with my criminal justice degree,” Abby said. “So I guess my goal was always to help people.”
What inspired you to change your major from social work to law?
She said it was due to the encouragement of her criminal law professor, Brian Baker. “He didn’t make it as if only one specific type of person could do it,” she said. “Instead, it’s like anyone could do law as long as you put in that work.”
This was especially inspiring to Abby, whose background differs from most of the law students you see.
“I’m also a first-generation student. I don’t have experiences like other people do, and I think that’s definitely a problem,” Abby said. “But, I mean, I faced that problem my whole life, so I think I’ll manage. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll get through it.”
In a way, Abby believed it was more of an advantage than a setback.
Do you want to be an advocate for marginalized groups facing the law?
“Within the system, there’s a lot of disparity,” she said. “I would like to help minorities because they’re most likely to be discriminated against in the criminal justice system.”
By pursuing criminal defense, Abby believed she would have the power to help those with similar backgrounds to hers. In fact, her upbringing played a huge role in her pursuit of law.
“Coming from an immigrant family and seeing their sacrifices, and what they go through… they literally gave everything so that I could have a good education,” she said. “They (her family) just wanted me to do good and have a better life than they did, but I feel like, in a way, this has inspired me to be able to say thanks and show that their sacrifices weren’t for nothing. I want to show them I appreciate what they did for me, and this law career is how I’m going to give back.”
Sherlin Santiago: TXST As A Safe Space
As a fellow Texas State freshman, Sherlin Santiago taught me a lot about the power of identity. Her story, growing up as a lesbian woman in a conservative family, helped me reflect on my own need to find a safe community.
Are you out to your family?
“No. That’s like a fear I have, coming out, because they support me financially,” Sherlin said. “They would drop me, I fear.”
I got to learn that Sherlin is a first-generation student here, the first to go to college with a lot of expectations to uphold for her family.
“With them putting me on a pedestal, and wanting their kids to be like me, I constantly hold back from telling them my real experience,” she said. “I don’t know how they’re going to react because they’re pretty conservative.”
Sherlin expressed to me how her upbringing was a tough one, constantly having to hide her real identity.
How has your experience at TXST been?
“Yeah, I feel like since coming here, people are definitely a lot more accepting,” she said. “Especially since I’m so far away from my family, I feel like I don’t have to hide that part of me anymore.”
Of course, not every experience here has been perfect for Sherlin, reminding her that there is still work to be done.
“Obviously, there’s always people on the Quad and the Stallion doing whatever they’re doing,” she said.
Sherlin expressed frustration while referencing the incident in which bigots brought homophobic and racist signs to campus Fall semester of 2024. However, Sherlin didn’t let that moment of hate stop her from finding her place.
“I feel like I really like it here,” Sherlin said.
Amira Holmes: Paving The Way To Pediatrics
I also got to speak with Amira Holmes, a psychology student with a minor in pre-medical studies. Amira is a freshman dedicated to getting into medical school with the hopes of becoming a pediatrician.
What inspired this dream?
“I’ve pretty much always liked kids and helping people, so both of those combined are perfect for a pediatrician,” Amira said.
Set on her future goals, Amira is currently working to earn her place in the field of medicine. She’s joined professional organizations related to healthcare and gotten involved in the Texas Leaders Scholarship Program, demonstrating that she is a dedicated student.
Amira is doing all that she can in order to make these aspirations come true because she believes it is a necessity.
“I feel like it’s a male-dominated field, so being able to break barriers and make more women involved is a goal of mine,” she said.
As a Black woman, Amira also wants to inspire others like her to ‘reach for the stars.’ Amira’s racial identity prompted her to acknowledge the treatment of young children of color seeking medical services.
“I want to make a difference since I know those problems and struggles,” Amira said. “So I can help advocate for people of color and prevent them from having their needs being overlooked.”
Leah Mitash: Women’s Power In The Concrete Industry
For my final freshman interview, I decided to ask my twin sister, Leah, about her story. Leah said that whenever she told others about her degree plan in concrete industry management, they were shocked.
“Others are so shocked that a woman would be in the field,” Leah said.
When Leah first came to Texas State, she didn’t know what to study. That is, until she came across a booth promoting the field of concrete industry management.
“I wanted to know more about it, but I was intimidated,” she said. “The guy at the booth told me they don’t have many women.”
Leah was scared to go into the field, thinking she would be struggling to find her place in classes full of men. But upon exploring the field, Leah was delighted to tell me her experiences were so much better than she could imagine.
“It turns out, I’ve met a lot of women in the industry,” she said. “They’ve been so great to talk to, and I really found my group here.”
The concrete industry management field is expanding each and every year, and now women are starting to play an important role in its growth.
“Next year, there is going to be a women-run organization called Collegiate Association of Women in Construction, or CAWIC for short,” Leah said.
Leah was excited to participate, knowing it would be a blast to have so many women work together to amplify their voices. Although she’s my sister, I found her freshman story worth telling in this article because there’s something empowering about women making their mark in male-dominated fields.
What I Learned
Hearing the stories of other freshmen, I realized there’s no one “right” way to do freshman year. We each carry our own burdens, fears, and dreams, but we’re doing what we can to keep going. Writing this article has taught me that every experience is meaningful, and that even though we are each going through our own journeys, we’re all still living this life for the first time together.