If there’s a busy bee on campus, it’s definitely Mariana Jin. Studying in the competitive pre-nursing major, she’s a member of the Honor College, holds a position as Program Cordinator for No More Starving Students, and is a student assistant on campus. Mariana was also chosen to study abroad in Hong Kong and Xi’an, China last summer! Read on to find out more about this amazing student!
What is your major? How did you get interested in it?
I am a pre-nursing major and I became interested in the field because I have always held a passion and love for caring after others. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career where I could make a difference; and I chose nursing not only because it fulfills that criteria, but also because I’ve always been stronger in the sciences.
What made you want to join the Honors College?
In all honesty, joining the Honors College was nothing short of one of the best pieces of advice my mother has ever given me. She was the one who urged me to apply for the Honors program at school when I was a high school student who believed she wouldn’t benefit at all from joining the Honors program. Boy was I wrong! I realize now that the Honors College has been the biggest advantage I could have given myself in college, especially given I am applying for the nursing program. From scholarships, to connections, to priority registration, the Honors College has changed my life for the better; without it, I wouldn’t even have chosen to attend CSULA!
What has been your favorite experience as a student of the Honors College?
Living within Honors Housing on campus has been my favorite experience. I have made more life-long friends living on campus than I would ever have made commuting. It has also granted me the independence and freedom that have allowed me to mature in a million different ways that I’d never have imagined would happen.
What extracurricular activities are you a part of?
I am currently working as a student assistant on campus and I am the Program Coordinator for the organization known as No More, Starving Students! On the weekends I also intern as a clinical care extender at a hospital in Covina.
What’s the most challenging part about balancing all your schoolwork and extracurricular activities?
Just getting enough sleep and not letting everything overwhelm me. I’m exhausted by the end of the day, so maintaining my calm while trying to sleep enough is my biggest challenge for sure!
Can you tell us a little bit more about No More Starving Students?
N.M.S.S is an organization founded about three years ago in response to the lack of food security amongst fellow students. Once aware that certain students on campus struggle with getting enough food for the week, our founder, Milo Mitchell, created N.M.S.S. as a means to respond to this issue. An organization by the students, for the students, we help give donated cans/dried goods once a week to students who are in need and reach out to us.
How can people get involved with NMSS?
They can go ahead and email our president, Hannah Jacobsen, at starvingstudents.president@gmail.com!
You were also chosen to study abroad in Hong Kong over the summer. What can you tell us about that experience?
Travelling to Hong Kong sparked my love for travelling and emphasized the need for me to connect closer to my heritage and learn Mandarin Chinese. The trip was yet another growing/learning point in my life and I am extremely blessed and happy to have made so many friends on a memorable trip.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
At this moment, I’m not entirely sure. I am currently in the process of finding myself and establishing exactly what I want to study. I am deciding still on whether I want to be a nurse, a physician’s assistant, or a teacher. While I am almost entirely sure I want to go into a specific field of nursing (such as NICU or midwifery), I want to make sure I rule out all other options entirely and that I am 100% sure that nursing is for me. Hopefully in 5 years I will have figured it out already and have graduated from college!
Do you have any cool facts or secret talents that you can tell us about?
A go-to fact that I always enjoy telling people is that I speak Portuguese because I was actually born in Brazil. It’s awesome seeing people’s reactions given that I am entirely Chinese ethnicity-wise! I also love to sing and I am a terrible dancer who loves to dance!
If you could give any advice to any students pursuing a similar path as you, what would you say?
To not stress the little things and to remember to learn from mistakes, move on, and try and avoid making the same mistakes twice. My freshman year, I would beat myself up a-lot for the mistakes I made, be it academically or personally. I found out later that I was the cause behind most of my stress, and that I had to simply acknowledge the fact that I am not perfect and try my hardest to accept and learn from my errors. Every-day is filled with happy moments that get taken for granted and forgotten about. I direct my attention now towards noticing these moments and I feel happier and with more control in my life than I’ve ever felt.