Citrus College offers unique, challenging STEM opportunities
The college's Bridge to the Geosciences program was designed for STEM students to explore career opportunities.
One never knows when an opportunity will change their life. Jocelyn Gonzalez, who discovered her career path at Citrus College, can surely attest to this.
Ms. Gonzalez, a Southern California native, received an Associate of Science degree in Biological Sciences last year. She grew up in Pomona and transferred to the Claremont Unified School District before graduating from Claremont High School in 2017. She decided to enroll at Citrus College after her brother encouraged her to pursue her passion for animals and study to become a veterinarian.
As a promising STEM student, Ms. Gonzalez received an opportunity to participate in Bridge to the Geosciences, a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation. The program was designed for Citrus College STEM students to explore career opportunities and participate in a collaborative project with classmates and colleagues.
"Being part of Bridge to the Geosciences shows you parts of the science world you might never even consider, almost like a 'behind-the-scenes' look at many different fields of research," Ms. Gonzalez said.
As part of the program, Ms. Gonzalez was able to visit a handful of cutting-edge research and geoscience facilities: the Oak Crest Institute of Science in Monrovia, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations on Catalina Island and the Colorado-based University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
"Bridge to the Geosciences helped me not feel so alone, and it was a great way to start off my first year at Citrus College," she added. The experience prompted her to pick a major, biological sciences, and switch her career aspirations from veterinary medicine to environmental biology.
With a new degree focus, Ms. Gonzalez also worked at the college's STEM Tutoring Center, where she said she had some of her favorite memories.
After graduating in 2020, Ms. Gonzalez transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology with an emphasis in ecology and restoration.
"I found my love for teaching people when I was a Citrus College STEM tutor, and I hope to one day return to Citrus College and become a faculty member," Ms. Gonzalez noted. "I would love to give back to the college that really got me on track to become the person I am today."
As Claremont's representative on the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees, I am incredibly proud that this institution provides students with unique life-changing opportunities. I look forward to sharing even more success stories as students continue to pursue the academic and professional goals at Citrus College.
This article by Laura J. Bollinger, Citrus College Governing Board Member, appeared in Patch News (Claremont-La Verne edition) on August 4, 2021.