When I graduated from high school, I knew I didn’t have the financial ability to go out of state. My sister had gone to Shasta College and loved it, so I thought, “Why not give it a try?” Coming here, I was super nervous. Getting involved made a huge difference. Being part of a club meant I wasn’t just going to class and then heading home.
I discovered MESA while browsing through the college catalog of clubs. I thought, “That sounds like something I’d love.” Fun fact: MESA helped me learn that Avenue M is part of UC Davis and focuses on supporting students from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds. The program is designed to help students explore careers in medicine and prepare for medical school.
I joined Avenue M, and throughout the semester, we had Zoom sessions about preparing for med school. Then, in the summer, we all met up for two weeks in Sacramento, near the UC Davis School of Medicine. It felt like a summer camp, but focused on professional development. We got to meet and hear from different physicians in various specialties. I remember one who worked in infectious diseases—I thought, “Oh my gosh, I want to do that.” It was so cool!
We also learned hands-on skills like phlebotomy and suturing, which I really enjoyed, even though suturing was way harder than I expected. I’m going to Shasta College for another year, but now I have a much clearer idea of what I want to do. Pursuing a career that deals with infectious diseases feels like the right path for me.
My advice to anyone thinking about going to Shasta College is: Do it—even if you’re scared. I was scared, too. But in the end, you’re doing what you need to do—and Shasta College will help you enjoy the journey.