Rubi Basurto Benito
Throughout elementary school, my parents always tried to help me. As the oldest child, they did everything with me, but it got to the point where they couldn’t help me anymore. I had to open my wings. Even though I was always an introvert, I knew I had to get out of my comfort zone. I joined wrestling my first year of high school and I felt like I was part of something bigger other than just myself. I focused on school and sports. I didn’t think much about college only because I didn’t know what it was and nobody in my family had gone that far in education. Not until my junior year of high school did I realize that the other students around me were taking AP classes so they could go to a four-year university. I was confused at the time, but I realized that I just followed most of the format which meant that I could go to a university or college. The one thing that I didn’t think about was the payment for college. I had come this far to do what? Senior year of high school, I applied to four UC’s and four CSU’s. I got into Cal Poly, SLO as a Civil Engineer and it blew my mind. I didn’t think I would get in, but I did. I looked at my financial package and it wasn’t the best. Even though I had done everything correctly. I rejected the offer from Cal Poly before classes started in September. I didn’t start Allan Hancock College until October for the 8-week classes. This would change everything.
Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I kept taking classes after classes and, honestly, I didn’t give myself a break. I didn’t care about taking a break because I wanted to transfer out. This caused me to fail my physics class and honestly it was the first time I had ever failed any class. I had always been a 3.8 GPA student, but with college it had been an experience I never thought I’d have. I thought I couldn’t keep going anymore, because everywhere I turned, people were ahead all the time. I didn’t realize that the study methods I was using before weren’t helping. I had to seek help, and I realized that I wasn’t the only one. Other engineering students were also going through the same thing. Even though we were a mixture of different ages, we all needed some type of help with the classes we were taking. We used each other to study and honestly it was one of the best things that could’ve happened. It also helped me build friendships that I didn’t expect. Even if it takes me longer to transfer, I know that we are all at different stages in our lives.
Fast forward a year later: I started the Science & Engineering Club with Nathan and joined the Dream Club, Women in Engineering (E5), Computer Science Club and the soon to be Women in ACE. With all of these under my belt I realized that anything I put my mind can come into reality. I know what I’m capable of and if anyone can do it, it's me. Therefore, save a seat because I’ll be there soon! With teamwork and support from colleagues, friends, counselors, and family anything can happen. I’m extremely glad I chose to start at Allan Hancock College!
