Katherine Rosales

Major: Biology and Chemistry

Hometown: Van Nuys, California

Graduation Date: May 2022

Career Plans: Pediatrician

As a first-generation student coming from a low-income family, college started to become a big discussion in my family. My parents would always tell me that I am going to college and that I will be the first one in my immediate family to go to college. College in my family is a really big thing because my parents didn’t have the same privileges as I did while growing up, so they would rather me take that opportunity and do something great with it. Ever since we started talking about college, I knew that was something I had to do to make not only myself proud but also my parents proud. As the second oldest child of five girls, I knew it was up to me to be that example for my younger siblings as well as my older sister to show them that college is possible no matter what financial background or race you come from.

When I was a little girl I was always in and out of the hospital due to an illness I had since birth. Each year would get harder and I would get even more sick than I already was. Since I was always at the hospital, I was able to build a strong connection with my pediatrician, she was someone that I know I could confide in, she was my go-to person but overall, she was more than a doctor to me she was my friend. She helped me get through all the tough times I had throughout my life. Since I would always see my doctor, I would notice all the amazing things she did not only for me but for other kids as well, from that moment I knew I wanted to be exactly like her. I wanted to become a pediatrician to help other kids the same way she helped me which is what helped me decide my major in college which is Biology and Chemistry to understand the basis for when I attend medical school.

Once I began applying to college, I had everything figured out like what college I was going to go to, the clubs I was going to join at that school and the classes I was going to take and all the adventures I was going to have exploring that city but unfortunately I did not get accepted to that school. CSU Channel Islands was not my first option but it sure was the best one. As a second-year student at CSUCI I am happy to say that I am glad I am able to be part of a school that is driven by their students and that is a Hispanic serving college because for me my culture is absolutely everything. CI offers many opportunities for students to help them expand their horizons. I myself have already been part of a research program called Student Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF) where I conducted research on whether the SURF experience resulted in enhanced academic outcomes, persistence in college, and higher levels of self-esteem and a stronger connection to the university.