For a high school freshman, knowing exactly what you want to pursue may not seem like a priority as college applications reside far in the future. However, LACES students demonstrate that passion develops over time with zeal and experience. Seniors who venture our halls and alumni who navigate college have already curated their identities to align with future and current majors. In doing so, they have provided helpful insight to LACES students who are still searching for their path.
Luana Aguero, a current LACES senior, is pursuing political science. Aguero’s interest in political science stemmed from her strong compassion towards history fostered in her AP United States History class.
“APUSH shows how different political eras really shape our country and shape these injustices that we see again and again,” said Aguero.
Actively participating and learning in class is significant to determining what your passions are. Aguero credited AP Seminar and Research teacher Dr. Ingrid Fey to be a key contributor to her learning.
“Dr. Fey took a lot of time to discuss our interests with us and helped us understand what we are passionate about and found worth researching. Through that time in her class, I did a research paper of how African American history is portrayed in curricula,” said Aguero.
Outside of the classroom, Aguero demonstrated her passion towards Political Science through involvement in extracurricular activities. She participates in the Political Thought Club, Model UN, completed a Civic Leadership program and interned at Los Angeles County Military Veterans Affairs Office. Her internship proved to be the most memorable experience which revealed feelings of excitement and hunger.
During the internship, Aguero wrote legislative preambles.
“The preamble urged the Board of Supervisors to condemn the attacks that Trump was giving towards transgender service members. And I think that was really transformative because I felt like, wow, I really can make a difference,” said Aguero.
Involvement in real world political environments further encouraged her interest in Political Science.
Another LACES senior, Micah Shwartz, has given insight about his decision to pursue engineering. Shwartz’s initial attraction to engineering evolved early on from his childhood.
“As a kid, I always liked building stuff, like LEGOs, toy kits and whatnot. In freshman year, I joined the LACES Robotics Club and helped to build it up. So, over the past few years in robotics, I’ve really realized that I love engineering and have come to appreciate it,” said Shwartz
Joining a club embraces curiosity for your passion.
“I recruited new members and created teams for competitions. Once I was part of the teams we build robots, code robots and document what we were doing as we went through seasons to compete,” said Shwartz.
A piece of advice Shwartz had for high schoolers interested in engineering is to find like-minded people.
“There are so many opportunities out there and so many different things you can do because it’s such a broad field. There’s other people who want to do what you want to do, so try to find those people. I think you’ll see once you find them, engineering can be a really powerful experience.”
LACES alumna Maya Sano is a junior at UCLA. Sano demonstrates her credentialed experience within her current major, psychobiology.
Sano is an example of how realignment is always an option. Majors can be changed.
“I originally got into cognitive science, but switched into psychobiology because I wanted to be a life science major,” said Sano.
Sano believes her major is somewhat hard because it heavily relies on biology, chemistry, psychology and neuroscience focused classes that explain one’s behavior through a biological perspective. Aside from her major, Sano is also on a pre-medical track. She demonstrates how your major doesn’t solely determine your interests and what you study.
Sano speaks about how at UCLA, she involves herself in a real world responsibility.
“I’m part of a club on campus called Mobile Clinic Project. We work alongside UCLA medical students and UCLA public health students to provide low-barrier medical care/visits to the unhoused community in West Hollywood,” said Sano.
Outside of the classroom, Sano has developed quality experiences.
“Working with our clients every week has strengthened my communication and empathy skills. Plus, it reinforced my desire to pursue a career in healthcare committed to serving underserved communities and advocating for equitable healthcare,” said Sano.
As seniors and alumni have proved, deciding your major requires drive and involvement in order to determine your future. Although that doesn’t mean your future is solely limited to a structured curriculum, along the way, your passions may change, and your passions are number one the things you should listen to in life.
