Michelle Saechao

Dear all, It feels incredible to have finally finished my first year of college at UCLA. Although it was difficult at times, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. From attending sports events and free movie sneak peeks, to student organization meetings and studying for endless exams, my first year was nothing short of eventful. And I'm sure Mr. Ramsey can agree with me when I say that the food at UCLA is delicious! All year I was constantly reminded that I am no longer in high school. Although back then I thought I worked so hard to simply be accepted into college, it takes so much more to stay in and succeed at UCLA. However, all of my successes and struggles are what have helped me to become a true Bruin. I thank the ILC for giving me the experiences and support to do well in my courses and to navigate around such a large university. I know that I shouldn't just study to get As in my classes, but I have to make proper connections, search for jobs and internships and maintain relationships with people. Thanks to all the college units I accrued while at Middle College, I currently have 'junior status' when enrolling in classes, which means an earlier registration date and time. Easy translation: I get to register before most classes are full. This is a huge perk, especially when classes and other resources are being cut in the public school system. I recommend anyone who still has a chance to, to take the proper college courses or AP exams to obtain more units before having to pay for tuition at a university and to complete courses that would seem unnecessary or repetitive in college. This summer I am back home working as a Student Office Assistant with Impact Assessment, assigned to the Occupational Health Branch at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in Richmond. I've yet to officially start the position, but am incredibly excited to see what's to come this summer. I will start my second year at UCLA with high hopes of doing better in my classes, despite my new job at the CLiCC computer lab in the library and my growing role in UNICEF at UCLA. I also hope to officially declare both my majors, Economics and International Development Studies and begin taking upper division courses. I hope you all have a great summer! Michelle Saechao UCLA Class of 2014 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------