Cal Poly Pomona students seek graduate opportunities at fair
POMONA - Pablo Lopez learned at a young age that if you shoot for the stars, you might just reach the moon.
"My goal is to get into medical school and if I don't get in, I'll go into another profession in the medical field," said the Cal Poly Pomona biology major.
On Tuesday Lopez, 23, was sifting through opportunities to expand his undergraduate degree for a masters in public health at the Career Center's Graduate and Profession School Fair.
"My goal is to get into medical school and if I don't get in, I'll go into another profession in the medical field," said the Cal Poly Pomona biology major.
On Tuesday Lopez, 23, was sifting through opportunities to expand his undergraduate degree for a masters in public health at the Career Center's Graduate and Profession School Fair.
Thomas R. Cordova/Staff Photographer
More than 80 graduate and professional schools were at the annual event providing literature about their school, as well as pitching why students should be attending their school or seeking a graduate degree.
"Students coming here are looking for opportunities to realize their dream and they're looking for a place where they can arrive at that dream, and they want to be told that in very few sentences," said Conrad Shayo, master of business administration director for Cal State San Bernardino's College of Business and Public Administration.
Shayo said students have different motivations for wanting to go back to school after graduation. He said some can be driven by income or aspiration, and he talks to them about both.
For Lorraine Rodriguez, it's about furthering her professional career. The 22-year old graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in sports management.
She is working in Cal Poly's athletic's department as a development assistant and said while she is taking a year off from school she "misses it already."
"There's a lot of stuff you can learn in the work environment but there is a lot of important things to learn in the classroom as well," Rodriguez said, who is looking to obtain a master's degree in sports management.
That said, this is perfect time to go back to school, said Michael Marinoff, associate director at the Career Center.
Considering the economy, some students who have just graduated may not be able to find a job in the career they wanted so their best option is to ride it out and build their skills, Marinoff said.
"This way they can equip themselves with advance ammunition so when they go back into the market their credentials and applications are better than the person next to them," he said.
Lopez said while he is well aware obtaining a graduate degree will not be easy, it will be worth it.
"They say college is like drinking from a gardening hose and graduate school is like drinking from a fire hydrant ... those with a bachelor's degree are locked into a certain income level but with a master's degree that improves your income level," he said. "The sky is the limit."
Shayo said students have different motivations for wanting to go back to school after graduation. He said some can be driven by income or aspiration, and he talks to them about both.
For Lorraine Rodriguez, it's about furthering her professional career. The 22-year old graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in sports management.
She is working in Cal Poly's athletic's department as a development assistant and said while she is taking a year off from school she "misses it already."
"There's a lot of stuff you can learn in the work environment but there is a lot of important things to learn in the classroom as well," Rodriguez said, who is looking to obtain a master's degree in sports management.
That said, this is perfect time to go back to school, said Michael Marinoff, associate director at the Career Center.
Considering the economy, some students who have just graduated may not be able to find a job in the career they wanted so their best option is to ride it out and build their skills, Marinoff said.
"This way they can equip themselves with advance ammunition so when they go back into the market their credentials and applications are better than the person next to them," he said.
Lopez said while he is well aware obtaining a graduate degree will not be easy, it will be worth it.
"They say college is like drinking from a gardening hose and graduate school is like drinking from a fire hydrant ... those with a bachelor's degree are locked into a certain income level but with a master's degree that improves your income level," he said. "The sky is the limit."
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