AV Beat - Lindsay and Chenin

Since then, Lindsay has done all of the things, little and big, to make it happen.

Last spring, she survived a grueling 6-week process to land a spot on the Universities prestigious Orientation Staff. She is a campus tour guide - she has conducted over 40 tours, including one for a group from Quartz Hill High School. She was a cheerleader her sophomore year, and currently works at the campus Student Resource Building. That solid path, along with perennial placement on the Dean's List, has landed her in Washington DC this spring quarter, where she is participating in the “UCDC” program.

The program allows students selected from all of the UC campuses to collect 12 units while simultaneously interning in their field of choice. They are also required to perform research. Each UC school sends a small group of students. All of the students live in the same building, with each campus assigned to their own floor. The list of potential internship positions is impressive, and includes many of the DC standards, as well as media giants like CNN and CSPAN.

Lindsay has accepted a paid internship with Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, a stones throw from the White House. CLS is a highly respected PR firm that represents major corporations, foriegn governments, and non-profit organizations.

Lindsay credits balance and focus as the keys to her success in high school and college. “I’ve always taken challenging courses, and kept myself busy,” she said. You have to be pro-active, and find activities that that will help prepare you for your future job.”

The President’s Scholar out of Quartz Hill High will graduate in 2007 with a BA in Spanish and Comparative World Literature, and will stay on for one more year to earn a Masters in Spanish Literature. On top of that, she has an impressive list of activities and accomplishments that will serve her well in the working world.

For Simi, the success in the classroom has been augmented by work experience and travel. She studied Spanish Literature and Culture at the University of Granada during the summer of 2006. She has already worked as a substitute teacher, a copy editor, and a sports writer. She speaks and writes Spanish at a near narrative level, and rates herself at the intermediate level with Italian. Chenin has put those skills to good use, tutoring English as a Second Language students while at CSULB.

Her travels have also been very enlightening. “Studying in Spain gave me a new world perspective that I believe one can only obtain from an extended stay in a foreign country.”

She found Granada particularly educational because of its background as a Muslim territory for nearly 800 years before Ferdinand and Isabella expelled or converted all non-Christians. “Learning about the faith from practicing Muslims instilled in me a newfound respect for a culture I had previously written off as sexist and violent. All of this made me see that there are not quite so many differences between "us" and "them" as so many Americans perceive.”

After graduation, Chenin would like to teach English abroad for a year or two in Italy. Then, she will consider various careers, including serving in the Foreign Service or teaching at some level of higher education. “I love to write,” says Chenin. “I intend to write during my free time and then, if it becomes a lucrative career option, write full-time.”

Sometimes we lose sight of the ultimate goal of attending a university - an effective education that prepares the student for a successful career. We are dedicating this issue to two young ladies who are doing just that.

After graduating from Lancaster High in 2004, Lindsay Burns entered UC Santa Barbara without declaring a major. After dabbling in a variety of lower level electives, she decided that a career in Public Relations would be perfect for her. Her dreamjob is working for a high powered public relations firm in a major city - preferably one that performs work for non-profits.

When Chenin Simi graduates from Long Beach State, her biggest challenge might be whittling down her resume to the standard one page, and deciding what language to write it in.