MEET A FRESHMAN STUDENT
Leanne Estrella
As a junior in High School, I began to think about what I would do after graduation. It soon consumed me and it was all I could think about. At the time I had been living in Miami, Fla. for almost twelve years and had already investigated some of my options. One option was to follow in the footsteps of my two older brothers and join the United States Marines Corps, or any of the armed forces. I decided it wasn't for me.
I then began to do some research on colleges and universities in the Northern U.S. because I had family there. I soon discovered Cleveland State University, which had exactly what I was looking for. CSU was both affordable and located in the heart of the city. I decided to make a bold move and relocated to Ohio from Florida to finish my senior year of high school in Cleveland.
To my delight, I was accepted to CSU. I began to take classes starting in the fall of 2007 and decided to live on campus so that I wouldn't have to worry about the traveling to and from home.
College is nothing like I expected it to be. No one tells me what to do, where to go or what time to wake up. I have a lot of freedom and as a result, I've progressively learned how to prioritize.
My first year at CSU has been the best year of my life! I have grown up so much and am learning adult responsibilities. I never thought I would have the opportunity to go to college and I am so happy that I am getting the chance to develop and prepare myself for the future. Coming to CSU has been the best decision I have ever made, I always encourage others to check it out.
I found that CSU has a lot of majors and programs to choose from and after some consideration I chose Communication as my major. I haven't decided which specific field I want to go into but I am figuring it out. I have taken introductory courses already and am convinced that my future lies in Communication.
I am involved with Latinos Unidos, a group that is determined to create cultural acceptance, appreciation, and awareness in the CSU community. Recently we took a trip to Chicago for the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institutes Conference. We learned what it takes to enhance ourselves and how to make an impact on the community and its issues as college students.
Although I've had a lot of fun at CSU I will continue to study hard and work towards graduation to make my mother and family proud, and eventually earn my degree.
