Hot Summer Days of August

By: Kyla Tejero

 

This month marks the end of the summer. It is also known for it being the dog days of summer, where the weather is hot and sultry. It is the time to enjoy outdoors, sightseeing maybe but for the most part fi nding a shade in order to seek protection from sun rays. Personally, I am feeling the hot rays of the Texas heat, trying to maintain my cool. I am sure most of us have spent the last few weeks traveling, going to the beach and enjoying short and long hikes with friends or just alone. As we approach the next few “–ber” months, we transition from the luxury of summer vacation/ break mode to back to school. So if you are a student, school supplies must be bought, wardrobes must be updated, and kids will be back to their normal routine. As a recent college graduate and adjusting to my “big girl” job a.k.a. nurse, it is weird to think that the back to school season no longer applies. It is simply just the start of a new month, new challenges, new beginnings, and maybe new love – joke. Every season brings us with new blessings. This month may be hot, but it defi nitely brings us blessings. I am sure you want to hear from my four featured college students this month!

Michael Calibugar says, “My goal as an Asian American college student is to fi nish my accounting degree in the Honors Strobel Program for my family. I also want to continue releasing original music during and after college as a way to share my stories with the world. After college, I desire to continue serving God through my CFC community as a way of giving glory to God for all my blessings.”

Isa Sargan says, “College has been a way for me to utilize and take advantage of all the resources I was unable to explore while in high school. On top of business school helping to smoothly push me into the career sector, there’s also general education classes like Asian American Studies that empower me to build upon our community’s history and growth. The harsh reality is that at the peak of when adolescents are developing their sense of identity, resources such as a support system, political and historical literacy curriculum, and cultural enrichment are either limited or simply unavailable. My goal for college is to “catch up” on all the growth I missed out on and learn how to use these skills to make these resources more digestible and accessible for the next generations.”

Eljay Raya says, “Whilst in school, I plan to maintain my status in the Guaranteed Pre-Professional Acceptance Program for Nursing as well as the Honors College Program. I intend to strive for straight As whilst tackling nursing school. After graduation, I hope to be fi nancially stable enough to be able to send money back home to the Philippines to my family who is much less fortunate than I am, so that I can give them the education and resources to escape poverty just like my family has done thanks to my parents. I also hope to be able to support their retirement and pay them back for all the hard work they put in for me.”

Camryn Calvo says, “As the fi rst in my family to attend university and to study abroad, I aspire to learn how to adapt and thrive in the United States as an individual during my college years. I hope to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and commission as an Offi cer in the United States Army.”

Michael Calibugar,
Senior
BS Accounting
DePaul University

Michael Calibugar,
Senior
BS Accounting
DePaul University

Eljay Raya,
Junior
BS Nursing
University of Illinois
Chicago

Camryn Calvo,
Sophomore
Olivet Nazarene
University
BS Civil Engineering