Happy Independence Day, America!

By: Kayla Tejero

 

Traditionally, July 4th is celebrated with festive parades and lots of fun fair events in the parks. With the tail end of the pandemic, this year’s celebration is a big break for everyone to get out and celebrate this historical occasion with family gatherings, barbecues, and watching the skies in the evening all flared up with the fireworks display. We have reached a full sense of normalcy with more people freely walking in the streets and not wearing their face masks. Last weekend, I went to the Oakbrook mall with my friends, and it was so nice to see people out and about and retail businesses full with customers again. As the summer is heating up now, and the gas price is rising every week, we look forward to going out under the sun. I spent about three weeks in Texas, and later this month, I will explore California again. Goodbye pandemic! But personally, I am so excited to go back to school this fall. I’m so excited to learn again and see my friends. With that said, let’s hear from our four featured college students this month. If you’d like to be featured, please email me at tejerokayla@gmail.com.

John Leonard Dejillo says, “I would like to improve in terms of professional development. There are many clubs and organizations that offer various workshops such as coding and resume building. Also, I want to talk to and network with professionals who work in the industry that speak at events and meetings. As a student, I plan on using these various resources to help me grow professionally.”

Nikki Vergara says, “As a Filipino-American, there are numerous goals that I hope to accomplish throughout my entirety of college. My overarching goal is to further educate myself on Filipino culture and tradition. Though I do feel a lack of connection to my culture, I aspire to join Filipino clubs that focus on diversity. That being said, by educating myself on my cultural ties, I hope to connect with others that may feel disconnected from their roots.”

Abby Turija says, “As an upcoming Filipino American college student, I wish to continue to learn new skills that will guide me in my future work. Following graduation, I hope to pursue a career as a Registered Nurse and obtain more experience in the profession.”

Robin Diamzon says, “Being a Filipino American student in Northern Illinois University, I am glad to attend the meetings at Philippine Students Association. I hope that the other participants and myself are able to spread the organization’s image. I want to welcome other students and also spread Filipino culture on campus. After college, I want to pursue a career in Sports Marketing because I want to be involved with advertising a sports team’s brand and image, especially with the rise of sports in social media. “

John Leonard Dejillo, Junior
BS Biomedical Engineering
University of Texas at San Antonio

Nikki Vergara, Freshman
BS Biology and Chemistry
University of Michigan

Abigael Turija, Freshman
BS Nursing
University of St. Francis

Robin Diamzon, Junior
BS Sport Management
Northern Illinois University