Natalie Lopez

Major: English

Minor: Chicano Studies

Hometown: Oxnard, California

Hi everyone!! My name is Natalie Lopez and I am a University Culture Peer Mentor at CSU Channel Islands. I am in my second (2nd) year and majoring in English with a minor in Chicanx studies.

What motivated me to go to college was my parents and my community. I say that my parents are my motivation because without them and their support I wouldn’t be here. Although they didn’t go to college and I am a first generation student, they helped me by taking me to college workshops, financially aid workshops. My parents mainly went to these workshops to help my sister and I but they also went to them because they wanted to learn more about the college process and how they can be helpful. So that being said I become a mentor because I want to give the opportunity to other families and students the same help that was given to me. I also want to encourage other students that even though it seems like going to college and following your dreams is hard everything is possible when you have people that can help you throughout the way. Being a mentor is something I learned back in high school because I myself had one and became one in my senior year. When I was in high school and had a mentor, that person inspired me and helped me pursue higher education and how to get where I am today. Having that early on in my high school career and having a chance to help other students really made me realize what I want to be in the future and that is to be an English Teacher.

My career goal is to be there for others and always giving back to the community and what other way to do so by being a teacher. Being a teacher means to inspire others and help them believe in themselves. Teachers are the ones that have a great impact on students and inspire them to always be their best version of themselves, and I want to have an impact like that to the next generation that is to come, and to let them know that they are capable of reaching for the stars and beyond. The sky’s the limit. I look forward to working with you in any way possible. Please feel free to reach out to me and ask any questions. I can be contacted at the university.culture@csuci.edu.