Campus Community Profiles

When you are hungry, everything seems more difficult. It is harder to accomplish tasks, to stay focused, and to learn.

While studying psychology at the University of Toledo, Ohio, Ann Marie Musto had the opportunity to connect with a strong leader who introduced her to human resources and became an important mentor.

On most days, Jennifer Ja Birchim can be found hard at work on a number of interesting projects – everything from putting together rental fairs to developing programs – anything to help students as they transition to college and living on their own for the first time.

Wanting to have a new life experience, Marcos Aguilar left his home in Fresno, California to attend college at UC Santa Barbara.

For Californians, seeing the Western Snowy Plover is a delightful bonus of spending time at the beach. No bigger than the size of a tennis ball, the plover can be found running quickly on its little legs as it dodges the waves washing up and back on the ocean sand. Moving through the kelp wrack, it feasts on beach hoppers and kelp flies before returning to its nest.

In high school, Jackson Smidt played football and ran track, dealing with sports injuries and becoming familiar with athletic training. Wanting to pursue this interest further, he began a professional journey that included extensive education and certifications, enriched by dedicated mentors.

What began as a foggy morning at the harbor turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon as UC Santa Barbara female marine scientists gathered to share a day of learning and mentorship with high-school age students from the surrounding community.

Swimming is so much more than a physical action. It is an immersive experience in which all the senses become activated.