SCENE SPOTLIGHT
"I owe Santa Clara for making me part of the woman I am today. Not only have I been bestowed with academic experiences, but also life lessons about race, religion, community, and relationships. I only wish I could have been here for the complete four years. Next time I will know to let time take its course." Although she's wistful now about her three-year experience at Santa Clara, Senior Monica Vasquez has accomplished a lot in the short time she has spent at Santa Clara.
During her time at Santa Clara, Vasquez has been involved in a number of extracurriculars. She helped with incoming freshman recruitment through Noche Latina, has done an Arrupe Placement at the Gardner Academy for three years as well as being a member of the Green Club. However, it is not Vasquez's extracurriculars that were her main focus while at Santa Clara. She is graduating this spring, after a three-year academic career, with a degree in communications and a minor in ethnic studies. As far as her three years are concerned Vasquez says, "Well, at least my parents are saving money. If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely stick around for another year and learn more about myself and the world around me. I have the rest of my life to tackle what lies ahead of me. I look back on all the hard work and compliment myself for striving so hard to reach a goal that speaks for itself."
As a sophomore and junior, Vasquez spent her summers preparing for a career in the world of communication. "My first summer I was an assistant producer for a local programming show called "Vista L.A." that focuses on the Latino community. I was given the opportunity to research, go on field production, edit, dub, transcribe interviews, and interview as well as write segments. My second summer I was a personal assistant for a reporter named Henry Alfaro for Channel 7. I was also given the opportunity to interview on my own go out on the field, research, and write stories on my own, for a segment called "Cool Kids" that featured one outstanding student in the L.A. area once a week. Loved the experience." Post graduation, Vasquez is planning on working as a local programming assistant for an ABC affiliate station in either Los Angeles, Sacramento, or the Bay Area. She is looking for a career with an emphasis in broadcast journalism.
â€"Written by Jessica Boyd