” Thinking positively and ignoring any negative thoughts would let you achieve something you’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Iliana Tinoco is a student at Cal State LA. She was a former student of Santa Monica College. She did some years at Santa Monica but then she transferred to LATTC. After two years at LATTC she transferred again to Cal State LA where she is doing her last two years.

She is majoring in sociology and wants to become a school counselor. She talks about the struggles she went through during her childhood and how she overcame them.

Transcript:

Brailyn Mendoza: Tell me about yourself.

Iliana Tinoco: I am 27 years old and I am a full time mom, full time student, and have a full time job. I am majoring in sociology and one of the things I like to do is go to the gym to be stress free and stay focused on what I do. 

BM: How was your childhood growing up? 

IT: My childhood was growing up with a single parent and it was very difficult for my mother to help me out in my studies and help me out to fully succeed in my studies.

BM: Were there any difficulties that you overcame? If so, do you think about them and realize that you have accomplished something from it?

IT: One of the things I struggled with was taking the bus to school at 6 am to be early to school and come home back late. I was attending Santa Monica College and coming from Downtown LA was a struggle. Luckily, I was able to finish in two years and transfer to Cal State LA and now I realized that I overcame those difficulties. It made me grow as a better person and graduate to get my Bachelorś degree in Sociology. 

BM: Why did you choose to major in sociology?

IT: What made me decide to major in sociology was to be involved in the community, help human kind, and gain a greater understanding of what changes in the society. 

BM: What encourages you to keep going?

IT: What encouraged me to major in sociology is to help other people and to one day become a school counselor.

BM: Is becoming a school counselor something you’ve been wanting to be for a long time?

IT: It’s something I’ve been thinking about for some time.

BM: What encouraged you to become a school counselor?

IT: What encouraged me to be a school counselor is to ensure that students have excellent educational experiences. As well as to provide essential social-emotional support in addition to academic support.

BM: If you do accomplish to be a school counselor is it going to be a job you would stick with for a long time?

IT: If I accomplish becoming a counselor I would love to stay for a very long time.

BM:  What is your current job? What do you do there?

IT: My current job right now is Kia. I take phone calls and make appointments for peoples’ cars to get fixed. 

BM: Do you enjoy your job? 

IT: Yea sort of. 

BM: How many more years of college do you have left?

IT: Just two years! I’m so happy. I’ve been in college for a long time. Before going to Cal State LA I had done four years of college. 

BM: Wow! That’s a lot.

IT: Yup. Anything to achieve a dream you’ve been wanting to do. I went through some tough times during college but I persevered and I am now about to finish. Thinking positively and ignoring any negative thoughts would let you achieve something you’ve been wanting to do for a long time.

BM: Yea. Ignoring anything negative would get you to achieve something big.

IT: Yea.

BM: Well thank you for your time. Have a good rest of your day.

IT: Thank you! You too.