Student Highlight Interviews

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• "My high school econ teacher played a big role in helping me enjoy and understand economics. From that point forward I fell in love with it and knew it was something I wanted to continue to pursue."

What is something you can share about your experience in economics?

• "I just transferred but so far I have had a really good experience with economics. It can be difficult to understand at times but the challenge of it is what I like the most. It is rewarding when I am finally able to understand a concept."

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• "I didn’t have many difficulties choosing this major. I knew I enjoyed econ and wanted to learn more about it so it was a no brainer decision. Most of my challenges come from the classes itself and their contents. It can be hard to grasp at times but studying and asking for help are my go to ways to figure it out."

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• "My advice is to always try your best even if your best is only 50%. It can get stressful at times but you have to do what works for you and prioritize your mental and physical health. Everything will fall into place one way or another."

How do you feel about your overall college experience?

• "My college experience hasn’t been exactly conventional due various reasons but I wouldn’t change it. I have enjoyed all of my classes and have made new friends along the way. While it is stressful it has all been worth it."

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• "I have had nothing but positive experiences with everyone in the department of economics. They are always there to help."

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• "I was very fortunate to have an economist as my AP economics teacher during senior year of high school. His passion and erudition had a lot of influence on my decision to pursue economics in college. I fell in love with the applicable and versatile nature of economics and appreciated having a newfound vocabulary to explain the world around me."

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• "For the past year and a half, I’ve been involved in the Economics Student Association. I first joined as a member in Spring 2021, then became outreach chair in Fall 2021 and vice president in Spring 2022. Starting college during the pandemic made it difficult for me to socialize with my classmates. I found myself longing for a community of like-minded peers and decided to get involved with ESA."

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• "One of the biggest challenges I have faced as an economics major is finding a sense of direction with my career. Economics is such a broad subject, which makes it difficult when trying to decide on a specific career path. I realized early on that one way to overcome this uncertainty is to talk to my professors and seek out as much information as I could on the available jobs out there for economics majors. Going to office hours every semester to talk with professors about prospective careers has been extremely effective at reducing the uncertainty."

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• "Leap out of your comfort zone, stay there, and leap again. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned throughout my time at CSULB, it is that progress and growth often happens when we push ourselves past what we believe we’re capable of. Also, always remember to persevere in the face of adversity. Life loves to catch us off guard but the ability to remain resilient is essential to overcoming these challenges."

Have you thought about plans for after graduation? If so, please share.

• "This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity of interning at a real estate research and consulting firm. During the internship, I was able to apply the economic knowledge that I have learned in school to the real world. I achieved more than what I thought was possible, and I was constantly surrounded by passionate and knowledgeable team members. I currently work part-time at the company as a research analyst and desire greatly to remain in this position after graduation."

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• "I owe the wonderful experiences I’ve had at CSULB thus far to the professors and peers that I’ve had the opportunity to learn from. Upon entering college, I was immediately met with unmatched kindness and support from everyone in the Department of Economics. The wisdom I’ve gained and advice I have been given has immensely impacted my life in the best way possible."

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• "When I was studying for my AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics exams during the peak of Covid-19, I found myself really enjoying re-teaching myself and reviewing the material. It came very naturally to me and I easily spent hours just learning, I haven't ever truly felt a passion like that for an academic subject. While I have always liked school, cared deeply about it and did quite well for the most part, I've never really resonated with a subject or a topic until that moment."

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• "I am a member of CSULBVSA and I decided to get involved because I wanted to be a part of a community, especially one where I could meet other Vietnamese people, because as diverse as San Francisco (where I'm from) is, I didn't meet too many Vietnamese people or those whose lives were similar to mine. I also wanted to meet new people and make connections."

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• "I don't think I have exactly faced any challenges choosing this major, other than potentially feeling a lack of connection with my peers in this major. I haven't exactly made much of an effort to connect with others or going to ESA meetings per se, though I have met a few people recently."

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• "My advice would be to pace yourself and listen to your mind. Though this only works if you have self discipline to accomplish your tasks. I know that we all get overwhelmed and some days we don't feel like doing anything, and on those days, I listen to myself. If I have a lot to get done and can't afford a free day, then I will do the mundane and easy tasks. I never force myself to complete an assignment on a day where I am not feeling it, because I know my work will be subpar and it will only drain me further. I only work when I am in the proper mindset and this allows me to complete my work best."

Have you thought about plans for after graduation?

• "I have thought about taking an internship in the summer, hopefully that fosters into something longer than just that time period. Generally, I am looking to gain some experience in the working world then going back to school to get my Masters."

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• "I currently have a 4.0 GPA, received the Powell Endowed Scholarship for Fall 2022, have an interview for a Summer 2023 internship with Alphasights, and will be minoring in CS."

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• "Over the summer I was volunteering at my local courthouse and struggling to figure out how to combine my two passions: the sciences and humanities. One of my peers suggested that I take some economics courses because she saw how much I cared about social issues and policy. I ended up double majoring in economics and international studies as a result."

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• "I used to be super involved in campus activities at the beginning of my undergrad career. I was in the honors program, I competed in moot court across the country and then I was in student government for two years. Over the pandemic, my campus involvement shifted and I started getting more involved with my art community off campus. I also started a position at the student paper as the assistant opinions editor in my junior year. That really got me started on a journey in journalism that I didn't expect. In summer of 2021, I interned at the LA Times and then subsequently worked for NPR for 8 months. I had a really great time and I started freelancing for a number of different publications after. I've had bylines in the Washington Post, the Guardian, the LA Times and more."

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• "Sometimes it's challenging to feel like there aren't as many women in this field as there are men. I think about that a lot, where there is generally an underrepresentation of women and people of color in economics. I don't think it's something that I personally can overcome on a systemic level, but I pride myself in scoring well in my classes and proving through my studies that I belong in every classroom I'm in."

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• "I would say, it took me a long time to figure out my major. I'm in my last semester now, but I really took my time over the past four and a half years to figure out what I was passionate about. I went from a clarinet music performance major to a marine biology nerd who volunteered at CSULB's shark lab, to becoming a math major and ultimately a double major in economics and international studies. All along the way, I figured out what I loved which was writing and art and even though that's different from my studies, I think that ultimately, my degree has made me a more well rounded person. I would just encourage everyone who's trying to figure out what they are passionate about to really invest in themselves because ultimately college is about finding who you are and you'll never have a chance like this in life to continually reinvent yourself each year in school."

Have you thought about plans for after graduation?

• "I'm hoping to get a job in journalism and to work for a local or national publication after I graduate. I feel pretty good about my college experience, I think I explored every possible nook and cranny to find a path for myself and I'm proud of that. I'm really burnt out though. I worked full time and was a student full time in my senior year and I was really exhausting. I think that I'm going to also allow myself rest in the upcoming months and try not to push myself too hard."

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• "The economics department is so tight knit and I feel like I was just beginning to tap into that community right as the pandemic hit. I regret not being able to get involved more while I was a student, like participating in the Economics Student Association events. I'm really grateful though that I was able to receive so much learning and knowledge in my time in this department. I know the analytical skills I gained will stay with me for life."

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• When looking at "Economics", 'supply and demand' were the only words I could immediately recall when I was choosing my major in the application process. So I never had a full complete understanding in what Economics truly was. However, there was a small spark of interest when I learned about Economics my senior year of high-school and decided to take a small leap of faith. And it was the best decision I have ever made. I didn't realize how much of an interest I had with Economics. Where the major was broad enough where you have flexibility to carve what you want to do in the future, but not so specific and concentrated on one concept of study (i.e. Financial, Environmental, Data, & International).

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• Currently, I am in the University Honors Program at CSULB and for my honors thesis project; I will be focusing on two areas of study: Economics and Computer Science. I am currently performing this research with Dr. Yutian Chen within the Economics Department. I chose this specific concentration to gain experience not only in performing research, but also experience within tying economic game-theory with reinforcement-learning.

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• Some challenges I faced in choosing this major was deciding what specific areas of economics I wanted to pursue. I overcame this challenge through taking a variety of different (and what sounded interesting to
  me) economics courses to see which specific areas sparked my interest. I will never forget the moment sitting in Professor Herman Singh's Environmental Economics Class and hearing the words "Behavioral Economics" and what it meant. At that moment, I realized I was one step closer to deciding what I loved, what I am interested in, and wanted to pursue. Ultimately, on top of college, I also pursued various of circulars and explored outside of my bubble. This includes: exploring a Marketing Minor, Entrepreneurship, taking a Digital Marketing Certificate Course outside of school, and watching numerous of YouTube videos about "what to do with an economics degree".

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• Number 1: Take risks. Don't be afraid to take a class that you might know nothing about but seems interesting or challenging. You will never know unless you really try.
  Number 2: Have an open mind. Even if you have a set career goal going into college, you can have a completely different future planned in college or after college. I initially went into college wanting to become an Interior Designer and saw Economics not only as a "safety net degree" but also valuable knowledge in applying it towards Interior Design. I now have a completely different future career goal than when I first went into college.
  Number 3: Your self-care is the first and foremost priority. School, classes, the future, and your career can be extremely stressful to think about. But, there is nothing wrong with putting yourself first. Make sure to give yourself time to breathe, relax, take care of yourself, and enjoy the ride. Live your life too, you are not only tied to just school.

Have you thought about plans for after graduation?

• I have decided to pursue Data Science/Data Analytics with my Economics Degree. As of now, I am completing the Google Data Analytics Certificate Course which will help expand and curtail down my options what to look for. I currently have an open mind and don't have a full set path or plan in what I will be doing after graduation, but more of a direction. But my direction includes either: Pursuing and getting my Masters in Economics or Data Science/Data Analytics OR applying and searching for internships or job experience within the field.

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• I would like to highlight Professor Herman Singh, Rachel Lobo, and Dr. Yutian Chen; for helping me refine what I am interested in and what I want concentration I want to pursue with my degree. I also would like to highlight myself as a student for reaching out and asking questions to professors and spending some time on my own to really explore what I can do with my degree and what is it that I am passionate about and want to do.

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• I am an applied mathematics and economics double major. I chose to double major with economics because the subject has a lot of mathematics within it and the combination can open many doors for me.

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• I am the president of the South Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab, and North African Club. I originally joined the club because I am Persian. I like sharing my culture with my peers and learning about other cultures.

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• A challenge I've faced is balancing my time for my economics classes. Since I am a double major, sometimes I don't have the time to focus on my economics courses as much as my mathematics courses. I dealt with this issue by making a list of what courses I find more difficult and focusing more of my time on those.

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• I recommend staying on top of your notes in economics. You deal with new chunks of information in every class and reviewing the material after each class helped me a lot.

Have you thought about plans for after graduation?

• After graduation, I plan to continue living in Los Angeles and work in the data analytics field, hopefully dealing with data regarding business analytics.

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• One great thing about the Department of Economics is that they are always there to help you. When I was considering my double major, the economics advisor helped me every step of the way and was very encouraging.

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• I'm double-majoring in economics and political science, so I chose to study economics to understand the nature of how the economy, socioeconomics, and politics coincide with each other. At first, I was only studying political science. I was nervous about taking on economics because I had heard from economic Professors my first semester, first year that the major was a difficult one at CSULB. It was a random encounter during week of welcome at some advising booth. I frankly remember being asked "Are you sure you can do it?" in a less-than encouraging tone when I said I was interested in taking on the major. To be honest, I was pretty fired up after being asked that (felt somewhat condescending) and made sure to add economics to my major that same week. So my decision to choose economics partially came out of a desire to prove them that I could not only do it, but that I could excel at it. The other reasons for my decision came from believing that economics would help me understand political science better and vice versa. Ultimately, the two disciplines are always at an intersection with each other so I found that studying the two at the same time was a good fit.

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• Yes! I'm deeply involved in Circle K International (abbr. CKI), a service organization on campus. I was the past Vice President of Service for the '20-21 term then past President for the '21-22 term. Currently, I serve as a Skit Writer and Event Planner on the Fellowship Committee. CKI was a great choice for me because it involves students of all majors coming together to help and give back to the community. Many members of the community that we help come from elderly, low income, people of color, and working class families - a background that I and many of my peers share as well. Thus, CKI helped me learn that one of the greatest things one can give, other than money, is honestly just our care, physical presence, and time to build relationships and show up for people.

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• Infinitely more important than being a good student, I think being a good human matters more. My best advice is to seek to have empathy in the way you treat yourself and the way you treat others. At the end of the day, the only real thing we have, in my opinion, is our character and the connections we've made with other people.

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• I definitely believe that economics can be challenging with interpreting graphs correctly or making sure that your calculations are right, but the best thing that personally helped me was asking questions and practice. I don't think that I'm naturally gifted with math at all. I'm much more of a reading and writing brain. However, I got over the fear of sounding "stupid" and started asking questions with the intent of
  getting better. Getting comfortable asking questions amongst my peers and Professors helped me get comfortable with accepting that I didn't understand whatever concept(s) I'm trying to learn at the moment... YET! But by discussing the areas I didn't understand, I could eventually and finally develop a deep understanding for myself. Aside from asking questions, nothing beats practice. I'd drill my hardest questions (especially in ECON 380: Economic Statistics which is notorious for being a difficult class in our major) every day before tests to make sure that I could do the steps for solving math calculations with confidence.

Have you thought about plans for after graduation? If so, please share.

• I plan to attend law school after graduation with the intent of pursuing criminal law. I want to lead a life in public service and maybe academia one day. I have strong interests in becoming a public defender, and I definitely feel as though my economics and political science background will help me understand the people I represent and the communities they come from. I'm nervous yet excited for graduation, and I'm hopeful for what is to come.

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• Thank you to Professor Bailly and Singh for everything! I definitely feel that my success as a student and as a person is contributed by my mentors. I personally believe these two Professors not only try to help students learn concepts in class, but to take those concepts and make it applicable for everyday life. Cheesy as it is, I feel as though they honestly just try to help students be better people too and give much needed support.

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• For my 15th birthday my uncle had gifted me a subscription to The Wall Street Journal, which was the first
  physical newspaper I consistently read besides the comics page of my grandma's VC Star. This was what
  first sparked my interest in the world economy and economic issues. A year later I interned at a financial
  planning firm which furthered my interest in the domestic economy, as well as behavioral economics.

Are you involved in any campus activities? If so, why did you choose to get involved?

• I am involved in the President's Ambassadors program, as current co-chair of the recruiting committee, I'm a member of the Economics Students Association, and I play intramural soccer. I got involved on campus to find community and community service opportunities, both of which I have found.

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• The greatest challenge I have faced as an economics major is imposter syndrome. There are so many bright students and brilliant professors in the program that it sometimes feels hard to accept that I belong here. It’s important to understand everyone is here for a reason, including myself. Fortunately, the economics community is welcoming, and the professors are very approachable.

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Also, apply to join the President's Ambassadors program if you're looking for an outlet for professional development and community service.

How do you feel about your overall college experience?

• My overall college experience has been very positive, and I've found the CSULB academic experience special. I have met some truly remarkable people and made connections I am very grateful for.

Is there anything that you'd like to highlight about yourself or the Department of Economics to others?

• Everyone in the department of economics is incredibly helpful. As a student I am very lucky.

What influenced your decision to choose your major?

• Economics is everywhere, so I've always been interested in how and why people spend their money on the things they enjoy or support and being able to understand that through a deeper dive through Economic principles seemed very intriguing to me. I also love helping others and traveling the world so I felt that through Economics I can interact with people abroad and gain an even deeper appreciation of different cultures.

what is something you can share about your experience in economics?

• Studying Economics has been a great opportunity for me as I've been able to experience its focus from such a wide array of lenses, each providing me with more interest in the major and its potential than the last. From an individual's point of view to its greater environmental impact, economics has proven to be very versatile.

What difficulties or challenges have you faced choosing this major? How did you overcome them?

• One of the main challenges I experienced in choosing Economics was the initial anxiety over hearing how challenging and time consuming the major could be in my freshman year. Despite this, my interest in the major and desire to keep moving forward helped push me through this hurdle and even if some courses are harder than others I've always managed to continue pushing through to the best of my ability. My dedication to the major definitely played a huge role in embracing the unknown with what the major had in store for me and I'm so thankful it did.

What advice would you like to share with your peers?

• My biggest piece of advice would be to find a school-life balance at all costs. I think that overwhelming yourself with either too many courses at one time, not going in for help when needed, or simply not giving yourself time to unwind and decompress on days off are all ways to easily become overwhelmed very quickly. Personally, I think your work will greatly improve and feel much more meaningful if you're able to allocate time to do what you love outside of school.

Have you thought about plans for after graduation?

• After graduation, I plan on taking a year to try and find an internship program abroad as I plan on traveling the world as much as I can before eventually returning home to work on my Masters.