Programs

Feb 17, 2020, at 10:21 AM

Good Afternoon Debra:

My name is Olivia and I have been wanting to simply express my enjoyment with the experience I've had with the USU during my time here at CSUN.

I am graduating this May, and I truly think getting involved with, and having a job, in the USU has shaped my whole college experience. You would think that as I head towards graduating I would start reminiscing and missing experiences like big USU events, or the cool opportunities that come up through being employed here- but the single thing I will miss far more than any others is the Noontime Concerts. I am so grateful for those.

A few years ago I found myself extremely down/depressed. Then, and still to this day, I can be quite introverted and in my 5 years here I have not made any friends that I hung out with beyond what's needed, say, for a class. But that is not something I see as a problem- I value and enjoy my own company. The only downside is a lot of activities often are geared towards people who are partners, groups, etc. Anywho, one of the only things that would bring me joy coming to school was those concerts. I went out of my way to schedule my classes around that time, and loved sitting there listening to new artists, doing a craft, and eating the free food. Free food is the way to anyone's heart. :) It is a small event that allows me to enjoy my time here, even alone. If there is one thing I could recommend, it's that you keep those concerts going for as long as possible. When I look back on my years here at CSUN, my time in the USU is what pops in my head simply for all the activities and services it provides.

Additionally, I only recently created a Linkedin account and found myself so surprised by the skills and information I was able to add to my profile from my experience being employed at the USU (Specifically I work at the SRC). I genuinely feel like it has given me a background that is more competitive, and it makes me excited to job search. I felt compelled to send this email today because we had the Budget Meeting and when discussing things like presenting the budget to a management team, I was sitting there thinking about how great an opportunity that is for students and their future careers.

This all is really just my way of saying thank you. I also have an added level of admiration seeing all the great work you do, especially as a black woman making change. That is all I want to do- albeit, in a different field (I hope to go into pediatrics- we can always use more black doctors)- and the USU has really helped me out.

***Also, wow! I just got the email to take the employment survey- what timing.

Best,

Olivia B.