Meet LEAF Scholar: James Arteaga Carrasco
Meet LEAF Scholar, James Arteaga Carrasco! James is a graduate of Alpha Cindy Avitia High School and is now a first-year student majoring in Business Administration and Finance at Evergreen Valley College (EVC). Learn more about James and his goals through our latest Q&A with him about his transition to college:
What is your goal for your first year of college? My goal for this first semester is to focus on my academics and good grades. Once I feel comfortable, I’ll search for a job, internship, or try to get involved in clubs. I want to get that experience and comfort for the following years and build my resume for the future. My dream school to transfer to is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and San José State Unversity (SJSU) is my safety school. I want to get all those experiences so even if I don’t get into UCLA, I can still be a competitive applicant for other UCs and CSUs like SJSU.
What’s your dream job? My dream job is to be a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) one day. After a few years of experience as a CFO, I want to open my own business. Once I’m successful, I want to start my own nonprofit to give back to the community.
What’s something you’ve learned about college already? It’s very action-packed! I was prepared for it to be high stress, low sleep, but I didn’t feel that vibe. I feel like I can do this. The people and environment in college caught me by surprise. After getting out of my comfort zone I realized that everyone’s nervous because it’s their first year too. I love meeting new people and learning about them. Talking to people and hearing everyone’s stories inspires me.
What’s been your experience as a LEAF Scholar so far? I love the staff and community at LEAF. I’ve seen old friends at LEAF and I’ve even made a college friend through LEAF! I saw him at a lunch table at EVC and he recognized me and asked, “Hey, you look familiar! Were you at the LEAF event?” We became friends by having that connection to LEAF. The environment is fun and I like the workshops - I like answering the questions and getting the gift cards!
How has LEAF impacted you? I love how the scholarship helps Latinx community members and helps them finance their college education. It’s nice because not everyone has that amount of financial assistance. Even with other programs in college, it’s not enough. That $500 could be going towards gas money, groceries…and it’s 500 extra in your pocket for books. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in a good financial position, so I’m grateful for it.