Graduating Seniors

Finding Your Path in Life

By Anthony Mendoza

Life works in mysterious ways in regard to whether or not you have the right idea of your path. Everyone is bound to find their true calling at some point in their lives. For Pencheng Xiong, Sydney Angel and Cheryl Watson their path in life was determined while at Chico State. Their involvement in student organizations and dedication to their academics has opened many possibilities.

Pengcheng Xiong, Compassionate Educator

Pengcheng Xiong found a passion for teaching and giving back to his community while at University of California Merced he spent three years as an undergraduate in the engineering program. Xiong soon discovered his calling wasn’t in engineering but teaching and mentoring others. Xiong received an opportunity to work at UC Merced developing educational programs for students that sparked his interest in teaching.

“Chico has a good teaching program and it's affordable, and since then a lot of good stuff has happened, so I don’t regret my decision,” Xiong said.

Xiong decided to change majors and decided to transfer to Chico State to pursue his dream career. Chico State is a place with opportunities and experiences that aided Xiong on his intended career path. He landed a job as a mentor for Upward Bound, a summer mentorship program for high school students that provides support and preparation before college.

“There’s a lot of good opportunities here,” Xiong said. “When I first transferred, it was easy to find a job tutoring high school students through Upward Bound.”

Aside from job opportunities, Xiong found other interests on campus that developed his networking and leadership skills. Xiong is the current president of the Hmong Student Association on campus. As president, his main responsibility is to promote diversity and awareness of traditions in the Hmong culture. He leads by example and has developed multiple leadership opportunities for his officers. He also provides guidance when needed.

“Being involved in the Hmong Student Association, I’ve been working on developing more opportunities for involvement in the community,” Xiong said. “Making people feel safer and connected to the school, and have the opportunity to grow and gain experience.”

Pengcheng Xiong studied abroad this past summer in Thailand, which opened up many possibilities for him to venture out and explore his heritage. Xiong explored Hmong villages and saw the reality of living in a third world country. He was touched by the stories and hardships that those students face, which directed him toward a career as a teacher.

“I saw how education has an impact and how they strive and even struggle to learn and that really touched my heart,” Xiong said. “I want to go back and teach over there because I feel like they need people to give them the opportunity to go places.”

Xiong has an innate curiosity for education, mentorship and traveling because it’s given him a platform to educate others. After graduation, he plans to go back to Thailand to educate underprivileged students to share experiences and inspirations from his life.

Sydney Angel, Aspiring Doctor

Sydney Angel is another graduating senior that has found her calling at Chico State. She is studying to receive her Bachelor of Sciences in biochemistry in the spring. Her passion stems from her family values and experiences, which inspired her to grow immensely while at Chico State. Angel participated in the pre-med club, chemistry club, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Student Learning Center as an SI leader. The atmosphere in the chemistry department allowed Sydney to develop very close, fond relationships with her professors.

“Being in a small department has been really nice,” Angel said. “I’m able to get to know my faculty on a first name basis and get to hang out with them outside of class.”

Her relationship with her professors has given her opportunities and guidance she didn’t think was possible. They push her to step out of her comfort zone by taking on leadership roles. Angel credits the student learning center as a major contributor to her success. There she developed key skills to mentor and provide leadership to other chemistry students. In her position, she’s helped over 800 students with their chemistry and physics courses, as well as provided oversight to the instruction of other SI leaders. SI supervisor Yer Thao is a coach to Angel that guided her to be the SI leader she is today.

“Sydney is a model for the quote, ‘Leadership is action, not position.’” Yer Thao said. “ She is passionate for learning, dedicated to her craft, advocates for the people she serves and goes above and beyond in everything she takes on. She will change the world for the better!”

The opportunities and challenges that come her way has helped her to excel in her major and grow as an SI leader. For example, to provide leadership and poster presentations to other SI leaders, she overcame her fear of public speaking. Although Angel knows her major is the right choice for her, she often competes against her male peers.

When asked about any challenges within her major, she expressed the gender inequality that’s become apparent. “In the chemistry field there’s a lot of men, so just overcoming that stereotype of being a female and having people not look down at you because you are a female pursuing higher education,” Angel said. Angel is proud to be a woman of color representing minority groups in the STEM field driven by white males.

Sydney Angel will continue her journey at California Northstate University College of Medicine in Elk Grove. She will complete a dual program to receive her masters in pharmaceutical science and the MD program to become a doctor in the next eight years.

“I automatically knew I wanted to be a doctor since my sister was in the hospital at such a young age,” Angel said. “So being able to see this doctor save her life made me want to be the same thing.”

Cheryl Watson, Endeavouring Academic Librarian

Cheryl Watson is a history major that ended up at Chico State by chance. She chose Chico State for convenience despite having other offers, such as San Bernardino and San Marcos. Coincidentally, her interests in research and organization guided her toward a career as an academic librarian. During her time here at Chico, she has been involved in organizations that enriched her perspective and experience.

When Watson earned a position at the Meriam Library in the Special Collection’s sector her ability to organize, research and track down items became apparent. There, Watson uncovered her passion to become an academic librarian and led her to pursue a graduate program in librarian studies.

“I like the environment of college and universities,” Watson said. “I’ve been good at school my whole life, so it would make sense that I would go into a career path set in a school setting.”

Despite the fact that it is a fulfilling and enriching experience to attend a university, higher education can sometimes come with its own challenges. Just Unity Sistas’ is an organization that provided Cheryl with a sense of community and belonging. She even served a term as treasurer and is currently an active member. Watson feels that as a woman of color it can be a bit isolating at times but that never discouraged her.

“To incoming students and women of color, Chico may seem overwhelming and a little bit scary, but there is a community here, you just have to find it,” Watson said. “Or make it yourself and break down doors, talk to people. You can do it because I did it and I thought I couldn’t.”

Chico State has shaped Watson into the person she is today. Her experiences, memories and professors allowed her to understand many different perspectives. She looks up to her mentors Tray Robinson, Stefani Baldivia and Tracy Butts, who served as advocates for her and other students of color. Watson’s supervisor Stefani Baldivia in Special Collections often gave her advice on education and life experiences.

"Higher education and your professional life will always have people in power ready to keep you where they think you belong,” Stefani Baldivia said. “Being a woman of color and first generation puts you in a position to push the limits on the boundaries society set for you."

Cheryl Watson has been accepted into three different library programs in the United Kingdom. where she will pursue her dream career as an academic librarian. Given her passion for the medical field, she is determined to achieve all her goals in sight. Cheryl hopes to come back and visit Chico to reminisce about the unforgettable memories made here.

“If I could, I would love to work in the Meriam Library once I’m fully developed as a professional,” Watson said.

Congratulations to these three graduating seniors on all their accomplishments! Good luck with all your future endeavors as you all enter your next chapters in life.