Erika Diaz Ramirez
Meet Erika
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Major: Computer Science
Year: Third Year
Hometown: Stockton, CA
What is your favorite memory or experience at SSU?
My favorite experience at SSU is when I help students in MESA by being a mentor. I have helped a lot this semester with helping my mentees with Computer Science concepts. I thoroughly enjoy this as we have some fun conversations and it's a good way for me to motivate and support other students in a similar situation as my own. Additionally, it was also a great feeling of satisfaction when I helped my mentees with their financial aid applications. I believe it is invaluable that students shouldn't have to worry if they have enough money to pay for school or basic necessities. Thus, when I guided my mentees through their financial aid I felt great satisfaction that I was able to make the transition between semesters easier on my mentees and other students at SSU.
What made you choose SSU?
I wanted to explore and branch out a bit more, to get out of my comfort zone. Being from Stockton, I wanted a change of pace, and SSU was just that. I was also far away enough from my family that I could visit them whenever I needed or wanted to. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit campus before the pandemic, but I had a strong gut feeling saying, this is the place you need to be at. I followed the gut feeling, and I'm glad I did, because this is where I found a home away from home.
What has been the most challenging part of your college experience and what did you learn from it?
The most challenging experience in my college experience has been that of learning how to prioritize myself and time management. Prioritizing myself and expressing my feelings has been a hard thing to learn, since for the longest time I had to be the strong person for my family. I had to just listen to everyone's issues; I had to prioritize and help them. My experience at SSU has taught me how to prioritize myself and care for myself in all ways. Another thing SSU has taught me is how to manage my time. Being involved on campus, having two jobs, caring and keeping up to date with my family, allocating time to myself, and, of course, school are a lot of things we all deal with. However, I only have a limited amount of time that I can section off. My college experience has helped me in making sure I have time for everything I want to do. Overall, SSU has taught me a lot of things, educationally and personally, but out of everything, I believe these are the most impactful.
What have you been involved with at SSU?
MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement) Mentor and Member, Sigma Pi Alpha Sorority, Inc. President, Volunteering at the food pantry, and other volunteering opportunities with JUMP (Join Us In Making Progress)