Edward Duran

Pronouns: 

He/him

Major: 

English

Hometown: 

Santa Rosa, CA 

What are your campus involvements? 

First-and Second-Year Transition (FAST) programs, Writing Center at the Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC).

What is your favorite memory or experience at SSU? 

One that stands out to me is when I first joined the First- and Second-Year Transition (FAST) Programs. I was nervous coming into the position. This was the first professional leadership role I’d ever had, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I remember walking into my first day of training and being blown away by how welcoming everyone was. My coworkers went out of their way to make me feel seen and included. For the first time, I was part of a community dedicated to a common purpose, which was to support first-year students as they navigate college for the first time. To support first-years, we had to first support each other. Joining FAST taught me what it means to be part of a team- how you become stronger as an individual when you open yourself to working together. I became more connected to my studies, to the campus, and to my peers through being part of the FAST community.

What has been the most challenging part of your college experience and what did you learn from it? 

First semester of my third year was rough. I was working two jobs - one on-campus and one off-campus - and enrolled in four upper division courses. I was constantly busy and perpetually exhausted. When finals came around, I felt entirely unequipped to handle the workload, especially since I had so many other late assignments to catch up on. I was extremely stressed and I shouldered that stress alone for a good while. It wasn’t until the final week of the semester that I realized I’d been completely ignoring my support network. I reached out to my professors, asking for advice on completing the finals. I even managed to get an extension of two days for one of them. I also noticed that when I worked beside someone else, I was able to stay focused for longer, so I started studying with others instead of alone. I learned the value of seeking others for support. There are people - faculty, peers, friends, family - who want to help me succeed; I just have to be open to it.

What brought you to SSU, and what motivates you to stay? 

I toured SSU once when I was a first-year high school student and knew then and there that this was where I belonged. That sounds really cheesy, but it’s true. I loved the scenery and the coziness of it all. All the students I met were so friendly. I’d come from smaller schools where everyone knew everyone’s name, and I wanted that same sense of connection when I got to college. Plus, I heard so many rave reviews for the English single-subject program- how it truly pushes prospective English teachers to think critically about English education in a broader institutional and political context. I’ve known I wanted to be an English teacher since I was 12 years-old, and hearing about this single-subject program only made me more determined to attend here someday. I continue to attend SSU because of the community I’ve found here. So many of my faculty and peers share the same values and convictions that I do, all to the effect of creating a safer, more equitable, more critically conscious spaces from which to do the most good for our shared world. I’ve learned so much from the scholars I engage in conversation with every day.

Who at SSU has influenced you and/or made an impact on your journey here? 

I owe so much of my happiness and success at SSU to the two close friends I’ve made here, Kit and Sydney. I met Kit during first-year orientation and Sydney during my sophomore year, but it feels like I’ve known them my whole life. My friends have seen me through so many difficult times, both academic and personal, and stuck by me all the while. They help me to see the best in myself every day, and I wouldn’t have accepted or felt worthy of most of the opportunities that have come my way without them cheering me on. I’ve broken out of my shell completely here at SSU, and it is largely due to the constant love and encouragement they have showered me with.