Future Plans Reflection

Irvine and Reality

I only live about an hour away from where I plan to spend the next four years of my life.
Getting accepted to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is amazing and I’m excited to not
have to go out of state so far away from my family and friends. However, my decision to go to
UCI was not a swift decision taking about a month to finally submit my statement of intent. My
decision was spurred on by my passion for computer science which I developed at Great Oak and
where I see myself after those four years. After my freshman year at Great Oak, I went into the
CTE computer science pathway for my next 3 years of high school and I have enjoyed every
year of it. Learning coding languages from C++ to Java has been an enriching experience, and to
continue my learning at UCI which has an amazing computer science program was not a difficult
decision. What made my decision so difficult was receiving an email stating that I qualified for a
transfer program to the University of Southern California’s School of Engineering (USC). USC
was my dream school since I was a kid and given the opportunity to transfer in felt surreal.
However, to achieve this I would need to pay $85,828 just for one year at the school and I would
need to stay there for two to finish my degree. USC was my dream school, but I needed to come
to the realization that a degree from there was not worth having an immense amount of school
debt. Though I had to give up on my hopes of going to USC I am very excited to pursue my
passion of computer science at UCI.
Coding for the Rest of My Life
Ever since I was a kid I have always been invested in the making of the games and
electronics that surround my life, and as I got older learning that computer science was the
culprit behind my childhood and present joys, I was inspired to explore the mechanisms behind
them. Great Oak High School has let me pursue this inspiration through the computer science
CTE pathway offered at my high school. In it, I learned numerous programming languages and
the implementation of computer science in the world around us. I also became familiar with how
developers code in a group environment, which helped me get the experience I was looking for.
These experiences only deepened my interest in the subject. The more I coded, the more I
enjoyed it, and I saw myself coding for work in the future. However, my desire to code as a
career has been challenged outside of the classroom in the extracurriculars offered at Great Oak.
Outside of classes, I have participated in the CyberSecurity club at Great Oak for over three
years, participating as the Cisco Packet Tracer contender for two years and becoming the
Secretary/Treasurer of the club this year. Competing in CyberSecurity alongside my teammates
has been a fantastic experience. Learning the Cisco network simulation program and other
cybersecurity disciplines has made me interested in pursuing a career around cybersecurity using
a degree in computer science to do more than just code. Overall, during my time at Great Oak
High School, I have been exposed to a greater portion of the vast computer science discipline
and my experience here has inspired me to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
I will be in debt, yet I’m excited
For the next four years of my life, I will have to pay at least $24,782 a year to acquire an
education. I have been fortunate enough to not really have to worry about finances concerning
my education throughout High School with my family being able to afford my exam fees or any
extracurricular activities I wanted to do. The realization that I or my family simply do not have
enough money is scary, taking out a loan is scary, having debt is scary. However, the people
around me that I have met at Great Oak High School make this realization all the less scarier. I
have friends who are in a similar if not worse situation than me in concern to affording college.
They have told me about scholarships that I should apply to or helped me with the financial aid
process. Without their help I would be infinitely more overwhelmed than I already am. Beyond
my friends, the counselors at Great Oak helped me through this terrifying process. Specifically,
Mr. Shepherd, who I have sent more than enough frantic emails concerned about my Fasfa
application and if I would be receiving financial aid. My communication with Mr. Shepherd has
encouraged me to contact my counselors over at UCI knowing that like him they can provide the
help I need. The people at Great Oak have helped me feel confident as I enter into the next step
of my life. Now, the thought of debt does not intimidate me from receiving an education that will
help me pursue my passions.