Jesus M. Gonzalez Arellano
Jesus M. Gonzalez Arellano is a junior majoring in Physiological Sciences B.S.
How has PEERS helped you achieve your academic goals?
Without the assistance of PEERS, I do not think I would have been able to pass some classes. It was thanks to their workshops that I was able to understand concepts much better than if I just attended lectures and discussion. Furthermore, PEERS has been able to provide great counseling which has been able to guide me in choosing classes for the future.
What advice do you have for an incoming PEERS freshman?
I want incoming freshmen to know that there is still time to discover their interests and that there is a lot of support if you know where to look for it. Here at UCLA, you are rarely, if ever, alone. Especially with PEERS behind you, you will always have a source of support and guidance. Obviously, this support and guidance can also come from other places such as your professors or your friends, but always remember that you have to ask for help in order to receive. Don’t try walking your path alone.
What are you involved in outside of academics? And how has your participation shaped your UCLA experience?
I am currently in the executive board for both ALD|PES and RADAR. ALD|PES are two honor societies that have tried to enrich the lives of their members and UCLA students by offering professional, academic, and social support throughout various events and programs that we have hosted. On the other hand, RADAR is a student led club whose main emphasis is on bringing awareness to invisible diseases that many live with and that others do not take into account when designing infrastructure, whether it be physical infrastructure or legal infrastructure. Both of these have helped me realize that there are a lot of people, students like ourselves, that are really devoted to the wellbeing of others even if it does not directly impact them. It brings me a sense of community that I had not found elsewhere.
What are your future career goals? And how has your background influenced your career goals?
My current future career goal is to become an anesthesiologist. I am a first-generation student as many of PEERS students are, and thus I want to set a path for my younger family members to look upon. Being from a Latino background, it has always been pointed out that I am the oldest of my family and that I need to set an example for my younger sister and for my cousins who are all younger than me. Although this would normally be a great deal of pressure on some, I wanted to take this role seriously as I do not want anyone that followed me to have the same struggles that I had because I would be able to help them. This mindset is what I believe led me to choosing anesthesiology as a career, because after all, anesthesia exists so that others do not have to suffer unnecessarily and that is what I aspire to be for my family.Jesus M. Gonzalez Arellano is a junior majoring in Physiological Sciences B.S.
How has PEERS helped you achieve your academic goals?
Without the assistance of PEERS, I do not think I would have been able to pass some classes. It was thanks to their workshops that I was able to understand concepts much better than if I just attended lectures and discussion. Furthermore, PEERS has been able to provide great counseling which has been able to guide me in choosing classes for the future.
What advice do you have for an incoming PEERS freshman?
I want incoming freshmen to know that there is still time to discover their interests and that there is a lot of support if you know where to look for it. Here at UCLA, you are rarely, if ever, alone. Especially with PEERS behind you, you will always have a source of support and guidance. Obviously, this support and guidance can also come from other places such as your professors or your friends, but always remember that you have to ask for help in order to receive. Don’t try walking your path alone.
What are you involved in outside of academics? And how has your participation shaped your UCLA experience?
I am currently in the executive board for both ALD|PES and RADAR. ALD|PES are two honor societies that have tried to enrich the lives of their members and UCLA students by offering professional, academic, and social support throughout various events and programs that we have hosted. On the other hand, RADAR is a student led club whose main emphasis is on bringing awareness to invisible diseases that many live with and that others do not take into account when designing infrastructure, whether it be physical infrastructure or legal infrastructure. Both of these have helped me realize that there are a lot of people, students like ourselves, that are really devoted to the wellbeing of others even if it does not directly impact them. It brings me a sense of community that I had not found elsewhere.
What are your future career goals? And how has your background influenced your career goals?
My current future career goal is to become an anesthesiologist. I am a first-generation student as many of PEERS students are, and thus I want to set a path for my younger family members to look upon. Being from a Latino background, it has always been pointed out that I am the oldest of my family and that I need to set an example for my younger sister and for my cousins who are all younger than me. Although this would normally be a great deal of pressure on some, I wanted to take this role seriously as I do not want anyone that followed me to have the same struggles that I had because I would be able to help them. This mindset is what I believe led me to choosing anesthesiology as a career, because after all, anesthesia exists so that others do not have to suffer unnecessarily and that is what I aspire to be for my family.