Michael Martin
Hometown: San Marcos, CA
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry
Career Plans: Doctoral Degree
Hello I am a biology major with a minor in chemistry! I came into CSUCI with an interest in science but with no direction on how to apply my knowledge. Today I have successfully found my path forward and can look forward to a bright future. I grew up in a small university town of San Marcos California. Both of my parents worked as professors of Spanish at the local university CSU San Marcos. I made many friends during my time living at home, and had many positive experiences. But when it came time to choose a university to attend I wanted to make sure that I was truly accomplishing what I was working on, and that I was not living in my parents shadow. To this end I chose to move away from home and come up to sunny ventura county!
I chose to go to College because it was the next logical step forward. I was fortunate enough to have parents that started to save for my education when I was very young, so I seized the opportunity to advance my studies. I was fascinated by the world of science and I was hungry for more experiences in my favorite high school subject, Biology. I had also taken a few college prep classes that illuminated the possibilities that a bachelors degree and above could grant. Knowing that I was driven enough to accomplish my goals, and that I was lucky enough to have the funding required for the pursuits of my interests I decided to apply to a handful of colleges with the intention of achieving a doctoral degree someday. Before choosing to come to CSUCI I had toured several other college campuses to determine where I fit in best. Throughout my searches, I found that CSUCI had a very welcoming community and a very positive school spirit, so I chose to look into it further. Upon further inspection, I also found out that there was a remarkably low student to faculty ratio. This meant that I would be given more individualized attention, which in turn would give me a better chance of standing out in a crowd and getting research opportunities. Finally I chose CI due to its phenomenal dining experience. The food services for on campus students include hand cooked meals that can be any food you could possibly want, and if you are kind to the staff they are kind in return and will make your experience at CI one of the best in the world. Once the pandemic is over, if given the chance to return for a visit to campus, I would buy a plane ticket solely for the chance to say hello to my friends that worked at the cafe, and a chance to taste the delicious food once again.
I chose biology mostly because it is what I am good at. There are plenty of fields that are interesting and cool, however biology became the center of my attention because it naturally clicked with me. I understood every mechanism inside the cell, can identify a handful of birds on sight, can recognize invasive species in an environment, and ultimately I have never taken a biology class that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. Of course being a biology major means you need to take classes from other fields as well, and while chemistry seemed to tie in best with biology, nothing really ever clicked as well as understanding that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. A bonus of being a biology major is that the field offers plenty of opportunities to get a doctorate degree given that you've done enough research!
Even though I am 6’8” tall and I have a voice as deep as a well, I still like to think that I am a child at heart. I still find time to play video games and table top RPGs, dress up like a pirate, collect plushy piggies, and watch cartoons from my childhood. I try to be as friendly as I can and will do my best to stay as positive as possible.