Moncerrat Ochoa

Hometown: Santa Clarita Valley, CA

Major: Biology

Career Plans: Pediatrician

Hi everyone! My name is Moncerrat Ochoa, I am a first-generation student and Biology major here at CSU Channel Islands. I was born and raised in the Santa Clarita Valley with two hard-working parents that always pushed me to be the best that I can be. They would always tell me that with hard work comes great things, and hopefully one day it will all be worth it! It is important to mention that I am the oldest sibling in my family, making me their role model. I am the person they look up to for advice, no pressure, and someone they can reach out to whenever they need help. I am the type of person that enjoys helping others in any way possible and hopefully, I can use that in my future career. Along with that, my main focus growing up was being on track with school and not giving up, it is like that to this day. My parents always provided for us to be successful in school and I could not have done it without them. I enjoyed being in high school and I joined a medical assistant class to have a more hands-on experience of what I wanted to be.

At a young age, I was in and out of hospitals due to kidney issues that ultimately change my life. What I mean is that from there I grew an interest in becoming a doctor, it fascinated me that they were able to make me feel better with any pain that I had. From then on I wanted to be in the medical field, I hope to be a pediatrician because I love working with kids! With that being said,I needed to do a lot of schooling if I wanted to pursue that career! And if you know me, you’d know that I am determined to do just that because it is my passion. My parents, family, and close friends all motivated me and believe that I can achieve my dreams and I love them for that!

All this led me to be at Channel Islands. It was a university not too far from home and one I really connected with. I have met some of the most amazing people here on campus, especially the ones I get to work with! Being in the STEM field, you get to do so much and I am glad to be part of it. I really enjoyed science and even math growing up, compared to any other subjects. So when it came to choosing a major, Biology was the right fit for me. Also, I liked taking it in high school, shout out to my biology teacher! Now being a third year, all the classes I’ve taken for this major fascinate me and I am glad I chose this major. I can’t wait to graduate and continue on my path!

A fun fact about me is that I enjoy doing makeup and drawing in my free time. I am by no means professional but I am getting better each and every day :)