By Pierre Yaldo

Staff Writer

We all come to campus, take classes and go home, week after week. But have you ever considered taking your college experience beyond the most basic requirements?

Kevin Adson, a 19-year-old sophomore here at CSUSM, shows us how he juggles a full schedule of classes, while also pursuing ambitious career and life goals. When Adson first arrived at the university as a freshman, he knew that he had to make his mark. Once he settled into the 15 units he takes every semester, he got involved with different organizations on campus, such as the Black Student Union and the Gender Equity Center.

After just one year at San Marcos, Adson received the Outstanding Freshman of the Year Award, given to students who display outstanding academic performance, as well as on campus and community involvement. Up until December of last year, he held the role of president of the LGBTQA organization, serving as peer educator and discussion facilitator to the group.

When asked about his favorite organization to work with, Adson said that would be the Greek life association. He is not only a member of the fraternity known as Sigma Chi, but also serves on the Greek Leadership Council and is the Scholarship chair for his fraternity.

Even with this overfilled plate of responsibilities, Adson still finds time to chase his own academic passions, and even finds time for fun. He hopes to chase his dream of getting to the bottom of neurodegenerative diseases and psychotic disorders by going to medical school. Adson’s endgame is to become a neurosurgeon, a position he believes will put him in the best place to help the people he cares about.

For the freshman and sophomores that are still hesitant to get involved on campus, Adson says it is one of the best decisions he has made, and he would not be where he is today had he not gone past taking his 15 units.

“Nowadays, college is not just about your academics; there’s another aspect of school, where a lot of jobs look for a more diverse and well-rounded student. Just take it slow, and don’t overextend yourself,” said Adson.

Since it is Black History Month, I couldn’t leave without asking Adson what this historic time of celebration means to him.

“[It is] a time to celebrate all of the things that African American Icons have done for people in my community,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here in this position, I wouldn’t even be in college, if there weren’t people who stepped up for the lives of African American people.”