Switching her major from biochemistry to literature and writing, Sarah Jacot dared to challenge her expected path to pursue a degree in her passion.

It was this change that would lead to a college experience she never expected.

During her first term as a freshman during fall 2012, Jacot studied biochemistry as her family expected her to do following her involvement with the health program at Mission Hills High School. However, she found that the stress of the major wasn’t worth enduring for her entire undergraduate career.

“I realized I didn’t like science and I said, ‘You know, I really want to do what I want to do,’ so I decided to go into writing,” said Jacot.

In spring 2013, she declared literature and writing as her major and earned her bachelor’s

degree within three and a half years, graduating a semester early in fall 2015.

Approaching commencement, Jacot recalled the path that led her here.

She began working at the Writing Center in fall 2013, where her boss, Jeff Harlig, encouraged her to join the Orientation Team (O-­Team).

“Out of everyone, I think he’s the one who I really admire and I feel like I was able to do a lot of things because he was there,” said Jacot.

She went on to become a member of the O­Team for her last two years at CSUSM.

“That was honestly one of the best things that happened to me,” said Jacot. “I actually met my boyfriend through O-­Team, so that was a huge plus and because of O­Team, I met so many new people and I became really close with them,” said Jacot.

Speaking about her boyfriend, Javier Enriquez, Jacot said, “He definitely made a huge impact on my whole college experience. It’s because of him that I was able to become more outgoing because he was in Greek life.”

With the O-­Team, Writing Center, Pre­-Law Society, Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society) and other campus involvement listed on her resume, Jacot landed an internship at the Justicecorps program in the Family Court Services office in the Vista courthouse.

Prior to that internship, she had an internship at Palomar Hospital during her senior year of high school.

“It was actually those two internships that really pushed me to go into law school because I want to study health law,” said Jacot.

She currently works as a legal assistant and was accepted into Suffolk University in Boston, where she will study law beginning fall 2016.

As Jacot prepares to attend a new university, she reflected on her time at CSUSM.

“I realize that [CSUSM] really was such a great decision for me,” said Jacot. “I really do love this school and it was really cool watching it grow.”

She said that her biggest accomplishments in her career at CSUSM were making her parents proud and being the first in her family to graduate from a four-­year university.

She recently read a quote on Twitter that resonated with her outlook on college.

“It was something along the lines of ‘you can have fun for four years, but work the rest of your life, or you can work hard for four years and have fun the rest of your life.’ I think that’s a really important thing to keep in mind because it’s important to have fun in college, but I also think you have to remember that college is an investment and no matter what, you should always put academics first.”