August 2006 EOP Newsletter
Farewell and Good Luck: Interview with Anita Garcia
EOP: Could you tell me a little bit about your upcoming study abroad experience to Costa Rica and what your plans are?
A: The program itself is a part of the social work curriculum. We’re supposed to complete 440 hours of community service and it’s part of an internship which you can do in one or two semesters, and I chose to do it in one so that I could go
EOP: 440 hours?!!
A: Yeah, so I have to be in the field four days a week. But basically, the first six weeks that we are going to be over there, we have to go to Escuela de Idiomas (School of Languages), which is the school we have to attend. After the six weeks, then we actually start our placement and I believe my placement is at a children’s hospital. I’m looking forward to that because I love working with kids.
EOP: It sounds like an intense “hands-on” internship experience.
A: Yeah, that’s basically it. Everything that we have learned so far, we can actually put into practice and they are really going to test us.
EOP: Is there anything that you would like to say to your EOP family?
A: Ever since this past summer I’ve learned to look at the EOP family in different ways. I can honestly say that I transferred here last year in the spring. I never really participated in anything that the program did up until this past summer. Which I was like kicking myself in the butt for, thinking like, Why didn’t I take the initiative before to really get involved. I’m kind of upset that I wasn’t around more, that I didn’t get involved more prior to the summer because it’s been amazing. That’s one of the things that I am going to miss most—being around here. I know a lot of people think we say EOP is family—it’s like, sounds corny kind of thing. But you know what, in reality I think we really are. I mean we’re always there for each other, we’re always looking out for each other. And my experience with the students… and like they trust us so much and they’ve gotten to be so close to me that they are like pretty much family. Everybody has treated me… they’ve really made me feel like a part of the group.
EOP: I can see all of this really means a lot to you.
A: It does, it really does because it’s made a difference. That’s one of the things I regret about leaving is that I am going to miss out on the EOP banquet and I’m really upset about it too—that I am not going to be a part of it. But I’m definitely going to miss everybody and I’ve really learned to appreciate the program much more and the people in it.
EOP: I have just one last question. Are there any lessons you have learned during your time here that you could apply to your whole life?
A: This semester has been the hardest semester ever in my entire school history. When it comes down to it, you have to realize that you have certain goals and you have your mind set to get to those goals. You have to work really hard to make sure that the distractions that are a part of everyday life don’t get in the way of that. And this semester I really learned that the hard way (laughing). The one thing is that you have to work extra hard. You have to work extra hard when you know you want certain things. It just comes down to that. If you don’t, the rest doesn’t matter.
