Ady Moran ’28
Major: Psychology

Two weeks ago, I finished my first year of undergrad, and recently I’ve been reflecting on just how much I’ve grown—academically, personally and emotionally. Being a first-generation Latina college student, this journey came with its own set of challenges but also so many valuable lessons that I’m proud to carry with me. 

Here are my top takeaways from freshman year: 

Use your resources 

This year, I truly saw the value of leaning into the resources around me. I was fortunate to receive multiple scholarships thanks to Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Jobs for Youth. I used Pacific’s tutoring services, office hours and study spaces when I needed help. I even found a job thanks to networking and connections I made on campus. The support truly is there—you just have to ask. 

Don’t be afraid to say yes 

Coming into college, I was nervous about leaving home and starting a new chapter. But saying yes to many things changed everything. One of the best decisions I made this year was joining Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority, Inc. It became my second home and has given me lifelong friendships. Saying yes opened doors to experiences and memories I’ll cherish forever. 

Learning to handle stress 

Navigating college for the first time, by myself, was overwhelming, but I learned many ways on how to manage stress—from something as small as taking a snack break to as big as reaching out and having honest conversations when I was struggling. I’m grateful I learned how to take care of my mental and emotional well-being. 

Asking for help 

This is my biggest takeaway. I’ve always been someone who hesitates to ask for help, but this year taught me otherwise. Whether it was reaching out to friends, mentors, professors for academic support or my advisers—every time I asked for help, I received guidance that made all the difference. I didn’t do this alone and I’m beyond thankful for my community. 

This year has shaped me in ways I didn’t expect, and I’m excited (and ready!) for what’s ahead. Here’s to growth, resilience and Year 2!  

Kayleigh Fick ’25 
Major: Political Science
Minor: History
Extracurriculars: Tiger Team admission ambassador; history research assistant; president of Phi Alpha Delta pre-law professional fraternity; member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
Favorite places: Muir Grove and Miracle Mile

From the moment Kayleigh Fick ’25 set foot on Pacific’s campus; she was eager to dive into her political science studies. But what she didn’t expect was how one professor’s mentorship would shape her academic path in ways she never imagined. Through her connection with history Professor Laura D. Gutierrez, Kayleigh discovered that college isn’t just about gaining knowledge—it’s about finding the people who help you grow, challenge you, and inspire you along the way. 

Fick was already an active student in her sorority and in the Pacific Legal Advantage program. But after taking her first history course, Modern Latin America, with Gutierrez, she soon learned how intertwined history and politics are. The experience was so compelling that it led her to add history as a minor.  

“That class really challenged me to develop my writing and research skills,” Fick said. “We had never touched on Latin American history in high school, and I found it incredibly compelling.” 

She soon found that not only was Gutierrez a teacher she could learn a lot from but also a personal mentor who could lead her to law school.  

The role of a mentor 

“She’s definitely been a constant source of support and a mentor that really challenged me to grow,” Fick said. “She didn’t let me stay still in my growth. She challenged me to always improve, always be better.” 

Outside the classroom, Gutierrez helped Fick conduct research for her Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship project, which focused on the works of Argentina’s former first lady, Eva Perón. Fick chose Gutierrez specifically to mentor her through the fellowship. 

According to Fick, one of the most important things Gutierrez taught her during her research on this project was the need for accessibility. So, she translated all Perón’s speeches into English, which had previously not been made available before. Under Gutierrez’s guidance, Fick created a website containing all of Perón’s speeches as well as an interactive map that shows the user each location where Perón gave a speech. Because of Gutierrez’s influence and Fick’s dedication, more people can access the speeches and learn more about an important leader in Latin American history.  

A support system beyond academics 

The relationship between Fick and Gutierrez extended beyond academics. As a woman navigating the traditionally male-dominated field of history, Fick found inspiration in her Gutierrez’s resilience. 

“Dr. Gutierrez has paved her own way,” Fick said. “It’s been really nice to have somebody to talk to and a confidant that has been through it all and come out successfully.” 

Fick also invited Gutierrez to the faculty dinner at her sorority to show her appreciation for her mentorship.  

“I got to learn a lot about the work she does because she was an officer in her sorority, and I got to peek into an entirely different side of student life,” Gutierrez said. 

Their bond was strengthened further when Gutierrez had a baby during the summer research program. Despite the temporary absence, Fick felt empowered to continue her work independently.  

“She trusted me to take initiative, and that gave me confidence in my abilities,” Fick said. 

The lasting impact of mentorship 

Fick says Gutierrez’s guidance has left a significant mark on her confidence and career aspirations.  

“I used to be so anxious about professional and academic settings,” Fick said. “But now, as I prepare for law school, I feel assured in my ability to write, advocate for myself and navigate the professional world.” 

Fick has been accepted into Washington and Lee University School of Law but first she plans to take a gap year to work in government. She credits Gutierrez and the rest of her Pacific professors for supporting her ambitions and encouraging her to take the time she needs to refine her skills. 

Advice for future students 

For those hesitant to seek help from their professors, Fick offers simple advice: take the initiative.  

“Going to office hours can be intimidating, but professors at Pacific genuinely care about their students.” Fick said. “Developing relationships with faculty has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my college experience.” 

Fick says her experience is a testament to the power of mentorship at Pacific in shaping not just academic success but personal growth and professional confidence. Gutierrez’s guidance helped her find her voice, refine her skills and prepare for the challenges ahead. 

When Sahila Shah isn’t juggling her marketing classes at Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business, interning for companies like Wells Fargo and serving as president of Pacific’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Student Council (which she also founded), she is making a difference in the Stockton community in big ways. Last summer, she helped organize a Black Lives Matter for college students that over 1,000 people attended.

We caught up with Sahila to ask her a few questions about her experiences in activism and nonprofit work and what motivates her to give back to her community.

What inspired you to do community service here in Stockton?

Ever since the age of 16, I really wanted to give back to Stockton. I just had a really big passion for community service, involvement and leadership. I did very diverse projects in Stockton. I started from a nonprofit level, then government and City Hall.  

My passion really aligns with my identities. I have a very strong intersectional background. I’m a first-gen student. I’m a daughter of immigrants from Muslim parents. The hardships that I experienced because of my background really empowered me to be stronger, be resilient and to give back to the communities that nurtured me. 

Was there a project or experience that had a large impact on you over the course of your community work?

I think a significant experience that really opened my eyes was interning for Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC for short). They selected me when I was in high school, so I was in their youth program. I learned a lot about the school-to-prison pipeline, the inequities present in Stockton, the Cleveland Elementary School shooting that occurred in Stockton — so much history that I never knew about until I joined their program.  

That opened my eyes to how I, as a Stocktonian, can make my city better, and it also led to why I chose to come to UOP specifically, since I wanted to stay local and contribute as much as possible.

Through EMAC, last year, virtually, I was their program intern. So now, instead of being on the youth level, I’m supervising the youth. I did a lot of projects for them. I organized workshops and activities and collected a lot of resources for them to look into, especially to enhance leadership. 

What are some of the most important things you learned through working with EMAC?

EMAC really opened my eyes to how I can be an activist, how I can give back as much as possible and be effective at it. And now in college, I feel like I’ve grown so much. I’ve had such a strong level of experiences. I know how to organize, how to collect people and how to make sure that we all come together to fight the injustice that’s present.  

EMAC is also a big reason why I was really motivated to organize a protest last year. If I wasn’t in EMAC, I wouldn’t have known about the basics of how to organize, how to scream your demands and get the attention that we need.

Tell us more about the protest you organized.

My friend and I organized a protest for Black Lives Matter after George Floyd’s very unfortunate death. We organized the second protest in the city. We had over 1,000 people come, and this was just a protest organized for college students.  

I helped a lot with the social media, so I helped tremendously with marketing. I was able to create a social media account, work on that, work on engagement and just get our voices out there. This was a very empowering experience for me.  

With COVID, we felt that in order to reach our audience, we had to go on social media and attract the younger audiences. As a fellow Gen Z, that helped a lot, because we were able to get the audience that we wanted and the attention that we needed to scream our demands.

As a business student, how does your work in the community inform how you approach marketing?

If you go on my LinkedIn and you look at my resume, my experiences are kind of everywhere. I do what I do because I just feel motivated to do it. My marketing and nonprofit work and my internships and my social activism, and then my corporate internship, all of these in the end aligned with my values.

In my future career, I want to work at a bigger tech company, because I feel like, in order to give back to my community, I need to attract the people that have the capacity to give back. I give back my time and I give back my passion, but I’m going to reach a bigger audience that can give back the capital that we need for our communities. That’s what I want to do with their marketing experience. I want to have a diverse background so that I know who to target and who to give back to.

Choosing Pacific was easy for Davis Young ’22 whose sister and grandfather are Pacific alumni with degrees in engineering and computer science. Davis was specifically drawn to computer engineering because it allows him to learn about software and hardware at the same time. He also appreciates the focus on experiential learning at Pacific. As SOECS Cooperative Education program participant, he interned with Micron Technology where he tested and validated ASIC (application-specific integrated circuits) technologies.

What is your favorite thing to do on campus?

Definitely going to the Baun Fitness Center. I like working out and being physically in shape. I feel like it is a good to keep your body healthy while in times of stress.

Is there a faculty or staff member at Pacific with whom you’ll stay in touch after you graduate?

Dr Elizabeth Basha, my research advisor.

What is the latest you’ve stayed up to study for a test?

1 a.m.

If you have a best friend at Pacific, what’s their major?

Electrical engineering.

What is your favorite class?

Advanced digital design and digital image processing.

What were your hardest classes?

Applied linear algebra math 145.

What’s your favorite food on campus?

I really like going to the Lair late at night to get a burger and garlic fries.

What is your favorite place to study on campus?

In the Chamber’s Technology Center after classes.

What is your favorite thing to do off-campus?

Traveling. I like going on road trips with friends to places like Yosemite or San Francisco.

What’s one thing about Pacific that you would never want to change?

I would say classroom sizes and the accessibility to faculty. The faculty are all very approachable and it’s easy to pop into office hours if you need help on anything.

Monica Castillo ’21 is an electrical engineering major who lives in Stockton. She transferred to Pacific from a local community college as a math major but decided to change her degree because she thought it would help her have a bigger impact on people’s lives. As a student in the SOECS Cooperative Education program, she interned with the medical device company, Abbott Laboratories, where she got to work on an update to a heart pump for a client in Korea. 

What is your favorite thing to do on campus?  

Just walking around the campus, and also going to soccer games. 

Is there a faculty or staff member at Pacific with whom you’ll stay in touch after you graduate? 

Dr. Elizabeth Basha, I had digital design class with her, and she was also my adviser. 

What is the latest you’ve stayed up to study for a test? 

4 a.m. 

If you have a best friend at Pacific, what’s their major? 

Electrical engineering 

What is your favorite class? 

My favorites are power electronics and automatic control systems.  

What were your hardest classes? 

Advanced circuits and data structures. 

What’s your favorite food on campus? 

Chicken sandwich at the Lair. 

What is your favorite place to study on campus? 

MESA Lounge on the 3rd floor of Khoury Hall. 

What is your favorite thing to do off-campus? 

I just like having fun, so it can be hiking or playing soccer to even traveling. 

What’s one thing about Pacific that you would never want to change?

The diversity and the number of activities they have for everyone. You don’t have to be in clubs to join their activities. It’s pretty cool how open people are here.