“DA Voices” is a recurring feature used to spotlight De Anza College’s diverse community voices. We ask the same question to different people and arrange their quotes so that readers can see varying points of view. This week, our reporters Katelyn Yoo and Delina Thanh asked, “What is your major and how did you choose it?”
Anisha Singh, 18, an engineering major, said that her father who works in the healthcare field sparked her interest in biomedical engineering, alongside the other medical researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID-19, many medical researchers worked really hard developing vaccines,” Singh said. “At first…many of the vaccines were not successful but they kept on developing a more successful vaccine (which) helped save lives.”
Melody Ernest, 18, a child development major, says her positive experience with children influenced her major, as well as her long standing desire to be an elementary school teacher.
“One of the times when I was working with the kids, they were calling me ‘Miss Melody’ and I thought it was so cute,” Ernest said.
Ernest’s mother, also an elementary school teacher, was another significant influence on her interest in child development.
Zachary Magana, 18, a nursing major, says his engagement in the healthcare field began at a very young age.
“My grandparents work in a clinic at Stanford Hospital,” said Magana. “They would always take me to work with them. When I was little, I would always help [them] out a little…[and] see what they do…”. Now that he is older, Magana reveals that his relatives offered him an internship as soon as he gets his associate degree.
Brett Shen, 20, an animation major, says watching animated films first inspired him.
“I feel like animated stories are very powerful,” Shen said. “I think we all see our own lives as stories and when we watch an animated story or any kind of story, it helps us kind of make sense of life.”
Shen plans to work for companies like Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar.
Pranitha Govindarajulu, 18, who has not declared her major at De Anza, says she wants to study aviation. Govindarajulu said she has been interested in aviation since fifth grade.
“It was actually my first time on a plane … I talked about it with my dad, and he said all these interesting things about aviation,” Govindarajulu said. “Taking off and flying in the sky, (gives) you a nice ‘office’ view. It just felt amazing.”
Govindarajulu said she plans on transferring to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to complete her studies in aviation.
Orion Newcomb, 20, a mathematics major, says he hopes to major in physics with an emphasis in astrophysics.
“All I remember is that I really wanted to be an astronaut when I was five. I guess I never grew out of it,” Newcomb said.
Newcomb is hoping to transfer to UC Santa Cruz for their astronomy program.
