“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 Allan Galleana and Wylder Robinson asked, “’How do you get to school?”
Santiago Aguilar, 18, an automotive technology major, takes the Valley Transportation Authority bus to school. “From where I live, it takes me about an hour to get here (to De Anza), longer if there are stops along the way,” Aguilar said.
Harshitha Vijayakumar, 18, a physiology major, takes 13 minutes to get to class in the morning. “I prefer to drive myself instead of taking the bus,” Vijayakumar said.
Desmond Norris, 19, an automotive technician major, avoids taking public transportation due to safety concerns. “Public transportation would be less expensive, but I feel more comfortable when the wheel is in my hands, not someone else’s,” Norris said.
Sachin Swaminathan, 18, an electrical engineering major, carpools to campus. “I carpool for 50 minutes to an hour with two other guys who both go here,” Swaminathan said.
Fabiola Diaz, 17, a computer science major, rides VTA bus 23 for about 50 minutes and spends her time trying to figure out what to do while on campus before and after class. “I take the bus from San Jose…it was an hour,” Diaz said.
Samantha Valdorinos, 18, an art history major, takes rideshare programs like Uber to school, usually taking half an hour to get to campus. “I’m here because my family wants me to come to school, so I picked art history as my major, but I want to go to fashion school,” Valdorinos said.