The graduating staff of Viking News collaborated to create a “final goodbye” article, in the wake of a vastly eventful final semester, virtual commencement and to recount some precious memories from their time as a Viking.
Lloyd Bravo, Staff Writer
I decided to go back to college in fall 2016 after a two-year hiatus. My educational journey spans 14 years, at five different community colleges, but Long Beach City College is where I’ve earned my Associates of Arts degree in Journalism.
It was a convoluted saga that stretched my emotional core and brought incredible frustration to my personal life. However, I am proud of what I have accomplished and excited to move forward to a much brighter future.
The strife that the Coronavirus has caused LBCC faculty and students is unprecedented and my sympathy is for those unable to walk and grab their earned diplomas. The virtual commencement is a nice gesture, but an event I will not be attending.
I look forward to a summer in the solitude of my backyard while I lay in an inflatable pool and indulge in my favorite hobbies before my first semester at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Talia Coeshott, Editor
Long Beach City College granted me the opportunity to venture out on my own and discover my strengths and weaknesses.
As a second-year transfer from Diablo Valley College, I was pleasantly surprised to experience such a positive atmosphere where peers encourage others to expand their talents.
Although I will not be able to celebrate graduation with my family as of right now, I know that when I graduate from California State Long Beach it will be all the more special.
I most likely will not be attending the virtual commencement because I would rather save the anticipation for when I finish my bachelor’s degree.
After I transfer from LBCC, I will be dedicating my time to educating myself further in writing so that I can grow my blog platform.
Idalia Gonzalez, Staff Writer
I started attending LBCC in Fall 2017 and being a Viking has been the best experience — there is so much support.
Especially as I am a DACA student, it was important for me to attend a school where I knew I was going to find academic support.
I was so excited to have my family in the audience as I earned my Associates Degree in Journalism.
While we may not be able to celebrate with other students and members of LBCC, I am glad our accomplishments are being acknowledged.
Community college and the students that attend these junior institutions are overlooked, but this graduation is allowing us to celebrate ourselves and the people that support us.
When I first heard commencement was going to be virtual I was a bit disappointed, but I am glad the college is taking precautionary measures to ensure everyone’s safety.
It is important for me to attend commencement because I think I owe it to myself for being persistent and not giving up in these past three years as a Viking.
This fall I will be attending Cal State Long Beach and will be majoring in Journalism.
Veronica Huerta, Staff Writer
LBCC has never let me down and that’s true even now during our Spring 2020 virtual commencement.
After attending other community colleges, and even four-year universities in Philadelphia and Northridge, LBCC is the only college that has ever made me feel like I have a home.
I’ve spent years jumping around different states and schools because of balancing work and bills, changing my career field and majors and being unsure of where to go.
When I got to LBCC, getting classes to fit my schedule was extremely easy and every class I took (no matter the subject) made me realize my love for writing, then to me choosing my major — journalism.
I’ve finally found something I love: journalism, making friends with my professors and finally getting my Associate of Arts degree.
I’m a little sad that I won’t experience an in-person commencement. After being in and out of college and the military for almost 8 years, I imagined getting my first degree would be a bigger event.
Even so, LBCC has given me the opportunity to customize a slide, thank my family and still make me feel special.
I’m going to participate in the commencement and I couldn’t be happier being able to call myself a Viking.
After LBCC, I will transfer to Cal State Long Beach in the fall to work on my Bachelor’s in journalism.
I want to stick around in Long Beach and write stories about my new home, my new city.
I’m excited about moving into the world with everything that LBCC has taught me, from discipline, to journalism and most importantly pride.
Martin Koev, Editor
My time spent at LBCC was definitely not even close to what I expected. It was short-lived, yet quite eventful and boring at the same time.
I transferred to LBCC from a different community college for the Fall 2019 semester and I knew I only had one full year to attend.
I focused on my schooling so I could transfer and even with the global pandemic, I was not going to let anything get in the way of my plans.
I definitely pictured graduation being a large event with my family coming down to attend and then most likely celebrating immediately afterwards.
Sadly, nobody will be experiencing that this year.
I will most likely participate in the virtual commencement, but I also see myself getting bored after 10 minutes and shifting my attention toward something else.
After I graduate from LBCC, it will finally be time to have some fun and let go before transferring to Cal State Long Beach next fall.
Abrielle Lopez, Editor in Chief of Viking News
I feel emotional thinking about this lengthy, tumultuous and beautiful path through higher education I have walked.
I started college in 2015 at Bakersfield College and navigated depression and uncertainty with my educational goals.
Mandated K-12 education really corrupted my passion and enthusiasm for learning and I was unsure about college after I graduated high school.
Nevertheless, my warrior spirit within has always pushed me to strive for my highest good and step into my power: my ability to write, report and spread truth.
I chose to major in Journalism because of my lifelong passion for writing and I began attending Long Beach City College in Fall 2018.
This school is impeccable, flawless even — staff and faculty are so helpful, everyone is generally kind and there is so much compassion in everything created at LBCC.
My experiences at this school have brought me back to my inherent strength and creative nature, giving me the confidence I need to succeed in anything I wish to do with my life.
I think of all of the special people I have met and had the pleasure of exchanging ideas with, creating with and sharing heartfelt friendships with, and I am so grateful for every moment of it.
This semester was challenging.
We’ve faced so much adversity under a global pandemic, but the funny thing is the adversity will always be there, waiting for us to find the silver-lining and prove to ourselves and the world that we can manifest our dreams, even in the hardest of times.
As Editor in Chief of Viking News, I had the opportunity to lead and be led by the best team of hardworking, kind individuals and I’ll cherish this experience for the rest of my life.
I figure I’ve worked very hard for the past five years of my life and I’ve earned my time in the spotlight, even if it’s “virtually,” so I plan on participating in LBCC’s commencement this semester.
After LBCC, I will be transferring to Cal State Long Beach in the fall to continue my education and work on a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.
I’d like to thank Walter Hammerwold and Chris Viola for believing in me and mentoring me through this experience — it has been life changing.
Hailey Montez, Staff Writer
LBCC has positively impacted my ability to learn and strive toward success.
A fear I struggled with prior to attending LBCC was my lack of fitting in with the normality of attending a public institution because I came from a homeschooled environment.
However, after my first week being on campus, I befriended fellow classmates and learned from motivating professors.
My fear diminished and my desire to learn skyrocketed.
I was genuinely excited to attend all my classes with the purpose of reaching my goals.
I knew my time at LBCC would be temporary since my ambition was to transfer, but I made the most out of it by spending time with friends I made at LBCC, attending events and being a staff reporter for Viking News.
This spring semester has been challenging and worrisome for most students, but LBCC has been nothing but supportive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’m saddened to hear that students won’t have the graduation experience they worked so hard to achieve and I hope LBCC reschedules the 2020 commencement ceremony for the foreseeable future once it’s safe to do so.
I’ve made so many memories at LBCC that will stick with me forever — one of my favorite memories was a time I frantically ran in the rain to get a story for Viking News.
I was soaked because I wasn’t aware of the weather conditions, but it was thrilling!
Spring 2020 will be my last semester at LBCC, as I’ve been admitted to Chapman University’s Dodge College to major in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary.
I thank the LBCC faculty for guiding me in the right direction to achieve my future goals.
Abel Reyes, Editor in Chief of City Magazine
My start at Long Beach City College felt like the beginning of a neverending story, but eventually meeting the right people at LBCC put me on the path I’ll be on for a majority of my career and life.
With a bittersweet ending to my time at LBCC, I originally saw my graduation experience as simple as they come: walking on the stage with some of my fellow classmates and with some family, friends and professors watching me do so, and then going home afterward.
I know now with a virtual commencement, I can take time and try to make it into something more.
With an early start at Cal State University, Long Beach, and working for their student newspaper, I can focus more on what Long Beach City College began for me.
My time working for the student newspaper at LBCC will forever be the most memorable experience I will have at the college.
I’m really proud of the work and effort that I and the many people I’ve worked with put in.
The work will always represent long hours, growth and teamwork.
Thank you to journalism professors Walter Hammerwold and Chris Viola — the right people I’ve met, who have changed my career and life.
Yeovanna Sandoval, Editor
I started my time at Long Beach City College in 2015 — five whole years at this school!
There were times of uncertainty, but at the end it’s surely paid off.
My time here has felt long, but I wouldn’t take any of my learning experiences back.
They were years of insight, hard work and enlightenment.
I envisioned my graduation to be an awesome experience, doing so by nervously walking in front of many people and my family in a crowd.
Unfortunately, the times we are experiencing now with the pandemic, schools have canceled graduation ceremonies.
A virtual graduation is worth something, however, and I’m content that LBCC has prepared something special for all graduates, like allowing us to participate in a final goodbye and students being able to receive a diploma, despite the circumstances.
I feel as long as I celebrate my hard work with my family, it fulfills my expectations.
After all the congratulations and celebrations, I’m moving on to Cal State Long Beach to continue my journey into journalism for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
I have also decided to go for a minor in fashion marketing, as I’ve learned to love fashion media and other lifestyle effects.
This love for fashion marketing flourished because of my family’s boutique, PrettyGraceful, where I typically do all social media and marketing work and I enjoy doing it.
Nonetheless, it is not with one, but two dreams that I thank LBCC for guiding me toward success.
Isaiah Zuniga, Staff Writer
I describe my LBCC experience as a journey that had a lot of necessary ups and downs, permitting me to become more mature as an adult.
This experience has also taught me how to properly handle difficult school work.
I honestly wasn’t going to attend graduation, virtual or in-person, because I realized as it’s nice to celebrate this milestone, I would rather not concern myself with a minor milestone.
Getting my bachelor’s degree will feel like a bigger celebration because I’ve basically earned two degrees.
After I “graduate” LBCC, I will be attending Cal State Long Beach to further pursue my degree in journalism, just as most of my journalism classmates are doing.
I will use the knowledge I’ve gained from Walter Hammerwold, Chris Viola and Pat McKean and apply it to my future experience in journalism at CSULB.