Chelsey Suarez is an HSC Scholar attending Austin Community College. Chelsey’s scholarship is sponsored by Hispanics in Partnership at Applied Materials and HSC. Like any college student, Chelsey finds herself with minimal spare time but does not let time restraints stand in the way of her creativity. She jots down any ideas she may come across so that she may revisit them later.
Chelsey describes her first year in college as rough. At the beginning, Chelsey felt she was prepared for school until she actually arrived at university. She assumed it would be as easy as it was in high school for her to keep her head down and focus on her studies. That did not prove to be the case. University is a new kind of work.
She was not sure if electrical engineering was right for her. It took time and a genuine effort from her in order to realize that she wanted something else. After a year and a half studying electrical engineering at the University of Texas and an opportunity to intern at the Walt Disney Company, Chelsey discovered that her true passion was 3D Animation. Successfully passing this hurdle, Chelsey felt more grounded in her choice to pursue 3D Animation. The hardest obstacle she has come to face was the decision to acknowledge a change of heart and actually defending that decision against those who did not understand.
Chelsey offers this advice to high school students debating on a college career:
“Think way into the future to the happiest version of yourself, where do you see yourself? What do you see yourself doing? For most, attending college will be the first step towards these goals. And while attending a college, paying for college, and succeeding in college may sound daunting, organizations such as HSC help you plan and work towards that happiest version of yourself. It all starts with you.”
