Meet Six Students from the Class of 2027

Six students from the Class of '27

The Class of 2027 comes to 芭乐视频 from 39 states and 34 countries, with plans to study the humanities, social sciences and STEM subjects. The 410 new first-year students on campus this school year represent one of the most ethnically and racially diverse classes in college history.

Six classmates reflect on what brought them to Pomona, how the first two months have treated them and what the future has in store.

Gabby Aiona 鈥27

When deciding where to attend college, Gabby Aiona sought a college not unlike his high school in Waimea, Hawaii. Ideally, the school would have small class sizes, a tight-knit campus community and be somewhere with immaculate weather.

芭乐视频 checked all the boxes, he says.

Through the Perspectives on Pomona (POP) program, Aiona got a firsthand glimpse of life on campus, making his decision to continue his studies in Claremont a no-brainer.

鈥淚 enjoy that you鈥檙e able to expand on ideas and ask questions you wouldn鈥檛 be able to in a bigger class at, say, a larger college,鈥 he says. 鈥淪mall classes are where I can actually dive into ideas rather than being in a lecture.鈥

An offensive lineman on the  team, Aiona has met upperclassmen who鈥檝e showed him the ropes and classmates he鈥檒l know through graduation. In its own way, the gridiron has become an auxiliary classroom on campus, somewhere Aiona has learned 鈥渁nother form of discipline and how to build on yourself and get better,鈥 he says.

Aiona plans to study economics, and balancing his classwork with his football responsibilities has been a crash course in time management.

While not immune to the occasional bout of homesickness, Aiona enjoys the college vibe in the nearby Claremont Village.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 aware of Pomona,鈥 he says, 鈥渁nd they鈥檙e all real friendly. It鈥檚 a really nice community.鈥

Daniel Coker 鈥27

Daniel Coker came to Pomona from Charlotte, North Carolina, because he wanted an intimate campus environment where he would be more than 鈥渏ust a number.鈥 He also valued the opportunities for research, study away and fellowships.

Ultimately, the Spring POP program, which brought Coker to campus for a visit, was what won him over. He found the people at Pomona to be 鈥渞eally warm,鈥 and the physical campus, with its abundant greenery and beautiful architecture, drew him in.

Coker says 鈥渉e has adjusted well鈥 to being at Pomona. He has made friends throughout the and has joined Model UN, the team and the executive board of the .

He hopes to major in international relations and perhaps statistics also to serve as a foreign service officer in the future. Coker鈥檚 current classes include statistics for politics and international relations, political and comparative international economy, and Latin American environmental history.

Coker says of his classes: 鈥淚t鈥檚 Pomona, it鈥檚 hard, but the teachers really help you out. The faculty are absolutely incredible.鈥

Hudson Colletti 鈥27

When applying for colleges, Hudson Colletti wanted to be at a smaller school with proximity to a big city. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Southern California weather and the allure of Los Angeles beckoned him across the country.

Colletti is planning on double majoring in computer science and economics, with hopes to pursue entrepreneurship or consulting in the future.

Classes have been 鈥渄efinitely challenging,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 come from a rigorous course load in high school, but it鈥檚 still definitely an upgrade.鈥

When not in class or studying, Colletti runs in the mornings and heads to Pomona鈥檚 gym in the afternoons. He also spends time playing music on pianos in the dorm lounges.

His dorm room, which he says is 鈥渁 very big room,鈥 is a social hub. 鈥淚 have a little putting green since my roommate and I both golf.鈥

On the weekends, Colletti alternates between golfing and finding other off-campus excursions in the greater Los Angeles area.

Back on campus, Colletti has enjoyed making friends at the other Claremont Colleges. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been nice to meet people from other schools,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 definitely appreciate that.鈥

Sophia Lee 鈥27

Coming from Tucson, Arizona, Sophia Lee values the ability to return home easily and for her parents to visit her on campus. Playing on the team, along with her brother Ethan Lee 鈥26 playing on the team, affords Lee many excuses to have her parents visit.

When she first came to Pomona鈥檚 campus as a younger sibling, she 鈥渇ell in love with it.鈥 Attending Pomona 鈥渨as absolutely the right decision,鈥 Lee says.

The students at Pomona have been a highlight and made Lee feel welcome. She says students on campus are 鈥渟uper friendly and open to meeting new people鈥 and 鈥渟upportive and loving.鈥

Mentor sessions, facilitated by upper-division students, have been especially helpful in supporting her in her coursework. 鈥淭he mentors explain things and cater to what I need. If I have any questions, I can just ask one of them.鈥

Lee is currently on the prehealth track, considering a major in psychology or neuroscience. She enjoys STEM classes but has also relished the opportunity to take non-STEM classes, including a media studies class this semester.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been super interesting and a class that I haven鈥檛 taken before,鈥 says Lee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to not be so STEM heavy.鈥

Julissa Pinedo 鈥27

One of five children of immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Julissa Pinedo is grateful to be attending college 15 miles away from her family in West Covina, California.

Ever since her cousin graduated from Pomona in 2010, the school has been Pinedo鈥檚 mother鈥檚 鈥渄ream school鈥 for her. When Pomona offered Pinedo an acceptance letter and a good financial aid package, her family decided together to have her attend.

Pinedo has her sights set on becoming a doctor or physician鈥檚 assistant. 鈥淚 really want to help people especially from low-income communities,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t is truly my passion.鈥

Her classes have been challenging, but 鈥淚鈥檓 getting through it week by week,鈥 she says.

Pinedo has found immeasurable support in the Pomona Scholars of Science cohort, an academic cohort that helps foster a successful transition for first-generation and low-income students. The cohort, which meets biweekly with an advisor and weekly with each other, also gathers to study for tests and do homework together.

鈥淲e rely on each other,鈥 Pinedo says. 鈥淚鈥檝e found my community there.鈥

Mariela Tamez-Elizondo 鈥27

Mariela Tamez-Elizondo was one of 74 students in her graduating high school class. Across four years at IDEA College Preparatory San Juan in South Texas, Tamez-Elizondo鈥檚 peers were more community than classmates, she says, and she wanted college to feel the same.

With her heart set on studying economics and art, class discussions on the topic du jour have nudged Tamez-Elizondo out of her shell.

鈥淚 never had anything like that at home, where you sit and talk about readings,鈥 she says.

In her spare time, Tamez-Elizondo recharges in the 5C Girls in Lifting & Fitness Club, an extracurricular activity she says 鈥渉elps me be at peace and get my mind off all the work I have to do.鈥 Tamez-Elizondo has also joined the 5C Women in Finance Club to learn a thing or two about a taboo subject back home. 鈥淚 want to know how to help my family,鈥 she says.

By school year鈥檚 end, Tamez-Elizondo hopes to cast aside any doubt she belongs at Pomona.

鈥淥ne of the hardest things has been overcoming imposter syndrome,鈥 she says. 鈥淪o I want to understand that I鈥檓 here for a reason and deserve this education just as much as everyone else does. I have a passion for learning, and I feel I can explore that here.鈥