“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I read this quote somewhere along my elementary school days and it lingers in my mind to this day. That’s why I grabbed chance by the hand and took the opportunity to be a part of this program.
My name is Alexandra Rose Atienza, but you can just call me Alex to keep it short. I was born and raised in the DMV area, but my heart lies in my parents’ hometown in Batangas, Philippines. I spent three years living in the Philippines as a child and am always looking forward to any chance to fly back home.
I am currently an architecture major looking to change the way people perceive women in architecture. My ultimate career goal is to build schools in rural communities both in the Philippines and around the world. I am also part of the Montgomery Scholars Program at the Rockville Campus. Although the work that we do in the Scholars Program is very demanding and time-consuming, I can attest that it has opened my eyes to grasp society in a different light.
Despite my busy schedule, I always make sure I leave time to relax and spend time with my family. Whether it be short trips to the grocery store or long-weekend camping trips, I am my happiest when I am with my family. When I have free-time by myself, however, I enjoy playing video games, singing with my ukulele, taking long walks, hiking, and biking.
Although this is just a snapshot of my life, I believe that you’ll get to know me more through my videos. You’ll get to experience Montgomery College through my eyes and see how it continues to shape the way I view and experience the world.
If you see me around campus, don’t be afraid to stop me and say hello! I’d be happy to talk.
Love the originality of the vlog! I wanted to comment on something you said about not being totally sure what was gained by the program. It is very obvious that you gained: meeting new people, getting to travel and learning how to learn and work under pressure. These skills you will carry onto your undergrad at a university and it will be a much easier step because you have had practice! You also mentioned you kept those grades up quite high, and this guarantees to a better spot for the next two years to your undergrad degree as well as being very prepared to work under pressure. There is so much more than meets the eye!
Thank you so much! Yes, I did gain so many things from this program and I got to try things that I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise. I was just thinking about whether or not there is a greater meaning to all the things I learned in class.
I think the greater meaning is abstract and somewhere in the future in your life, you will find the knowledge gained will come in handy. For example, many engineering classes I took were never used on a job, but years later, math skills came in handy in helping sons with their own math and science problems, or I gained the ability to have a keen eye and sound mind in planning out rooms, figuring out how much materials I needed, etc. So, somewhere in some way, what you gained is never lost; it just may be used in a different manner for a different purpose. I always wished I had more interest in school in history, because not many people we know love to converse about hisotric and world events, and I wish I was more knowledgeable. It sure makes you look smart 🙂