Omar Sanchezs Aztec Experience
Omar Sanchez hopes to one day become a lawyer or college professor.
1. Why did you choose to attend San Diego State University?
I thought about leaving San Diego for college, but my mentors guided me to SDSU and told me about all of the great things they did on this campus and the rest is history. I would choose SDSU all over again due to the great opportunities that are here.
2. What inspired you to declare your major?
Gentrification is what inspired me to select economics as my major. I grew up in Barrio Logan, so I have a lot of love for my community. I was noticing that the community was changing; there was an influx of money and people with higher income moving in, causing rising rents. That injustice drove me toward economics because I want to stop it from occurring in other communities.
3. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
My favorite piece of advice is “If you’re scared to fail, then you’re scared of life.” Many times we do not want to face a challenge due to being scared of failure. It took me a while, but I began to embrace challenges more and not care about the failures. After all, failure is the mother of all success.
4. Which SDSU faculty or staff member has been the most influential throughout your SDSU journey?
I have so many great professors and the staff in the Student Life and Leadership Office always support me. I have to say Renzo Lara is the most influential though. He took a chance on me and took me into the Student Life and Leadership team, where I met a lot of great people.
5. What experience at SDSU has changed your life the most?
Being a part of Student Life and Leadership hands down has changed my life the most. During my freshman year, I would just come to campus for class and to do my homework then leave. My sophomore year, I got more involved and I feel like I grew a lot as a person. I went from just commuting to having friends all over campus thanks to my involvement in Student Life and Leadership.
6. What has been your proudest achievement while at SDSU?
I would say turning my grades around freshman and sophomore year. During my first year, I had no goals, and I felt lost on this campus. I don’t know what clicked, but I told myself I needed to start taking school more seriously. My first semester I finished with a 2.4 GPA. Last spring, I earned a 4.0 because of the effort I put in. I hope that in the coming years I can speak more about my involvement and the great relationships I have built.
7. Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I want to be a lawyer or college professor. Either way, I want to be helping people. With law, I want to fight against gentrification. In education, I like the idea of helping to foster the next generation of students.
8. What’s your favorite thing about SDSU?
I love the people on this campus. I love bumping into friends walking around campus and being able to catch up with them. The campus is beautiful, but the people are what make this place so great. I just feel at home here.
