Student Highlights

Outstanding GEW Student of the Month; October 2015 - Crystal Cortez Posadas

This month, we are highlighting Crystal Cortez Posadas, an outstanding student in Janette Larson’s GEW class.  With her sights set on majoring in Nursing, Crystal made the decision to come to Cal State San Marcos because it is nearby, but mostly because she liked the campus and the community: “It seems like a small school where everybody gets along.  Right away, I clicked with the school.”

Over the summer, Crystal was involved in the Early Start Writing program, which she feels prepared her for the first semester in college.  Her experiences in the class, she explains, “helped me with organizing essays and to improve my grammar.  Now, I look at those in my writing.”

At this point, Crystal is enjoying her GEW class, and especially enjoys the dynamic conversations that take place: “Everyone [in the class] is open.  For example, right now we are analyzing ads.  It’s cool to know how we all think on different levels; we all share our ideas, and they all come together.”  Sharing ideas, and exercising research skills, are some of the aspects she feels will be useful in her career.

According to Crystal, there are many ways to define a “good writer.”  In many cases, a good writer knows how to find critical ideas, and how to express them through organization.

For students facing challenges with their GEW classes, Crystal has great advice: “If you need help, ask. It’s going to help a lot, especially if the topic is hard, or whenever you are doing something you are uncomfortable doing.”

Living on campus, in Crystal’s opinion, allows her to talk to other students and share experiences, as well as being able to meet new people.  For fun, she enjoys playing Uno and baking cookies with her friends.

We’re thrilled to have her as our outstanding student this month.  Congratulations, Crystal!