Gabrielle Quartieri

Student

“Think of SMC as an investment in your future. People can take everything you own from you. But they can never take your experience and your knowledge.”

You might think she’d go for Cultural Anthropology, given her history: born in Sweden, green-carded to America, married to an Iranian husband, and a masterful speaker of the English language. And Gabrielle Quartieri may go that way yet. “There are so many interesting subjects, that I’d like to just keep my options open for now. It’s my goal to decide on where I’m heading this semester,” she says. “That’s why I’m taking the Human Develop-ment class, because I’ve heard that it’s a great way to discover your direction.”

When last seen, Gabrielle was gliding across campus with an absolutely radiant smile on her face. “I’d just gotten an A on my math test, and I was absolutely happy,” she explains. “I’m a little bit older than a lot of people here, so I’m very motivated. And those As mean a lot. When I first came here, I absolutely loaded up on intensive reading courses. But my counselors told me, ‘Hey! Don’t burn out in your first semester! Ease into it.’ And I’m grateful for that advice, because those As give me the confidence to get used to being in school again.”

She’s come a long way from Sweden, and reports that she still has long journeys to make—on a daily basis. “I live quite far away, and I could have chosen many closer colleges. But I learned that SMC has the best transfer rate to UCLA,” says Gabrielle. “Plus, the whole area and the air is better here. And the social aspect of the College is a wonderful thing, too, because—while you’re learning—you’re also developing as a human being.” Gabrielle’s vision of her future is to earn her Bachelor’s at UCLA, start a family, and then go on for her PhD in…something! “I feel no pressure to be exact about what I’ll become,” she says. “I only know that—at this point—learning is a wonderful way of life.”

Back