Summer — 2007

Brian Molina

Marine Biology/EOPS

“The best thing about SMC is all the freedom you have to pick the times for all your classes. I am just definitely not a ‘morning’ person.”

When last seen, Brian Molina was in the Math Lab and making excellent use of it. “It’s incredible! They have so many useful tools there. And the tutors? All you do is walk up to them with a question, and they’ll give you about 50 billion answers!” he says with a hearty laugh. And if past is prologue, Brian will need all the math he can cram in over the years.

“I’ve always been in love with science, which is my greatest strength. And what I want to do is to become a marine biologist. I just want to help address all the problems that we’re having in the waters of the world, and to help lessen the impact that humans have on marine animals,” says Brian. “I don’t SCUBA dive yet, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t pick it up. It would be really cool to swim with the sharks!” Fortunately, Brian isn’t surrounded by ‘sharks’ at the moment. In fact, he’s getting along quite ‘swimmingly’ at SMC.

“I come from a pretty economically disadvantaged family, so there’s just not a whole lot of money available,” Brian explains. “My mom always pushed me to go to school so that’s exactly what I’m doing. The family is really proud of me and—since I’m the eldest—I want to set a good example for the rest of the kids.” In tackling the money issues, Brian has found EOPS to be a staunch ally. “They’re really great in that office because they give me financial aid, help me pick my classes, and arrange for loans so I can buy my books,” says Brian. “They really guide you all along the way toward getting into whatever field you want to excel in.” Brian adds, “I had an incredible science class here with Ed Tarvyd, who’s been all over the world. And it’s a dream of mine to go to Fiji with him to study those waters.” And in preparation for that trip, Brian was signing up for a rather untypical ‘science’ class that SMC offers: “Yep, it’s gonna be ‘Surfing 101!’ ”

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