Cerritos College hosted its second annual student-alumni mixer on April 23, at 6 p.m. in the conference center, offering students a chance to build connections and gain insight from former Falcons.
Attendees began mingling shortly after arriving, though many initially stayed close to the groups they came with.
The atmosphere shifted when Cerritos College President Jose Fierro encouraged everyone to break away and meet someone new. He also offered a few tips for starting conversations, reminding students that shared experience is a strong icebreaker.
“When you know someone that went to the same institution, that is a good starting point,” Fierro said.
The evening’s guest speaker was Brenda Duran, a Cerritos College alumna who graduated in 2002 and a contributor to the book “Latinas in Public Relations: Shaping Communications, Communities and Culture.”
Duran spoke about how her time at Cerritos helped shape her identity and guided her toward a career in communications.
She emphasized themes of embracing detours and recognizing opportunity, telling the audience, “Embrace the detours in your life. The road is not always going to be linear,” and, “Say yes to the opportunities that present themselves.”
Following her talk, students asked questions about her time at USC and her career journey after Cerritos. Duran’s speech struck a chord with many in attendance, particularly those who faced their own setbacks on the path to higher education.
“I got into a car accident and I had to quit school,” said Rose Vasquez, administrative assistant in career services. “I thought I would take a year break, and a year became 10 years.”
Several attendees reflected on how Cerritos College had helped them find direction in their academic or personal lives.
“I came to Cerritos not knowing anything about myself,” said Amanda Monroy, a political science major. “Cerritos really guided me in a direction where I know what I want to do and it’s given me the tools and resources.”
A recurring theme among students and alumni was that community college wasn’t their initial choice, but many found value in their experience.
Monroy added, “Coming to Cerritos in itself was considered a detour in my life. I looked at it as almost this lost opportunity. Now I look at it as the biggest opportunity I got, especially coming out of high school.”
“Coming to a community college was something that I saw as a detour in my education,” said Noah Bunleuth, a political science and economics major.
Victor Garcia, a film major, said Duran’s words reminded him that perseverance matters.
“I could really relate to what she said,” Garcia said. “I feel like if she could do it, I could do it as well.”
More than 40 people attended the event. Guests complimented the light refreshments, including fruit and bottled water. However, some noted a lack of seating made it less comfortable.
“It would have been more comfortable if there were seats provided,” Bunleuth said, adding that the previous mixer had the same issue.
This was the final student-alumni mixer hosted by Cerritos College for the semester, but students are encouraged to stay tuned for similar networking events in the fall.
