My Life at CSUMB: Going back to school

Community is key at Cal State Monterey Bay. 

The university prides itself on providing a welcoming and nurturing environment where students can create important and lasting personal and professional relationships. That is true not only for undergraduates but for graduate students as well. 

Natalie Vigil and Desiree Kua both say they have found that kind of atmosphere in the speech/language pathology master’s degree program. 

Vigil, 35, of Bakersfield, had been working in various teaching roles in public schools – most recently in Sacramento – since earning a bachelor’s degree in Spanish studies from Andrews University in 2012. She also completed a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and deaf education through an online program with Utah State University. Going back to school for her master’s was a bit daunting, she said, and she felt like having the support of other students would be helpful.

“I kind of wanted to assimilate myself back into school life,” she said. 

CSUMB turned out to be a good choice for that. Now in her second year of the two-year program, Vigil said she appreciates the support of her fellow students.

“I don’t believe going through a master’s program is something you can do by yourself,” she said. “Your classmates are the only people who know your trials and struggles. We’ve bonded by going through this journey together and we continue to support each other along the way.”

Kua, 28, of Diamond Bar, has a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Cal State Los Angeles. She began the program this fall and found a close connection with her colleagues almost immediately. 

“It feels like we’ve already known each other forever,” Kua said. “We have study sessions, and we have bonded through outings on the weekends. It makes all the difference.”

That’s especially true, she said, considering some of the things she was warned about when she was exploring different master’s programs

“I heard so much about how competitive it is and that it’s dog-eat-dog,” she said. “But from the get-go, we were all so supportive of each other. I couldn’t have asked for a better cohort or better instructors. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

It’s only one facet of what she has enjoyed about her experience here. 

“Not long ago, I came to Monterey Bay for a weekend trip,” Kua said. “I fell in love with it. I found out that CSUMB had recently started a (SLP master’s) program. I came to visit the campus and fell in love with it even more. It was very much like a small-town situation. I liked that it felt safe.

“This was my first time moving away from home,” she added. “A school like this has really made it an easy transition. I even come to campus on days we don’t have to be here.”

She said she finds the university environment motivating and enjoys studying at the library or the Otter Student Union.   

As part of the program practicum, Kua has been working with K-6 students at Echo Valley Elementary in Prunedale. There, she helps with speech, language and fluency disorders.

Vigil has been in an outpatient clinical setting, seeing clients with Parkinson’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury and other conditions that can impair respiration and the ability to swallow. 

Both women said they are happy to be in a program that incorporates fieldwork in their profession in the first weeks of class. That and other aspects of the program and the campus make them feel they are in the right place. 

“I received a very positive energy from everything around CSUMB,” said Kua. “In terms of the SLP program, all the faculty have been amazing. You really feel the support.

“And,” she added, “being a mile from the beach? That is a huge plus.”