Thursday, March 25, 2010

Bianca Lopez: A Thousand Miles From Home


Imagine moving from your long-time home town for the first time. Now imagine that distance being over 1,000 miles from your home, family, and friends. You've imagined the experience of Bianca Olvera Lopez.

Bianca Olvera Lopez, a first year magazines major, never thought that she would leave California for college. She especially did not think she’d end up approximately 1,676 miles away from home. This changed when she attended a journalism college convention in Anaheim, California.

David Wright, the Associate Dean of the School of Journalism, called her over to the booth himself, and he started to tell her about Drake and Iowa. She told him she wasn’t leaving California, but when she looked into Drake some more, she changed her mind.

“Drake sort of came to me, and that’s why I decided to come here,” said Bianca. Another reason for choosing Drake was because they had a specific Magazine Journalism program; the colleges in California did not.

Despite this unique connection with Drake, Bianca may not be here much longer. With the tuition increase, Drake will be more expensive than it already is. Even with the scholarships she received from Drake, the schools in California she considered were still cheaper. Besides that, she really misses California and her friends and family.

Bianca’s parents have not been completely happy with her choice of college or career. They struggled with the idea of her going out of state, especially so far away. In addition to the distance, Bianca’s mother always had the hopes of her becoming a doctor. Bianca shared that dream until she got involved in the yearbook during her freshman year at Anaheim High School. She discovered her passion for journalism, especially for the layouts and design. It was then that she realized the medical career was her mom’s dream, not hers.

If Bianca leaves Drake, she will go back to California to finish her college education. However, she will remain in the journalism program because that’s what makes her happy.