My name is Samantha Rajsavong and I am currently a 4th year Accounting student at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona or CPP). I graduated from Rio Hondo College (RHC) in Spring 2019 with an Associate in Science in Business Administration for Transfer Degree prior to transferring to Cal Poly Pomona. My experience at Rio Hondo College was such a pivotal moment in my life, and I am the successful woman I am today because of the education I received at RHC.
The support I received from my professors and counselors helped build a solid foundation for my education. The professors at Rio Hondo College truly care about their students and leave a lasting impression on all of us. I always speak highly of all my professors and have such good memories of being in their classes – such as, the beginning of my love for accounting having taken classes with Professor Liu, checking earthquake updates in California at the beginning of each class with Professor Forrest, listening to the million personal stories relating to business law with Professor Blackmun, writing down all inspirational quotes from Professor Hernandez, and feeling sick after in class speeches for public speaking with Professor Tovmasian.
Furthermore, I had great academic counselors, including Diego Silva, Kristina Sanchez, Julie Tieu, Anacany Torres, and Laura Verdugo who guided me in my path as a student at Rio Hondo College to applying to a four-year university. They always created a safe space for me to ask questions about my personal and professional growth, made sure I had the tools and resources I needed to be successful for all my classes, and walked me through the application process of furthering my education. So, I am forever grateful for all my professors and counselors for the support and encouragement they gave me to be successful post-RHC.
Today, I am excited to soon be graduating from Cal Poly Pomona in May 2021. The foundation that I built at Rio Hondo College helped me flourish into a well-rounded outstanding academic student at CPP. I am proud to say that I am the Vice President of Cal Poly Society of Accountants and a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Beta Gamma Sigma. I continue to be a distinguished student with a strong GPA on the Dean’s and President’s List. I was awarded the College of Business Administration and CalCPA Inland Empire scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year. I was able to secure a full-time offer as a Tax Accountant at a mid-size firm post-graduation. Lastly, I was recently made aware that I will be CPP’s 2021 Accounting Student of the Year and will be recognized for this prestigious award at my commencement ceremony. It is so humbling to be chosen for this award amongst so many top accounting students at CPP.
I will always hold my experience at Rio Hondo College near and dear to my heart. Thank you to all the faculty, staff, and counselors who played a role in my educational journey, and a special thank you to Professor Jeannie Liu for planting an accounting seed inside of me that has grown so much since being in her class. Rio Hondo College is truly a Harvard on the hill.