Student Experience at College of San Mateo
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Student Experience
Sarah Lowe
Sarah Lowe UC Davis, Biology

“I loved my experience at CSM,” says Sarah Lowe, who first stepped foot on CSM’s campus as a concurrently enrolled high school student. By the time she graduated from Mills High school, she had already earned eight units of college credit and completed several college requirements. Her decision to continue at CSM as a transfer student was easy. “CSM has a great atmosphere and the people are so nice!  Because I was familiar with the college and understood what professors expected, I knew attending CSM and transferring to a university was the right path for me.”

Building on her previous college experience, Sarah became a more competitive and motivated student which served her well in classes. She recalls one of her favorite classes, General Zoology, taught by Professor Huy Tran: “Learning about animal diversity was fascinating and fun. That class was the reason that I decided to major in biology.”

To add to her college experience, Sarah joined Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS), CSM’s honor society, and eventually was elected as president. She explains that “AGS became a bridge to involvement in other clubs on campus. I made a lot of new friends through the honor society and student clubs.”

During Sarah’s years at CSM, she had the opportunity to work on campus as a student ambassador assisting with the college’s outreach activities. “By serving as a student ambassador, I got to know the college really well and I was able to branch out and meet so many interesting people—students, faculty and administrators. Getting involved in student life and working as a student ambassador provided lots of opportunities to network with other students who shared similar academic and social interests.” 

On track to transfer to the UC system, Sarah was the recipient of several scholarships recognizing her academic success and leadership experience. In fall 2014, Sarah will transfer to UC Davis as a biology major. Beyond that, she has set her sights on attending medical school to pursue a degree in radiation oncology. “CSM helped me grow—develop a strong work ethic and formulate my goals. I left CSM as a much more confident student and I definitely feel ready to compete at a major university.”