Flourish In Your First Year
The FLOURISH program provides critical tools for first year graduate students to succeed and thrive beginning in the first year and throughout their graduate school experience.
Objectives of the FLOURISH program:
- Introduce students to the elements of a transformative graduate education,
- Develop learning and academic skills for the graduate level,
- Create a sense of belonging and community, academically and socially,
- Equip students with agency to navigate academic, administrative, and professional development resources, and
- Promote a student’s self-awareness and understanding of a healthy, sustainable graduate lifestyle/experience.
Tools to help students FLOURISH
First Year Checklist – View your checklist of action items that are essential to complete in your first year to thrive as a CGU graduate student.
Check out our Flourish in Your First Year Spring 2022 Edition
Check out our Flourish in Your First Year Fall 2021 Edition
2019 – 2020 First Year Student Spotlights
We asked first year students who participated in our FLOURISH program to provide some information about their background and course of study at CGU, what led them to choose CGU for their graduate studies, any challenges they faced in their first year, advice they are willing to share with other incoming first-year students, and any extra-curricular hobbies they are engaged in. We hope sharing their experience helps you identify ways in which you can navigate your first year at CGU.
What is your favorite thing about graduate school?
“My favorite thing about graduate school is CGU’s outstanding faculty and staff members, as well as the university’s highly qualified students. I’m learning much deeper insights into all of my classes’ subject matters not only from my distinguished and highly accomplished professors, but also from my classmates, well-educated professionals with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective fields, gained through decades of practice and pursuit of excellence.”
What advice would you give to incoming first-year students?
“I’m very happy at CGU. With heartwarming support of my wonderful professors at CGU, I feel I’m able to go after all aspirations in my life and because of that, the aspirations now seem within my reach unlike ever before. Perhaps it’s not what I expected, continuing my education, but definitely what I wished in my dreams. I/m very grateful indeed.”
Paril Patel, pursuing his MA in Cultural Studies, comes to CGU, having completed his undergraduate studies at the University of La Verne, majoring in History, with a minor in Ethnic Studies.
What are your career goals after school?
“My grandfather was a professor, and I fell myself walking along the same footsteps. I intend on pursuing a JD as well as a PhD. There’s a humanitarian part of me that seeks to understand why things are happening the way they are. In going to law school, there is a desire to go into the fields that study constitutional law.”
What is the best thing about graduate school?
“The best thing about grad school is the growth. You really feel yourself flourish. It is hard, it is frustrating, and it requires you to be vulnerable.”
What advice would you give to incoming first-year students?
“My advice to first year graduate students? Just breathe. Don’t try to control everything. The events on campus prior to your first day help in setting the foundation for the first year. So attend the events and talk to people! Make connections.”
What is your favorite thing about graduate school?
“My Favorite thing about graduate school is that I have the freedom to create my future through class selections and even projects that allow me to look at topics and careers I never would have been exposed to. I have control over my destiny and graduate school has been a very collaborative process. I love that the faculty and staff’s mission is to expose you to different career paths and help you create a path that best suits your needs.”
What advice would you give to incoming first-year students?
“My advice to incoming first-year students would be to schedule time with the Dean of your program and professors that share similar research interests to you. I think this is so important and is actually one reason why I decided to continue my education at CGU. I believe that by doing this you’ll have more confidence in your goals and guidance throughout your matriculation through the programs. CGU is a family and I think that when you embrace this uniqueness you can really have the support you need to further your career and education.”
Jacqueline “Jacky” Sanchez, pursuing her PhD in English, comes to CGU after completing her MA at La Sierra Univeristy. She teaches first-year composition.
What are your career goals after graduating?
“I’ve never made the habit of picking only one absolute goal because I felt that it might keep me from other opportunities. As of right now, I love teaching. I didn’t know I liked teaching until I began as a graduate student. My goal is to continue teaching but expand the types of classes I teach. I can’t wait to teach a class about Gothic literature, media adaptations, or Victoria literature. I also have a desire to get more involved with non-profits. For a brief time, I worked at a non-profit emergency homeless shelter, and it taught me a lot of things. I hope to find ways to combine the two.”
What are some of your favorite things to do outside of school?
“Now more than ever, my favorite is visiting the beach. Not because I’m a good swimmer or anything, but because sometimes I just need to absorb as much sun as I can. My other favorite thing to do is paint with my nephew; again, not because I’m good, but because we have a great time making fun of each other’s skills’.”
What advice would you give an incoming first-year student?
“My first semester kicked my butt. And that’s okay because it got me ready to kick the second semester’s butt. My advice to any student is taking it one day at a time. If you can’t finish something, if the workload just feels like too much, if imposter-syndrome is hitting hard, or if you just can’t get out of a funk, just start again tomorrow.”
Elizabeth “Beth” Allen has worked in the television industry for about 20 years, she joined grad school as she enjoys learning about neuroses of psychology and what makes people mentally ill but what she enjoys most is how do people flourish. Currently, she is interested in researching the intentions and what motivates somebody to seek help.
Beth likes that people are using positive psychology intervention to deal with things like depression, anxiety, and phobias. She says that it hasn’t been easy to transition to a grad student life, but she believes in tackling one thing at a time. Her suggestion for students is to interact with people from different cultures and ages, as she believes it is rewarding to learn from them.