pomona college

The Road to Pomona

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Leslie Paz

Leslie's little dog with a Pomona hat next to her

By Leslie Paz ’24 Out of thousands of universities and colleges, the fact that I landed at Pomona is honestly a miracle. After forming relationships with faculty and bonding with friends, I genuinely believe it is my perfect fit. However, it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I almost dismissed the school altogether. I shudder now to think where I might have ended...

Move-In Day, Take Two

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Lucy Pan

By Lucy Pan '24 Move-in day for first-year college students is often seen as a significant moment in one’s transition to college. It’s the day when we leave our families and truly step into adulthood for the first time, and it usually occurs at the beginning of our first semester. I’d watched videos of students celebrating this step in their journey with their families and a...

Return to Pomona?

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Leslie Paz

Leslie giving peace sign in front of washing machine

By Leslie Paz ’24 Crossing through Pomona’s gates as a sophomore was weird to say the least. After a whole year online, my long awaited arrival to campus (and traditional entry through Pomona’s gates) was surreal and like a dream. My first few days were filled with excitement and just a little hint of confusion. To set the scene, I started the day by walking in circles a...

Not Knowing What To Do

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Lucy Pan

By Lucy Pan '24 When I first applied to Pomona in the fall of 2019, I was a nervous seventeen-year-old who didn’t have a clue about what I was going to major in or have concrete future goals. College application season was stressful; I remember hearing my friends and classmates discuss their own long-term plans—some wanted to go to medical school, others had plans for gradua...

What Is Research Anyway? (Don’t worry, I had no idea either)

Posted on July 30, 2021August 4, 2021 by Youssef El Mosalami

group of 9 students smiling for selfie shot outside

By Youssef El Mosalami ‘24 After a grueling online semester full of multiple spontaneous FaceTime calls, outings in NYC with other Pomona students who lived in the area, and turning off my camera during class to nom down on some lunch (don’t tell my professors), I definitely missed being able to give friends hugs when I saw them or just being in the physical presence of oth...

Never Say Never: My Journey Through Math

Posted on July 27, 2021July 23, 2021 by Sonam Rikha

$two math medals$

By Sonam Rikha ’24 I will never take a math class again, I promised myself. It was my last day in high school. I proudly exited out of my virtual AP Calculus class and then hurled my calculus notebook into the trash. Despite the deep disgust I’d developed for analyzing functions, I’d miraculously aced my math class and passed the AP test, all while during the pandemic. Only ...

Q&A With a Transfer Student

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Siena Swift

group of students sitting in chairs outside eating pizza

By Siena Swift ‘23 Transferring to a different college is a big decision. This week, I interviewed my friend and housemate, Lilly Haave, about her experience transferring from Barnard College to Pomona College. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Q: Could you please introduce yourself? A: My name is Lilly. I transferred from Barnard after my...

A Breadth of Fresh Air

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Leslie Paz

Leslie's small dog cuddling a copy of Hesiod

By Leslie Paz ’24 Enrolling at Pomona comes with a breath of fresh air. The lenient general education requirements and the vast array of courses mean that students are free to explore to their heart's content. As an undecided first year this past fall, I want to share how these two factors helped guide me to my current interests. It was 2:27 p.m. on August 12th, 2020, and...

Finding Home in Online Spaces

Posted on June 25, 2021July 15, 2021 by Lucy Pan

By Lucy Pan ‘24 When the COVID-19 pandemic first started back in March of 2020, I could’ve never imagined that it would completely change the course of my entire first year of college. The abrupt transition from everyday in-person classes to Zoom school was uncomfortable, but I accepted this changing reality as temporary— a short phase from which we would eventually return t...

Four Hurrahs for Finals

Posted on May 26, 2021June 11, 2021 by Oluyemisi Bolonduro

sunset with trees in foreground and crane in background

By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ’23 Salutations, I am finishing my sophomore year at Pomona! I still have four more semesters to go, but I’m marking this Spring 2021 semester as the best finals season so far (and maybe overall). My four core classes in photography, philosophy, French and research methods are the reason why. Without further ado, I shall describe each final… hurrah, hu...