Meet some of the first members of the Class of 2022!

Raina Bock
Hometown: Viroqua, Wisconsin
High School: Youth Initiative High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Philosophy, Music, Literature, and Anthropology. To begin with.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Boxing and bass-ing. I play in a lot of bands.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Having my ideas challenged. People in the midwest are too nice to tell you you’re wrong.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
Pitzer was the first of about a dozen schools I visited in my Junior year. There was never a point at which I doubted it was #1.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
In a learning environment, student engagement. I have personally found that to truly engage with the subject matter, whatever it may be, is the only way I can retain and internalize it. On a larger scale, I think that students, making up the majority of any school body, should be willing, excited, even expected, to be involved in governance and shaping their school’s culture.

What is a fun fact about you?
I couldn’t jump rope up until last year. It was honestly very embarrassing.

 
Cait Murdoch
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
High School: South High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?

I hope to study Neuroscience and Psychology.


What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I really love horseback riding, writing, and finding new intriguing music.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I’m most looking forward to the people I’m going to meet and the open discussions I’m going to engage in with the people there.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew I liked Pitzer. I attended a info session/campus tour during Spring Break and realized that Pitzer had the exact environment I was hoping for in a college. I love the fact that it’s an active campus that is constantly participating in important social discussions.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
The core values were another concept that I loved about Pitzer. The most important one for me was “Environmental Sustainability”. We live in a fragile ecosystem that is being destroyed by the many byproducts of our need for more. Pitzer students have an understanding of the importance of sustaining our environment by thinking about recycling, having a student run farm on campus, and being open minded to alternatives. I want to be a part of that.

What is a fun fact about you?
I’m obsessed with Studio Ghibli films. I’ve loved them ever since I was little.

Melanie Andreo
Hometown: Pomona, California
High School: Garey High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I want to double major in Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies and Media Studies.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Being a part of Non-Profit Organizations and Community Clubs such as the Latino/a Roundtable, Pomona Students Union, and United Pomona Valley M.E.Ch.A allowed me to voice my opinions as a student. Being involved in these organizations that promoted for a better community, helped me develop public speaking skills and skills of organizing and leadership. Besides social justice work, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Pomona Youth Orchetra. It is a community orchestra which plays popular Latin American music for important community events.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
At Pitzer, I am looking forward to meeting students and professors from different backgrounds. Diversity is not present in my high school, so I am excited to see the different cultures and lifestyles people live. I am also excited to work with students who want to promote higher education for the next generation.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
After having the opportunity to visit the college, Pitzer has always been the college I envision myself to be in. Seeing what majors Pitzer had to offer, and the stories I heard from students made me realize how this college will benefit me in furthering my education. I can see myself being very involved with students from different backgrounds.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Student Engagement and Social Responsibility mean the most to me on a personal level. Seeing what opportunities I lacked as a student of color made me want to be a voice for many. I started getting involved in a lot of orgnaizations, and that is where I gained my love for serving in my community.

What is a fun fact about you?
I can play 14 percussion instruments, and the violin!

 
Paris Primm
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
High School: City Honors High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Psychology

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Being a volunteer for Community Coalition’s Freedom School, Heal the Bay and the Green Festival.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am most looking forward to living and learning with a diverse student body as well as having access to everything the 5C’s have to offer.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
Pitzer became my first choice when I stepped on campus for Preview Day in 2016. Everything I learned about Pitzer that day from the amazing Psychology program to the food in the dining hall solidified it was the perfect place to spend the next four years of my life.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility is the most meaningful core value to me because I feel it is my responsibility to help everyone around me live their best life.

What is a fun fact about you?
I am the Editor-In-Chief of my school newspaper, The Daily Jaguar!

Ryan Chou
Hometown: West Covina, California
High School: Walnut High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I hope to study human biology at Pitzer.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
A few of my favorite activities to do include traveling, swimming, and volunteering for community service.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
During my sophomore year, I attended the 5Cs SPLASH day where I had to chance to experience how classes would be like. It was there when I realized that the students at Pitzer all had single trait in common and that was a passion. I am looking forward to interacting with these incredibly passionate students and to learn from what they have to offer!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
After the completion of my overnight stay! The vibrant atmosphere combined with its genuinely happy students imbued a heartwarming community that made me truly feel at home.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
It’s quite difficult to narrow one core value because I believe that they’re all essential! If I had to choose one however, it would be social responsibility. People need to be conscious of their own decisions and the effect their decisions may have on other people. We all need to remind ourselves that we’re here for a purpose and that’s to be agents of change!

What is a fun fact about you?
I tied the record in most melons eaten in an hour at a restaurant in Japan.

 
Charlotte Cowan-Ruth
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
High School: St. Mary’s Academy

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Psychology and philosophy

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Seeing friends, trying new foods, painting, hiking, writing, running, going to concerts

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am most looking forward to meeting other Pitzer students and transitioning into college life!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?

I knew it was at the top of my college list very early senior year. I visited my junior year and had known I was going to apply ever since. The more I considered Pitzer and weighed it against other schools, the more I became convinced that it was the place where I would reach my maximum potential. I loved the location, strong morals and educational programs.


Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Interdisciplinary learning is meaningful to me because I love to find connections and to view issues and learn from different perspectives.

What is a fun fact about you?
I was born in August so my astrology sign is a Leo

 
Madison Ellis
Hometown: Greenville, South Carolina
High School: Eastside High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I hope to study Religious Studies and Psychology.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I enjoy running, hiking, hanging out with friends, hula hooping, and listening to music.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am looking forward to being in such an inspiring place. I think taking thought provoking classes, being around so many amazing people, and having such a vast selection of community service opportunities will enable me to become the best person I can be, which is really exciting!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
I had visited almost all of the schools that I planned to visit and I hadn’t had that “feeling” that everyone was always talking about. Then I visited Pitzer, and I finally felt it.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Intercultural Understanding is the most meaningful to me. Understanding is an attribute that so many people, including I, struggle with. This makes trying to promote understanding difficult, but even more important.

What is a fun fact about you?
I drink over 6 liters of water a day.

 
Connie Walden
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
High School: Stuyvesant High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Lots of different things! I’m going undecided, but I love poetry, political science, computer science, gender studies, music… I can’t choose quite yet!

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I currently work at a collectively owned and one-hundred-percent volunteer run bookstore in Manhattan, called Bluestockings Bookstore. It’s an intersectional feminist bookstore with a vibrant and loving community. I also do a lot of music work outside of school, but don’t have any good work out yet.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?

I really can’t wait to meet all the people, students and professors alike! I’m also excited about the classes, the succulents all over campus, the Grove House… so, a lot!


When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
When I was touring the campus, I saw some of the murals Pitzer housed, and pretty quickly fell in love from there. The artworks are really reflective of the values Pitzer holds, and left a huge imprint on me. Pitzer was one of my first colleges I visited, and I visited many more after, but Pitzer was always number one.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Intercultural Understanding is particularly special to me. Coming from New York and working at a diverse bookstore has taught me a lot about the many ways people from different cultures interact and learn from each other.

What is a fun fact about you?
I streamed 48,886 minutes of music in 2017, which amounts to 34 days of music.

 
Skylar Noble
Hometown: Hurst, Texas
High School: Birdville High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Economics

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Mixing beats in my home music studio, football and lacrosse

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Academic environment, Cali vibe, meeting teammates/classmates from all over the world.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
The first time I visited I knew I had to get into this school

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility. To whom much is given much is expected. I plan to participate in the clubs and opportunities to give back to the community there.

What is a fun fact about you?
I’m a poet and a free styler

 
Adrian Banales
Hometown: Eastvale, California
High School: Eleanor Roosevelt High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Neuroscience

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, participating in charity events like MS Walk and Autism Speaks, and attending community functions like Toys 4 Tots and feeding the homeless.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Meeting new people and experiencing college life in general.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
From the first day I visited campus my sophomore year of high school.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility. Plain and simple, being socially responsible provides all society (young, old, rich, poor, etc.) opportunity for a higher quality of life.

What is a fun fact about you?
Being a car enthusiast, I can normally identify a vehicle make and model by just their headlights.

 
Lily Kraft
Hometown: Redstone, Colorado
High School: Colorado Rocky Mountain School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Psychology, Africana Studies, International and Intercultural Studies, and Anthropology

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Rock Climbing, playing music with friends, snowboarding, and eating ice cream.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I’m looking forward to meeting my teachers and classmates!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
I knew Pitzer was at the top of my college list when I heard about the core values, specifically “Interdisciplinary learning”.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Interdisciplinary learning is the most meaningful core value to me because this approach has allowed me to see the relations between fields of study and, in doing so, promoted insights that would otherwise not have taken place.

What is a fun fact about you?
I love to mountain bike and I could probably live off of chocolate for the rest of my life.

 
Ernesto Fritts
Hometown: Washington, DC
High School: Woodrow Wilson High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Linguistics or music

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Choir and theater are most of what I do for extracurriculars.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Meeting lots of new people and eating some great food!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
Last year during spring break was the first time I visited campus. That was when I realized it was where I wanted to be.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility because I feel like we’re given such a platform for change and influence, so why not use it to the best of its potential.

What is a fun fact about you?
For about six months leading up to December 11th, I ate an entire raw cucumber a day because why not.

 
Mary Vorder Bruegge
Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina
High School: Massey Hill Classical High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Environmental Analysis, Spanish, Philosophy

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Spending time in nature, reading, organic gardening, writing, playing outside with my cats, hiking, cooking, and traveling

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Meeting likeminded people from all over the world, hands-on and interactive learning, sustainable food from the cafeteria, gardening, and exploring the variety of California nature

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
When I walked on to the campus last Christmas break to explore and saw the drought-resistant plants, the murals and art on the buildings, the huge trees, and the paths through the gardens. I also heard that Pitzer was the “sustainable, social justice, vegan school” and I knew it was my top choice.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility is the most meaningful value to me because I believe in the education and contribution of everyone in the community to create a kinder, better world. I think social responsibility includes many other values that are important to me, like environmental sustainability.

What is a fun fact about you?
I live on a beautiful loblolly pine tree farm in NC with 10 cats, 2 dogs, and a rescue macaw.

 
Prisha Thapar
Hometown: Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
High School: Sat Paul Mittal School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Environmental Analysis and Psychology.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Swimming, Reading, Writing, travelling, Environmental Activism ,and everything and anything that gives you an adrenaline rush.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am really excited and cannot wait to join Pitzer College, I look forward to everything but my eyes are on joining the Sagehen Swimming and Diving time. Go Pomona- Pitzer!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
Pitzer was the place that I could feel connected to the moment I toured through the campus, What made it really special to me was the core value: environmental sustainability ,and the motto “Provida Futuri” which perfectly matched with my belief. I was blown away and I knew that this was the place where I wanted to be and which would give the opportunity to learn and grow within the close community which I was looking for. Pitzer was perfect!

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Environmental sustainability and Intercultural Understanding are the most important Core values for me as I want to do something for my Mother Earth but with the spirit of unison, as we all belong to this planet.

What is a fun fact about you?

 I am a Butterfly(Swimming) and the Literary Bug has bit me. Also, I am an only child!! 😉


 
Ciauna Kui-Chavez
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
High School: Westridge School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Anthropology! And maybe even Environmental Science.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
My favorite extracurriculars are definitely capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian martial art), Stage Management, and traveling the world.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Finding a second family and a second home! I am so excited to have access to the interactive and intimate classroom setting here. I am really looking forward to being a part of the consortium and meeting a diverse range of interesting people. I also can’t wait to eat my weight at the desert bar.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
The first time I toured in the summer of 2016, which was actually my first college tour ever. I kept telling myself, “Don’t lose your head over the first school you tour,” but it always remained the school of my dreams. I immediately saw many aspects of myself in the school whether it be the student body or the academic programs Pitzer has to offer. I couldn’t stop imagining myself on campus!

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
The core value most important to me in social responsibility. I think people believe that in order to change the world, they have to do something really major. To me, social responsibility is the small acts of change and justice one completes on a daily basis. It is picking up plastic on the sidewalk, educating friends on social justice issues, and being kind to strangers. Social responsibility can manifest in a variety of ways depending on the person, but what makes it so impactful is that it is something every human has.

What is a fun fact about you?
I really love embroidery, even though it makes me seem like an old lady!

 
Daniel Molina
Hometown: Riverside, California
High School: Ramona High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Psychology and Art

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Piano, and Drawing.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I’m looking forward to the whole experience of college and the diversity that the campus brings. I am also looking forward to being able to pursue my passions and further my understanding of the interests I hold.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
After I went on a campus tour with my school in November.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social Responsibility is the most meaningful yo me because, in order to create positive change, people need to take action and help their community.

What is a fun fact about you?
I have be doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since I was a freshman in high school and I won a piano competition after only playing for 2 years.

 
Keely Nguyen
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
High School: Franklin High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Environmental Analysis and Neuroscience

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I love to go on hikes, hangout with friends and family, play tennis, and volunteer.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am looking forward to being involved and participating in all of the environmental initiatives available, while begin my own with a group of passionate students!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
I knew Pitzer was for me after hearing Mr. Dwayne speak about how everything at Pitzer is primarily student-led. I wanted to be surrounded by advocates who will teach me to use my voice as well.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
As a first-generation Asian American, intercultural understanding is important to me because I have applied my parents’ teachings at home and sharing it with my own community. Meanwhile, I believe that learning about different cultures can truly break stereotypes and cultural barriers.

What is a fun fact about you?
I have been a vegetarian for half of my life and vegan for 5 years!! #veganism

 
Esteban Mogollon
Hometown: Weston, Florida
High School: Choate Rosemary Hall

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
Politics and Government

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
Getting petitions signed, playing soccer, and camping.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Meeting new like-minded people, creating long lasting friendships, and engaging in challenging dialogue.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
When I read Pitzers mission statement, I knew I was applying to an incredible and unique school.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social responsibility because I believe this is what the world lacks the most of today.

What is a fun fact about you?
I like to climb just about anything I’m allowed to.

Alessia Milstein
Hometown: New York, New York
High School: Millennium High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I am unsure what exactly I want to major in but my interests lie in politics, international relations, and gender studies.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I love being President of my school’s feminism club and being a youth organizer for the NYCLU.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am most looking forward to being within a community that is as passionate about activism and social responsibility as me. Also warm weather!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
I knew Pitzer was meant for me when I learned about their core values. While some of the values I have worked more with than others, each spoke to me. I knew I wanted to be at a college that shared the same values as me.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Social Responsibility has the most meaning to me as it is a large part of my extracurriculars. I also have a strong belief it is up to us to fix issues our society faces, to speak for those without a voice. Without social responsibility the world would have no community. All of us live on this planet, we have a duty to protect the planet and part of that is trying to lessen divisions and conflict within our own communities

What is a fun fact about you?
I can do a split!

Sara Tahirovic
Hometown: Los Gatos, California
High School: Los Gatos High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I hope to study Mathematics and possibly Theater.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
In my free time I enjoy participating in theater, working out, singing, hanging out with friends, and taking BuzzFeed quizzes.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I am most looking forward to having a home away from home with people I hope to call family and being challenged in classes with new perspectives and ideas.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
For the past couple of years, a close family friend of mine, who goes to Pitzer, spoke to me about her experiences and encouraged me to apply. I was hesitant at first, but as soon as I stepped on campus and experienced the tight knit community there was not a doubt in my mind that this was where I was meant to be.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Student engagement is the most meaningful core value to me because it allows people to think deeper, learn more, and build an open-minded community.

What is a fun fact about you?
I like pickles more than the average person and spend a little too much time blending out my eyeshadow…

Sam Ruiz
Hometown: Round Lake Beach, Illiniois
High School: Round Lake Senior High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
While attending Pitzer I hope to study Political Studies and Environmental Analysis. I believe both of these subjects speak toward my interest in government, but also toward my love for the environment and using science to interpret the state of our surroundings.

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
One of my favorite extracurricular activities is being a member of the Schuler Scholar Program. I have been a Schuler Scholar all four years throughout high school and I enjoy one of the important aspects of the program, which involves exposure to theater, writing, community involvement, and areas of STEM. Also, I enjoy competing on my school’s Cross Country and Track teams. I run the 4x800m and 4x400m relays. I also love playing music. I participate in both curricular and extracurricular groups, including Jazz Band and Marching band; I play the trumpet and guitar. Apart from school, I also participate in environmental conservation work and trips with the Center for Conservation Leadership.

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
I look forward to working with new students and professors in my classes. I am also excited to explore my interests by taking advantage of Pitzer’s resources and location within the Claremont Colleges in California.

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
At first I did not have solid idea of what Pitzer College was like or whether it was the type of college I wanted to attend, but after visiting Pitzer through the Fall Preview Pitzer Program, I absolutely fell in love. I remember texting my brother after my first day on campus and telling him how I felt like I was meant to be part of the community at Pitzer College. What made the difference for me between Pitzer and other colleges on my list was the community environment, value for environmental sustainability, and connection to resources within the Claremont Colleges.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
The most meaningful core value for me is Social Responsibility. I recognize the importance of higher education in preparing the leaders of the the present and future; I strongly believe that Social Responsibility plays a big part in that. Students should take initiative to carry out their individual responsibilities to improve the world we live in today, which is why I personally enjoy environmental conservation.

What is a fun fact about you?
I love to longboard and despite living in the Chicago area my entire life, I have always had a love for California.

Diamond Pham
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Cesar E Chavez High School

What do you hope to study at Pitzer?
I am excited to begin studying Political and Environmental Science!

What are some of your favorite extracurricular activities?
I absolutely love painting and playing the violin in my free time!

What are you most looking forward to at Pitzer?
Collaborating and building strong friendships with those who have the same goals and aspirations is by far the most exciting thing to me! Also, I love the weather there!

When did you know Pitzer was at the top of your college list?
When I visited the campus on an EMERGE tour, I realized how alive the school was on paper, and on campus! The aura of the school and its students was so comforting.

Which core value is the most meaningful to you and why?
Student Engagement means the most to me because it teaches us how important one person’s voice is in the world! To start being a change-maker, it starts with one person: yourself!

What is a fun fact about you?
I don’t know if it’s a fun fact.. but I’m fun sized haha I’m 4’10” 1/2!