The Class of 2029 arrived at Pomona College in August from 41 U.S. states and 26 countries, representing a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.
Here, four of those students reflect on their path to Pomona, their first semester of classes and their hopes for the future.
Alex Allen ’29
When Alex Allen ’29 visited campus as a 15-year-old, the College immediately jumped to the top of her list. The campus felt like home, she says, with its physical beauty and the warmth of the people.
Professor of Psychological Science and Africana Studies Eric Hurley played a key role in making Allen feel welcome. As she and her family walked around campus, Hurley approached them and asked if he could help in any ways.
“He said, ‘I’m about to leave, but if you want to talk, we can,’ and we had an hour-long conversation with him,” recalls Allen.
They spoke about psychology—an area of study Allen’s sister was interested in—and the experience of being Black on campus, which helped assure Allen that she would feel comfortable and supported here.
After that visit, Allen convinced her older sister, Kayla Allen ’28, to apply, and this fall Alex left Berwyn, Pennsylvania, to join Kayla on campus.
An intended linguistics major, Allen took Introduction to Linguistics her first semester, along with Intermediate German, Calculus, and The Art of Description for her first-year critical inquiry seminar, which she says was “life changing.”
Allen is looking forward to taking another linguistics course in the spring and is considering a career as a linguistics professor or in government.
“We’ll see,” Allen says. “That’s kind of what Pomona is all about.”
Juan Rodriguez ’29
Every now and then Juan Rodriguez ’29 looks at his friends and realizes they’ve traveled entirely different paths to Pomona.
“Interacting with such a diverse community of people was something I hoped was not just a brochure talking point,” he says. “Being in a space that’s such a microcosm of a global, active community is going to prepare me really well for the future.”
Rodriguez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and immigrated to the U.S. when he was 6. His family made a home in Miami, and Rodriguez became a Posse Scholar drawn to Pomona’s location, faculty-to-student ratio and educational ethos.
“I didn’t know a college could have an ethos of very creative and curious learners, very ambitious and smart students, but also a very collaborative culture,” he says. “And as I’ve been on campus, the collaborative culture at Pomona is definitely real.”
While he plans to major in international relations, Rodriguez knows he’ll pick up skills across disciplines that will transfer to any profession.
“The best way to move forward into a world of so many unknowns is to be a well-rounded individual that can critically analyze and perceive the world,” he says.
Ben Schiffman ’29
With its top-tier academics, California address and competitive swim team, Pomona checked all the boxes for Ben Schiffman ’29.
The adjustment to college has been considerable, he says, as he navigates new modes of teaching and learning, a different training style, and functioning apart from his family in Salt Lake City.
As a potential psychological science major on the pre-med track, Schiffman found office hours with professors, along with mentor sessions, to be crucial in tackling his demanding course load.
“My chemistry professors completely changed the way I thought about the school in terms of how good the professors are,” says Schiffman, adding that his four classroom and lab professors in chemistry were “equally good” this fall.
As he looks back on a semester of transition, he’s grateful for the challenges.
“Just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean it’s not good,” he says.
Jill Vinca ’29
Jill Vinca ’29 moved from Indonesia to Philadelphia in high school, and when looking at colleges, she sought one that felt like her homeland.
Pomona’s green spaces have provided her with the nature she craved, and people’s friendliness has further made her feel at home.
“Professors know me by name,” she says, adding that her second priority in a college was small class sizes and relationships with professors.
She’s deciding between majoring in psychological sciences and molecular biology on her way to becoming a doctor. She says the close relationships with professors and research opportunities at Pomona will help her get there.
“When students are struggling, the professors are there to help,” Vinca says. “As long as we ask them, they will help.”
And when school gets stressful, Vinca returns to nature.
“I can literally just go out and there’s a lot of green,” Vinca says. “And I just lay down on the grass.”