Discovering Community, Learning, and Fun at University of Redlands

Isaac from Mexico is pursuing mechanical engineering in the U.S. and preparing for a future at top institutions

 

What is your name and what country are you from?

My name is Jorge Isaac Aguilar Martinez. Most people know me by Isaac but I also go by Jorge with friends and family. I am originally from my hometown Guadalajara, Mexico.

What is your major?

My major at the University of Redlands is Engineering 3-2, looking to pursue a degree of Mechanical Engineering. I’ll be at Redlands for three years, then finish my degree at either Columbia University or Washington University in St. Louis.

What year are you going into?

I am going into my sophomore year, but since I only do 3 years at Redlands, I could consider myself a junior!

What made you interested in studying in the United States?

The U.S. is one of, if not, the most technologically advanced countries of the world. As an engineering major, I was highly interested in pursuing my higher level of education in the United States, as this could ensure an education with state-of-the-art technology, and highly trained professionals that could better prepare me to be able to work in this highly complex and innovative area.

Additionally, the U.S. is known for its unique lifestyle, a high quality of life, and worldwide-known events and places. The U.S. university experience was something that also made me highly interested in pursuing my higher level of education here, with unique experiences like dorm life, independent living far from home, and making a name for myself. All of these factors combined spiked my interest and motivated me to apply to universities all around the United States.

Why did you choose the University of Redlands?

Since a young age, I attended a school with small classrooms, an in-person experience with each professor, and the ability to closely know all of your generation and professors. I was looking for this in a university, and I saw it in Redlands. Redlands is an institution that ensures that students receive a personalized learning experience, close relationships with professors and faculty, small class size, a great location, community, community service, and so many more opportunities.

Describe your experience in three words.

Development

I find it incredible how much personal development and growth you find while studying at university in the United States. Living on your own means that even the most common and minimal experiences of your day-to-day life will make you grow and become an independent adult. 

Things like doing your own laundry, attending classes, following a daily schedule and creating daily habits like going to the gym, dinner with your friend group, completing school tasks, or even going out to buy groceries and snacks, and exploring the U.S. on your own! All of these minimal and notable experiences harness personal growth and forge you into a responsible, mature and problem solving young adult.

Fun

You can’t spell studying in the U.S. without the word FUN. Imagine having your best friends as your neighbors and having all the liberty in the world to decide when to hang out with them, where to go, and what fun activity to do each day. Almost everyone in my friend group lives on the same floor of my residence hall, with my best friend Ewan living right next door. 

I can’t describe how much fun it is to wake up, get ready to go to the gym, and to have breakfast with all of your friends, go to classes, do your homework, and then hang out with your best friends before going to a campus event, a concert, or another fun activity. It’s the best experience of my life and something I am sure I will remember for the rest of my life. College life in the U.S. is so much fun.

Learning

Now, after all the previous was said, imagine living with your best friends as your neighbors, away from home, and going to school but to pursue your dream or study to become what you’ve always dreamed of. But most importantly, studying at an institution whose top priority is to ensure that students have top of the line, state-of-the-art technology, as well as professors who genuinely care about you and your learning and development. 

All of these factors combined have brought an immense amount of learning specifically in my particular area of study of engineering, physics, and mathematics, but also in so many more areas. I’m taking not only my engineering STEM courses, but also classes like piano, economics, philosophy, and French. This is the University of Redlands, a private liberal arts and sciences university who genuinely cares about each and every one of its students’ learning and preparedness, but also fun and growing college experience.

Have you gotten to know any of your professors?

It is so welcoming and surprising to be able to know your professors and have a great relationship with them, as well as have a 1-to-1 learning session with them. One clear example of this was my relationship with Dr. Buffam. She was my French professor last year. She’s one of the most passionate teachers I’ve ever known, and since the first minute of class it was clear that she cared about each and every single one of the students in her class, and she’d ensure we’d all learn all of the course objectives. 

I was able to become close with her as we spoke about my hometown, my experience as an international student, and also about her journey from France to the United States. She even helped me with some reference and recommendation letters for some jobs at the university.

Do you have any examples of Redlands students supporting each other?

Redlands is such a unique place due to the incredible sense of belonging and supportive community that exists in its student body. You can see this even in the most simple and basic interactions between students. I will never forget the genuine effort that my friends put towards helping me feel better while I was dealing with my first relationship break-up. 

Even in the most simple things, like coming to my dorm and listening to music with me, convincing me to go to the gym every day even when I wasn’t feeling like it, and just pushing me towards bettering myself and becoming stronger after the hardships. All of these factors combined made me feel like I had a true home in Redlands, not a place, but a group of people that I knew that I could count on during my lowest moments, and that I’d be there for them as they were here for me.

Have you taken any classes outside your major that you’ve enjoyed?

One of the reasons why I find the University of Redlands with such a unique learning experience is this precise ability of being able to take classes outside of your major that are of your personal interest. Even though I am an engineering major, I have always grown up with music in my blood. 

I started learning how to play more and more instruments as I grew up, from clarinet, flute, all the way up to guitar. Since I was young I never had the opportunity to learn piano as it was an expensive instrument, however, the University of Redlands gave me the opportunity to take a piano class even when having a completely different major such as Engineering.

Additionally, despite my engineering major, I have always had a passion towards learning about different cultures and their languages, knowing how to speak Spanish, English, and even Portuguese. However, there was one language and culture in my list that I had been wanting to learn since I was young: French. The University of Redlands unique learning experience gave me the ability of being able to take a French Course with an amazing professor, Mme. Buffam, who truly had a passion towards sharing her culture and language with her students.

Have you explored the U.S. outside of just Redlands?

One thing I love about the U.S. is how easy it is to explore and move around the various cities and scenic places around California. Using the new Metrolink (train) connection at the University of Redlands, I have been able to get to know Los Angeles, Ontario, and even been all the way over to San Diego for a long weekend, visiting the famous San Diego Zoo. It is definitely amazing to have the opportunity to be connected all throughout SoCal via the Metrolink station of the University of Redlands!

What is one of your favorite memories from your time this far as a student?

The most memorable moment I have from freshman year at U of R was the Sunday before classes start after Thanksgiving. I had to spend my birthday (November 25) on a FaceTime call with my family and friends with a donut as a “cake,” I will never forget the pure sense of happiness I felt running through my body when I heard all of my friends outside my door the Sunday when everyone returned from their Thanksgiving trips home, preparing themselves to surprise me in my dorm and say happy birthday to me. 

My roommate got me a Mexican flag (that I had been trying to buy unsuccessfully for the past month) and some cool slippers and jacket, as a gift for my birthday. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t expecting anything from anyone as my birthday had landed just in the middle of Thanksgiving, and it had already been almost a whole week after my actual birthday. But my birthday surprise is now a unique core memory that I will keep in the deepest part of my heart, and proof that you can’t think of Redlands without the words COMMUNITY and BELONGING!