December 1, 2014

Dear first-year student,

My name is Israel Barrera and I attended Pasadena City College as a first-year Pathways
student in 2014. I want to talk about the resources that both the Pathways program and Pasadena
City College has to offer. I will also tell you the things you can do to become successful future
college student. At first, I thought to transfer to a university I only had to take the general
education classes. After attending a group counseling meeting with my success coach, Keika, I
learned that a Pasadena City College student needed to take some major course along with
general education courses so that the student doesnt fall behind when they enter their sophomore
or junior year in a different college. I also learned about sexual health and I wasnt fully aware of
the possible consequences of unprotected sex and the cautions you have to make in order to
prevent sexually transmitted infections. Growing up in a Christian home, no one really informed
me how easy it was to get a sexually transmitted infection and how it can affect your life and
future. After I watched the video of Pasadena City Colleges Sexual Health Lecture, I was better
informed of the problems of STIs. However, I remember that from the book, Drive, that
understanding a problem doesn't necessarily solve it. Not only did the lecture inform me of the
problem, the guest speaker in this video also told us how to handle it, where you can find help. In
order to progress in life, you need to work well with others, know where you can find quality
resources, and control the Elephant and Rider in you. From my experiences with working in
group assignments, I learned that every one of your friends need the chance to contribute their
opinions and suggestions when discussing and working together. At least one person planning
the meetings, one person enforcing the responsibilities, and everyone contributing ideas and
work effort. As a Pathways student, you have access to the Teaching and Learning Center, in

V102. At the TLC, only Pathways students have access to the computer lab, Pathways tutors, and
success coaches. Another resource is the Shatford Library where you can find various books and
even school textbooks that provide reliable information you need for research, assignments, and
projects. At the Student Health Services, you can find information about your body and sexual
health. The Student Health Services also provides check-ups and examinations right on campus.
In the L building of Pasadena City College, you can find great resources on financial aid,
scholarships, information about the school, career counseling, and transfer counseling. After
reading this letter, I hope you have enough information to make your year at Pasadena City
College run smoothly. If you ever feel like youve hit rock bottom, just know that even in
failure there is success (Drive).
Sincerely,
Israel Barrera