Page Content Your browser does not support the video tag. Maria Angelica Garcia“one of the best things about Humboldt state is how many different perspectives i see on campus.” Maria Angelica Garcia describes her first days at Humboldt State University as "a complete and total culture shock." Almost 700 miles away from her hometown of Rancho Palos Verdes, the engineering major missed her friends and family.But with the help of HSU's Place-Based Learning Communities (PBLC)—a program that puts first-year science majors together in the same courses, housing blocks and introductory seminars right from the start—Garcia was able to quickly adapt to life among the redwoods. "They moved us in early and had us attend a four-day summer immersion experience," recalls Garcia, who is now a senior. "Right off the bat, I was put into a really tight-knit group of students who shared similar interests and backgrounds and got to be well-acquainted with the faculty I was going to be working with throughout my time at HSU."HSU's PBLC is just one program at the CSU supporting the Graduation Initiative 2025 goal of helping students to establish a sense of belonging on their campus. When students feel welcome and integrated into their campus, it can lead to improved outcomes. "Having this program was super crucial," Garcia agrees. "Otherwise, I would've felt really isolated and intimidated in such an intense field like STEM." Learn more about Maria's story and about the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025, which strives to increase graduation rates for all students while eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps. "I chose Humboldt State because I grew up in Southern California, and HSU was pretty much as far as you can get without leaving the state. I wanted the opportunity to see something new. One of the best things is how many different perspectives I see on campus. The people here are really grounded and passionate." "My dad is an immigrant who came here from El Salvador on political asylum from the civil war. Because of that, he never had any type of education. It was his number-one wish for me to be able to go to school and do whatever I wanted with my life. He'd say, 'Go to school. It doesn't matter what for, but go and get an education because you can.'" [Clockwise from left: Garcia's father Pedro, mother Christina, sister Angela and Garcia] "As soon as I decided on a STEM major, I received a message from a program on campus called Klamath Connection, which is one of the place-based learning communities. When I got to HSU, they immediately took me under their wing." [Garcia and Katlin Goldenberg, director of HSU's PBLC] "The people I met that first day through Klamath Connection are the same people I had in all my classes and continue to have in my classes. And the same professors I met are now teaching my capstone. The students in the program all work together on projects and homework." "In my second year, I transitioned into a program called Retention through Academic Mentoring Program (RAMP). I was a mentor and then a lead mentor, so I had two years of being able to continuously connect with my peers." [Garcia and Tracy Smith, director of RAMP] "I'm looking forward to going to grad school. I had a really cool internship this summer in Arizona where I was doing solar cell research. I'm really interested in renewable energies. I want to continue researching, learning and growing." Maria is on track to graduate in 2020. Click one of the links below to see more programs around the CSU that help establish support networks for first-year students. CSU Dominguez Hills Sacramento State Stanislaus State Read More GI 2025 Success Stories STORY: MICHELLE MCCARTHY PHOTOGRAPHY: Patrick Record, Courtesy of Maria Angelica GarciaShare this story Share Tweet Email Share