Madeline Alsop
—The Opportunity to Reinvent Herself
Why did you choose CHC?
I chose CHC because it was the best and closest option for me. I was homeschooled for most of high school, and I did not take the required classes or tests to transfer to a 4 year university. Although CHC was basically my only option, I would have chosen to go there due to the advantages it had offered.
What is one thing that you don't think people know about CHC, but should know?
I think people don't really know about how many countless resources and opportunities there are! From the tutoring center, to the honors program, to the student senate, there is something for everyone here.
What are your future plans and goals after graduating from CHC?
After graduating from CHC, I will transfer to UCLA. I plan to major in English and minor in history. After this, I hope to attend law school.
If there is a CHC employee who inspired you, please provide the name of the person and how he or she inspired you.
Although there are many names that come to mind, I would say Professor Langenfeld and Professor Jimenez have inspired me the most. Professor Langenfeld helped me advance in my writing and really sparked my love for researching and analyzing literature. Professor Jimenez reignited my love for history, and helped me deliver a speech on Veterans Day that I didn't even know I would be able to do. I looked forward to both of their classes and I am going to miss them so much.
How has CHC made your life better?
CHC has improved my life in multiple ways. CHC gave me the opportunity to reinvent myself after quitting a sport that I had Olympic hopes for. The school turned my life around completely. I went from feeling like a lost, confused, and failing athlete to someone with more purpose and more attributes and skills other than a sport. I rediscovered things about myself that I had forgotten about over my competitive years and I feel more complete and content because of it.
What would happen if CHC was no longer an option for you? How would that change your life?
If CHC was no longer an option for me, my life would be completely different. I wouldn't have had the opportunity to participate in honors, research conferences, presentations, transfer workshops, and much more. If I did not have CHC, I wouldn't have been able to transfer to my dream school and pursue my career goals.
Please tell us about some of the challenges you have experienced in life. How have those challenges made you who you are today?
Becoming a lawyer wasn't my first career choice. First, I had planned to be an Olympic show jumper/horse rider. After I graduating early from high school, I began to rethink my future and realized that riding horses was not going to give me the satisfaction and success I desired. In addition, I didn't have the means to afford a more capable horse to compete at the higher levels and reach my initial dream. I made the hardest decision of my life by quitting horse riding. I still wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do, I just knew that I had to find another passion that would set my life up for success and stability. I moved back to my hometown in Big Bear and signed up for classes at Crafton Hills College. Enrolling in a four year university wasn't an option since I never took the SAT or the required classes for transfer during high school. All of my effort and focus went into riding, so I was happy to find that I could pursue a different career at Crafton. Aside from this, my upbringing was quite different from other kid as well. My parents were hugely successful motorcycle shop owners so I had a very different childhood and view on college than other kids. I was never pushed into attending college. When I was eleven, my parents business went bankrupt and they lost everything. Watching my parents go from not having a house or a working car to building the largest motorcycle company next to Harley Davidson has shown me that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. In addition, my father was an illegal immigrant from Australia who dropped out of high school at age 14. When he moved to America, he gained his citizenship and immediately started working. My mother was the daughter of Mexican immigrants and was raised along with three other sisters. The dedication and perseverance my parents have displayed continues to inspire me and push me to greatness. I believe that growing up in the rough motorcycle industry with a father who was involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs has shaped my character as well; the odd experiences I have had gave me the chance to gain a fairly broad perspective on the world and the people within it. Being around adults in business and social situations has allowed me to experience what the real world is like. This forced me to mature quicker and helped me to start thinking about my future at a young age. Although I was raised by two parents who had never gone to college, I still feel confident and content in the college community. It feels wonderful that I was able to choose my own career path and pursue my dreams without the influence of others. All of these things have made me who I am today, and I wouldn't change a thing.
