By Olivia Ruiz ’27
Prior to my senior year of high school, I had never heard of Pomona. The school was put on my radar only after a spontaneous Google search—“Small Schools on the West Coast”—one random July night before senior year. I grew up in New York City, where many of my classmates prioritized staying close to home. Unlike them, I had no hesitation about traveling far from home for college if I found a school that checked all my boxes.
When considering what I wanted from my college experience, I was sure of two things:
1. I wanted a small school where professors knew me on a first-name basis and where I could build close-knit relationships with my peers, much like I had in high school.
2. I wanted a school that would challenge me to grow—somewhere that pushed me to adapt. Whether in a new city or state, I wanted to immerse myself in a place that felt less familiar and predictable than New York City had become.
When I first visited Pomona in the fall of my senior year, it was one of few colleges that not only blew me away with its beautiful and lively campus but also felt like a place I could picture myself—whether doing homework on Marston Quad or hanging out with friends at Café 47. Following my visit, on the entire 6-hour plane ride home, I only became more and more excited about the next time I could find myself back in California and on Pomona’s campus.
After being admitted to Pomona through regular decision, I revisited campus, this time seeing everything through a new lens. Now, I could eat in the dining halls, fully explore the neighboring consortium colleges—Claremont McKenna, Scripps, Harvey Mudd and Pitzer—and truly envision my life as a student. While experiencing the beautiful year-round weather, the ability to cross-enroll at other colleges and build connections beyond Pomona, I realized just how unique this opportunity was. When else would I have the chance to move across the country and spend four years in California, fully immersing myself in a new environment?
As I wrap up my second year here, I can’t emphasize enough how happy I am with my decision. While academics can get intense, walking outside my dorm to 70-degree weather makes everything a little more bearable. Though I’m far from home, my family and I take comfort in knowing how much I love it here and how quickly Pomona has become my second home.