By Commencement is right around the corner for the Long Beach State class of 2025.
As students prepare to walk across the stage at Angel Stadium to receive the degrees they have worked tirelessly for, the question now arises of what they will do next.
With 99 undergraduate degrees and 66 degree options offered from the university’s graduate catalog, along with numerous graduate and doctoral programs, students’ degrees and lives after graduation vary.
For Marc Jackson, 37, the completion of his bachelor’s in political science this May is a milestone he could’ve never imagined.
Right out of high school in 2005, a younger Jackson joined the United States Marine Corps.
Following in his father’s footsteps and joining the “family business,” Jackson intended to finish his four-year term until a personal injury quickly ended his time in the armed forces.
“My career was cut short after I had a seizure,” Jackson said. “It was my first real job, things were going really well. Then, all of a sudden, just ‘Bam,’ it felt like it was taken from [me.]”
Outside of the military, Jackson recounted falling on hard times – dealing with homelessness, substance use and drug dealing, until he eventually received a two year prison sentence in 2018.
As a short-term, first-time offender, Jackson was then unexpectedly released from prison when the COVID-19 pandemic began to break out within the prison walls.
Not long after his release, Jackson received an email from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, alerting veterans of opportunities to further their education through financial aid.
“I got lucky because the flyer was 70 pages long about the program, and 60 of it was all different schools that were accepting this program,” Jackson said. “‘What are the odds that Long Beach is going to have it or anything out here,’ you know? I scroll down and like page 50 – Long Beach City College.”
Seizing the opportunity, Jackson completed his associate’s degree through LBCC before transferring into the political science program at CSULB, where he took a specific interest in government and the Supreme Court.
After graduation in May, he will be continuing on to CSULB’s Masters of Public Administration program, to further personal development for future managerial positions.
Jordan Guevara, 23, is walking across the stage with both a degree in hand and a job in his pocket.
Receiving his bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in finance, Guevara is currently employed as an individual securities analyst at Califano Financial Group.
“I was fascinated by the idea that I could literally make money from pressing buttons on the computer,” Guevara said. “I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted something in finance.”
Originally studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Guevara transferred to CSULB during the fall 2023 semester.
Since his arrival at the Beach, Guevara has utilized resources within the department, like the student-run Beach Investment Group. The experience, he said, has helped further his knowledge on finances and assisted him in gaining experience for his job.
“The school has an endowment [that] they allocate a small portion of to this fund that students manage so that we can get real world experience in managing a portfolio,” Guevara said. “I think we manage around $1.6 million on behalf of the school.”
Currently working part-time in a small office with room to grow, Guevara hopes to go full-time working toward becoming a financial advisor for the firm.
The job would entail taking on personal clients, giving investment advice and eventually opening his own practice.
“It’s a ton of experience that someone at my age would not typically be able to get,” Guevara said.
Graduating this May with a bachelors of art in dance, Olivia Leyva strikes a pose in front of the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theatre during her graduating photoshoot. Photo credit: Hatbox Photography
Olivia Leyva, 24, hopes to combine her love for teaching and dance into one after receiving her bachelor’s of art in dance.
Originally a child development major due to her love for kids and teaching, Leyva found herself dreaming in class of dancing and following her passion.
“I loved what I learned, but it wasn’t right for me,” Leyva said. “I was sitting there in classes thinking, ‘I would rather be dancing.’”
Self-described as shy at heart, Leyva found a way to teach and interact with others through dancing, after her own teachers pushed her to work toward what she loved.
Transferring to CSULB from her home city of San Diego, Leyva switched her major to dance after seeing the “diverse” program the university has to offer.
“Usually they’re focused on modern and ballet, and that technical aspect,” Levya said. “Long Beach just has everything.”
With auditions had and jobs lined up for her future, Leyva plans on making the most of her degree by experiencing all that performing has to offer her.
Ultimately, she plans on continuing to teach to the younger demographic, receiving the same help she once needed as a child, with dreams of opening her own studio.
