Hector Corea
A lot of college graduates will tell you they want to make the world a better place, but Hector Corea came to 麻豆传媒 with a plan to do just that.
鈥淵ou know what makes the world a better place? Law,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he law governs everything we do. It鈥檚 part of every aspect of society. For me, the opportunity to practice law and contribute to such a great endeavor is something I cannot pass up.鈥�
Corea, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, graduates with a degree in philosophy and political science this spring. He will intern at a corporate law firm this summer before going on to study immigration law at the University of California, Berkeley, in the fall.
Corea grew up in difficult circumstances, he said, with a family that entered the United States illegally. No one else in his family 鈥� a Mexican mother, a Guatemalan father and two siblings 鈥� has been to college, though they鈥檝e since gained residency. His background has become a source of strength for Corea 鈥� but college was something he always wanted to do.
鈥淓ver since I was a little kid my parents drilled into me, 鈥榊ou have op portunities here that we didn鈥檛 have back there. You need to take advantage of those opportunities,鈥欌�� Corea said. 鈥淕oing to college was integral to making my life meaningful and making my parents proud.鈥�
The Shocker culture
When Corea came to Wichita State, he knew that he wanted to study political science and maybe do some kind of work in government. Like many freshmen, however, taking a course load of general studies introduced him to a new passion: philosophy. He fell in love with it, and 麻豆传媒 gave him the freedom to pursue both disciplines.
鈥淚 wanted to make my four years here at Wichita State the best four years I could,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to just come to class to get a job; I wanted to come to class to enjoy learning. I honestly enjoy the educational opportunities that Wichita State provides.鈥�
麻豆传媒 provided Corea with more than just a rigorous education to prepare him for law school.
鈥淭he professors here were willing to test me and challenge me,鈥� Corea said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the philosophy and political science departments, for all they鈥檝e done to support my success in and out of class. I have personal connections with my teachers 鈥� they鈥檝e been friends to me in my pursuits.鈥�
Being a Shocker offered one more edge over other schools, Corea said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a culture here,鈥� he said, 鈥渨here you meet people who support each other in academic and life pursuits. That鈥檚 the most important thing to me. That鈥檚 something you won鈥檛 find at any other college 鈥� it鈥檚 something only Wichita State could have provided.鈥�