It can sometimes be too hard to fathom that each of the 30,000 students at Cal State Long Beach have a unique story to tell, whether they grew up without money, have an exciting occupation or had a life-changing experience.
To start off the Freshmen Series, first-year marine biology major Kyle Haymond gives us a glimpse of his future goals and aspirations, as well as being a former drum major at the Los Alamitos High marching band.
Cassandra Tompkins: So Kyle, tell me about your life story. Where did you grow up?
Kyle Haymond: I grew up in the Los Alamitos area. I went to Rossmoor Elementary School, Oak Middle School and then Los Alamitos High where I met a lot of really interesting people. I joined band as the drum major, and I had great experiences–not all of which were so great, but you know, I had fun for the most part.
CT: What were some of the less fun parts of being a drum major? KH: Well, [drum major] wasn’t easy to say the least. I had a lot of hardships, and I blew up in front of the band one day. But in the end, I did have a decent experience.
CT: How are you enjoying being a marine biology major so far? KH: [Since] I am majoring in marine biology, everything is fun. I am enjoying chemistry and math actually. Everything related to science has been a pleasure.
CT: Do you expect to join any clubs during your time at CSULB? KH: Well, I am currently going to try and start an independent drumline (if that ever gets started). I am also going to try and join a fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.
CT: Did you have any positive or negative stereotypes of how campus life would be?
KH: I didn’t really have any stereotypes. I was pretty indifferent.
CT: Do you currently have a job? If so, where do you work, and how are you liking it?
KH: I work at Camp Snoopy in Knott’s Berry Farm as a ride operator. It has its good and bad days. Usually, it’s pretty fun and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.
CT: What are the perks of working at Knott’s?
KH: There aren’t any, other than the fact that I receive two free tickets to the park every six months.
CT: Where do you see yourself in four to five years?
KH: Hopefully graduating college by then. If not, then I am going to be very upset. I’ll probably end up working at an aquarium or some other place, doing some research in the field.