For prospective students of the Five C’s, otherwise known as the Claremont Colleges, going to high school in the same city can be quite advantageous. For senior Nico Villalba, being able to stay close to home was somewhat a relief. Villalba was accepted into Harvey Mudd College, where he plans to major in computer science. He maintained that going to college in the same city he went to high school in would not be a burden or hindrance to him, but rather an exciting step forward.

The college admissions process was very unusual this year due to the pandemic, and Villalba’s case was no different. Like many others at CHS, choosing a school that was in-state was much more favorable. Villalba chose Harvey Mudd because the predicted salary of graduates was higher than other schools for computer science majors. The school’s population and unique consortium environment also stood out to Villalba, as this would give him the freedom of opportunity to take courses outside of the mostly math and science courses offered at Harvey Mudd.

“I enjoy how Harvey Mudd can have both the feel of a small and large school,” Villalba said. “The undergraduate enrollment hovers around 900 students which at some schools is the same size of a single class. The idea of having the Five C’s around me to counteract this feeling definitely enticed me to apply.”

The arts were a substantial part of Villalba’s high school experience, as he took pride in his involvement with his extracurricular activities, such as Project ARTstART, CLASP, and Common Good Tutors. Villalba believes that it will not be difficult for him to continue his appreciation and fondness of art even as he goes to a STEM school.
“With the liberal arts schools that reside in the Five Cs, I definitely don’t think I will struggle in involving myself with art,” Villalba said. “Along with this artistic side, I definitely see myself continuing to pursue an interest in education and teaching.”

Sound advice that Villalba values and wishes to bestow to underclassmen is to hit the books. He detailed how no assignment in high school is truly too difficult, if one genuinely dedicates themself to their work. There were times he recalled where his tasks seemed unbearable, but once he started working, that sense of dread melted away. He said he often felt frustrated with himself once he turned assignments in directly because of how much he overestimated them, and yet they were manageable. He implores his underclassmen to avoid falling into this habit. In an effort to break out of the cycle, Villalba drew support from a few teachers, and he would like to give thanks to them.

“Ms. Suarez, who is one of the kindest people I have ever met and actually made me continue loving Spanish despite having spoken it all my life,” Villalba said. “Mr. Pettibone, whose humor somehow made me miss going to Physics class and who supported me and was understanding throughout my abundant procrastination, and Mr. Cooper, who despite no longer teaching at CHS, cemented my infatuation for Computer Science with his fluid personality and teaching style that gave opportunity to so much creativity.”

Putting an exclamation point on the end of his senior year, Villalba intends to finish the school year strong and plans to spend most of the summer with his family. As he moves on to Harvey Mudd, Villalba will remember the things he learned and cherish the memories he made at CHS.