MyPath2ASU takes international student from community college to transfer student ambassador

As a student at Paradise Valley Community College, Arianne Dingal realized that the MyPath2ASU transfer tools would save her time and money by prescribing a list of coursework to take with her bachelor's degree in mind.

With more than 400 pathways to choose from and the ability to track her degree progress with the transfer guide, “MyPath2ASU helped me keep track of what classes I actually needed, what GPA I needed to maintain, if my AGEC was complete and how much I could handle," she said.

"Together with the help of my PVCC advisor, I was able to finish my associate degree in just one year and a half.”

Initially choosing to begin at a community college partly because of the pandemic and partly because of finances, Dingal said, “It was difficult to find scholarships coming from a non-American high school, and community college tuition and fees in the United States were already equivalent to a prestigious university in my home country. Hence, it was not an easy commitment to make.

"Having started college during the pandemic where everything was online, it just made more sense to begin at a community college. Choosing community college was a great choice too, as I was afraid that the university atmosphere and the overall cultural difference would overwhelm me.”

After completing her associate degree, Dingal knew ASU was the right choice for her because of the size of the school, the ease of transportation and the amount of recognition it gets.

“Coming from a community college, I wanted to test my limits and really be part of a large community to get to know more diverse groups of people," she said. "Plus, ASU was the only university in Arizona that had multiple transportation options. Lastly, my father has always liked working with ASU graduates, so it has a good reputation in my family, despite having no direct alumni.”

Dingal has helped other prospective community college transfer students learn about and utilize the updated MyPath2ASU program as a transfer student ambassador working for ASU's Academic Alliances.

Here she talks about her transfer journey as a political science student in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and her advice for other transfer students.

Question: Who (or what) inspired you to pursue higher education?

Answer: Some reasons I decided to pursue higher education is because of my career goal to become a lawyer and my end goal to give back to my family. Furthermore, pursuing higher education is also a natural next step for most kids of my culture, and I believe that finishing my degree will help me achieve more and thus give more to my family.

Q: Why and when did you choose your major?

A: I am currently pursuing political science. I was actually set on this major since I was in third grade as I became more aware of the government and how it affected people's lives. Aside from this, I was inspired by a senator that I greatly admired who was such a well-spoken, confident and knowledgeable lady. I also believe that political science would be a great stepping (stone) for me to advance into law school.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your ASU experience so far?

A: What I have enjoyed most about ASU is just continuously learning more things about it. I always discover something new, whether it be a place on campus I never knew about, an event the school is throwing or a program opportunity.

Q: Are you involved in any clubs, organizations, research or internships?

A: Currently, I am the program director of the Women's Coalition and am taking an internship with a political consulting firm.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a new transfer student?

A: One piece of advice I would give to a new transfer student is to talk to people. You may not get along with all of them and you may not keep in touch with all of them, but amongst those people you will always learn something new and perhaps make a true connection as well.

Q: What are your plans after you graduate with your bachelor’s degree?

A: After I graduate with my bachelor's degree, I am debating about getting a master's or working in the political field, whether it be as government staff or with consulting firms. The ... goal is to move on to law school to become a practicing lawyer.