Hello Katipuneros!
My name is Jamielene Sera and I graduated in 2022 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. My college career started at CSU San Marcos where I quickly learned how unprepared I was to face the world. After only a year, I moved back home and finished my general education courses at Grossmont Community College where I earned an A.S. in both Biology and Psychology. In 2020, I transferred to UCR as a Neuroscience major and found a home away from home within Katipunan. I joined Katipunan during the pandemic where I attended the first general meeting on Zoom. I still remember the icebreaker game where we raced to find common Filipino household objects (walis, tsinelas, and rice cooker). It was chaotic, fun, and reminiscent of how me and my cousins acted when we were young. I knew in that moment I wanted to be more involved.
I was an apprentice my first year in Katipunan where I had the pleasure of working alongside cabinet members to plan and coordinate Katipunan events. Later on, I became Apprentice Advisor and participated in PACN as a dancer on the Tinikling team. Katipunan will always have a special place in my heart and is something I am grateful for everyday because it:
1. Helped me find a community eager to learn, share, and advocate Filipino culture
2. Introduced me to lifelong friends who let me be ... me
3. Made me realize I already had everything I needed to succeed within me
Fast forward to the present, I work 12-hour shifts three days a week as a Medical Assistant in Urgent Care. On my days off, I like to read, visit coffee shops to find the best iced chai latte, and play tourist in my own city. I’m going back to school at the end of January to finish a few prerequisite courses so I can apply to Physician Assistant (PA) school this year. Some days are hard while others are just plain rough. I’m still far from where I want to be, but I’m closer than I was a year ago, even a month ago. Sometimes I beat myself up for being at this stage so “late” in my life but then I think about how scared, lonely, and doubtful 19 year old Jamielene was. I don’t know who I would’ve been if I didn’t take the risks I did but I imagine I wouldn’t feel as secure and stable as I do now. 19 year old Jamielene would’ve been so proud to know that the girl who was scared of failure learned to brush the dust off and keep going.
If you know me you’ve probably heard my all time favorite quote countless times, but here it is again: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will”. So silence your doubts and give yourself the opportunity you deserve. The only thing standing between you and that goal is you.
Please feel free to contact me about anything (Katipunan, Urgent Care / PA, book recommendations) literally anything (:
instagram: @jamielene
