If you’re wondering how to make the most out of your college experience, Domenica
Gomez ’23 is a good person to ask.
As a student athlete, admissions ambassador, and double major in international business and sociology, Gomez regularly advises prospective students to get involved in campus activities, ask for help, and explore new experiences. “Take risks! Join a club you might not be interested in! Try things out,” she said. “You won’t lose anything.”
A longtime dancer, Gomez got involved in MCLA Dance Company during her first year of college. She joined Fashion Club and discovered how fun modeling can be. As a resident of Hoosac Hall, she became vice president of the residency’s advisory board, helping coordinate all kinds of events so other students could connect as they settled into college life.
Whenever she’s struggled with class work, she’s reached out to her professors, who are happy to help. “I always tell students to go to office hours,” she said. “When I was taking accounting, Professor Tara Barboza would always tell me to come by before we had a quiz. Get help when you need it! Use all the resources that are available.”
If you’re visiting, you might even catch Gomez giving a tour in English and Spanish—she grew up in Lenox, Mass., not far from MCLA, after moving to the area from Ecuador with her family when she was younger. “It can be really helpful,” she said. “For a lot of first-generation students like me, many of their parents come from other countries and Spanish is their first language, so it might be more comfortable for them to get a tour in Spanish.”
Gomez has also been collecting work experience through internships, including a summer internship at Adams Community Bank and as a MASSPIRG volunteer, helping register students to vote in the 2020 election via virtual demonstrations and phone banking. This summer, she’s looking for an internship that can complement her sociology studies, and once she graduates, she wants to work as a consultant for an international study abroad program, helping other students explore their travel options.
“I’ve always been very passionate about learning about different people, and one of my goals for a career is traveling a lot and meeting different people around the world,” she said. As a double major, she’s learning about human relationships and cultural understanding in her sociology classes, and pairing that knowledge with business classes in international economics, global marketing, and accounting. “In every class, I’ve been able to learn something that will contribute to my goals in the long run,” she said.
She also appreciates the diversity of her professors, particularly in the Business Administration Department. “It has allowed me to see myself as a person of color working and being part of the business world. It’s very empowering to me to see that,” she said. “My professors are really open about how they got here, and it helps me to hear their perspective.”
Looking ahead to senior year, Gomez said she’s looking forward to making more memories and continuing to get ready to start pursuing her career. She said MCLA has given her many chances to try new things and get a deeper level of knowledge on things she’s interested in. “There have been great opportunities for me here,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of great connections that have motivated me to continue my education, and develop my career.”
