Cerritos College Student Veteran Andres Solorzano is Headed to Princeton
Long Beach native Andres Solorzano joined the United States Army in 2016 after graduating
from Lakewood High School and taking a year off. “It’s something I had always wanted
to do, and it has given me some of the best adventures of my life,” said Andres. After
serving on active duty for four years, Andres took a flight back to California from
Georgia, where he was stationed in March 2020, and just a week later, the COVID-19
outbreak shut down everything.
He enrolled at Cerritos College immediately and began taking general education classes on his own. As the campus reopened in 2022, Andres became active on campus, utilizing the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) services and serving as director of veteran affairs for ASCC. He was also involved with Modern United Nations and Safe Club.
The global studies major has always been fascinated with various countries and cultures since he could remember, and interested in how people connect. His experience in South Korea for nine months during his service also gave him a different perspective, which drove him toward pursuing a career in international relations.
When Andres was ready to transfer to a four-year school, he wanted to see if he could compete among the best, and applied to some prestigious universities such as Yale, Stanford, and Princeton. Just recently, he received an acceptance letter from Princeton. Andres thanks the VRC, and instructors Katie Mishler, Sunday Obazuaye, and Dia Flores Vechayiem for their support and guidance. “Cerritos College, VRC, and these instructors have given me everything I needed to succeed here,” he said.
Andres plans on pursuing a master’s degree in international relations to one day work for the State Department in foreign affairs or diplomacy.
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