Bay College freshman Destiny Lopez began taking classes at Bay during the Fall 2024 semester. Since becoming a Bay College student, she has already started working toward a better career and making new friends.
Destiny graduated from Escanaba Senior High School in 2019. After graduating, she entered the workforce.
“I worked in the service industry and healthcare,” she said.
According to Destiny, she started seriously thinking about going back to school earlier in 2024.
“I wanted to move up from entry-level positions and start an actual career I could build on,” she said.
She opted to start her college education at Bay due to the financial aid available to Bay students.
“Bay has a lot of assistance programs I could use order to help pay for college, and I thought it would be cheaper to do prerequisites and general education classes here instead of going to a four-year university,” Destiny said.
Taking classes at Bay also allowed Destiny to stay in the Escanaba area.
“I technically have a foundation here—I bought a house here, and Bay was really close,” she said.
While Destiny has encountered some stress as a college student, Bay’s TRIO Student Support Services Program has made things easier for her. She said this program has helped her create a transfer plan for the future.
“I like that we have tutoring programs and other forms of student assistance,” she said.
Additionally, Destiny appreciates the extracurricular opportunities available to Bay students.
“I do like all the activities at Bay, such as the clubs and social events,” she said, noting that she has joined the college’s Gaming Galaxy club.
At Bay, Destiny is majoring in mathematics. Eventually, she hopes to use this experience as a stepping stone toward a major in data analytics.
“Even in my free time, I tend to notice different dashboards and analytics on social media sites,” she said of her interest in this field.
Destiny hopes to pursue this degree at another college after spending two years as a Bay student. However, her math classes will still be helpful if she decides to focus on another career pathway instead.
“Getting a basic mathematics degree can help me take a step towards something else, even if I move out of data analytics,” she said.
Destiny plans to complete her studies at Bay at the end of the Winter 2026 semester. She is also considering a few colleges for her next step as a college student.
Beyond that point, Destiny is still thinking about what she wants to do for a career.
“That is still up in the air. I’m not entirely sure, but I figure I still have enough time to figure that out,” she said.
Destiny encouraged new Bay students to take advantage of everything the college has to offer—including its social opportunities.
“If you put yourself out there, that’s the best way to get the college experience and make the most of your time here,” she said.