Jonathan Serrano

Jonathan Serrano graduated in Cum Laude in 2021 with a minor in Women’s Studies. He went on to attend and graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a master’s in education in 2023. He has now pursued a career in education as a history teacher. 

Regarding his experience at California State University Dominguez Hills, Jonathan states, “Entering Dominguez Hills straight out of high school in 2017 I knew I wanted to major in history. However, I did not know what exactly what career I would pursue once I earned the degree. I was fortunate to have mentors such as John Willingham, Tony McDonald, Raul Rubio, and Lily Bryant that guided me to find my passion for not only teaching history but also connecting with young students and guiding them through their most transformative years. Although there was hardship such as during the COVID-19 pandemic there were also triumphant successes and life changing opportunities presented to me at Dominguez hills.

The opportunities I earned through hard work and dedication such as the Washington D.C. Panetta Internship Program that was headed by President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and being sponsored to attend the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities networking conference in Chicago, Illinois have contributed to my educational and professional outlooks that have been incorporated into my pedagogy. I am forever grateful for both the support and the push I received to reach my potential at Dominguez Hills.

I attribute the start of my professional successes to the amazing people that made up a core support system in the history department for me: Raul Rubio, Dr. Namala, and Dr. Monty, Thank you! I will forever be proud to be a CSUDH alumni.