NAC Alums: Catching Up with Class of 2009 Alum Elizabeth Moreno

March 18, 2012

NAC News Archives

NAC alum, Elizabeth Moreno, standing tall at Allegheny College2,500 miles from her hometown of Santa Ana, California, Nicholas Academic Centers’ class of 2009 alum, Elizabeth Moreno, has used her time at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, to build an impressive resume and create opportunities that will soon take her around the world.

Upon her arrival to Meadville, Elizabeth realized she would have to adapt to small-town living. Meadville’s population of just over 13,000 people, 1% of whom are Hispanic, offered a different backdrop to Elizabeth’s experience in comparison to Santa Ana, a city made up of 340,340 people, 79% of whom are Hispanic. Moreover, there is the matter of the weather: “The first winter wasn’t so bad, until the snow didn’t stop for six whole months.” She missed her friends and the warm Southern California sun, but she still found a way to thrive.

One thing Elizabeth had in common with the “strangers” at Allegheny is a passion for education. This connection proved a gateway for Elizabeth to share her culture with others while learning about theirs: “My college adventure opened so many doors that I never knew existed. I met people from different backgrounds, states, and cultures.” She soon found herself more than occupied with campus life, taking a full load of classes, joining organizations like Union Latina, Sister Circle, Alpha Phi Omega, and A5 (Association for Asian and Asian American Awareness), and working ten hours a week in a Neuroscience lab.