Anthony Mojica has been taking advantage of all that the Orfalea College of Business has to offer since his first day. Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, Mojica — a business administration student concentrating in both accounting and finance — joined the Cal Poly Accounting Club (CPAC) during his first week at Cal Poly. There he found both a mentor and a friend, and his college experience grew on that strong foundation.
Jon Prince, a senior in CPAC, helped Mojica and his fellow freshman, Chris Childers, gain the confidence to pursue leadership opportunities.
Mojica went on to become a peer advisor and an Orfalea Student Ambassador during his years at Cal Poly, branching out and overcoming his previous aversion to public speaking.
Despite aligning himself with the accounting side of the college early on, Mojica will be going on to a finance position after graduation.
“I found that my professional interest was aligned better with finance positions rather than in public accounting. I think this is due to the nature of finance being utilized in industry as a forward-looking arm of companies, where employees are focused for the most part on the strategy of how to manage money going forward.”
Mojica will be joining Apple, Inc. as a Finance Development Program Associate. He interned this past summer in Cupertino with Apple, Inc. which lead to his full-time offer.
While his ultimate dream job is to become the front man of a successful rock band, Mojica also dreams of becoming the head of a finance sports franchise.
“Basketball and football are some of my biggest passions in life and I feel like I could become very invested in a job like that.”
To the freshmen entering this fall, Mojica advises them to set goals, work hard to achieve those goals and find people at Cal Poly who will help them become the best version of themselves.
Senior Spotlight: Kayjing Chua
Kayjing Chua never expected how her college career would be shaped. Originally from Fremont, Ca., Chua entered Cal Poly as an Orfalea College of Business student. However, soon after beginning her college career, she discovered her passion for industrial technology and made the decision to switch her major. Throughout her college career, Chua was highly involved in a variety of experiences where she could help others find their path, such as the Orfalea Peer Advisors, Ambassadors, and the Industrial Technology Society Executive Board. Reflecting on her time at Cal Poly, Chua is glad she made the decision to change her path and is excited to begin her journey as a Quality Assurance Engineer at NASA after walking this spring.
When she first received her acceptance to Cal Poly, Chua did not know the twists and turns her life would soon take. During Open House weekend, Chua had the opportunity to go on a lab tour of Cal Poly’s industrial technology and packaging labs, where she received a behind-the-scenes view of where students create computer-aided designs, prototype packaging and test them with industry standard equipment. While on the tour, Chua felt excited by the prospect of having labs incorporated into her studies and the hands-on experience she could gain in the classroom. When industrial technology professors came and spoke more about the program in one of her classes during freshman year, she knew she had to make a change in her college career.
Not knowing what classes to take or what to expect from her major, Chua luckily found help from other students in the industrial technology major. It was from one of these students that Chua learned of the Industrial Technology Society, which helps facilitate connections between students and the industry community. Shortly after being introduced to the club, Chua knew she wanted to connect with other students outside of the classroom and quickly became a Student Advisor for the society. But she didn’t stop there. Wanting to do more to help other students, Chua soon took on the responsibility of holding a position on the Industrial Technology Society Executive Board.
Throughout her time at Cal Poly, Chua also worked as an Orfalea Peer Advisor and Ambassador. Working around 20 hours a week on top of school, Chua pushed both herself and others to be better in and out of the office. Delving into her own experiences, Chua was able to engage with students as a Peer Advisor and provide a variety of resources and tools to help them in their own college journey. As an Ambassador, Chua conducted Orfalea tours and contributed to the Executive in Residence program and was able to make an impact on perspective students, executives, potential donors and even alumni.
“Being involved in Ambassadors was my way of giving back to Cal Poly,” said Chua. “I feel like I’ve benefited so much from the opportunities afforded to me by just being a student here that it’s important to encourage others to seek those opportunities.”
As she began looking for position post-graduation, Chua decided to apply to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which carries out robotic space and Earth science missions. Chua soon heard back from NASA and received an on-campus interview. After completing both the on-campus interview and an interview at their campus in Pasadena, Ca., Chua received a call offering her a full-time position.
Reflecting on her time at Cal Poly, Chua said, “College is a great time to try a bunch of different things and figure out what’s really right for you. If you don’t try new things, you won’t be able to discover things you’re passionate about.”
Walking this spring, Chua will soon begin her career with NASA at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena as a Quality Assurance Engineer. Chua plans to continue her career with NASA and eventually move into a more technical or management role. When asked about her ultimate dream job, she stated, “It’d be pretty cool to go to Mars.”
Orfalea Student Ambassadors Tour The Pacific Northwest
Over the course of a jam-packed four days, 25 Orfalea College of Business Student Ambassadors traveled to the Pacific Northwest, where they toured companies like Nike and Amazon and visited local high schools. This trip was the first time Orfalea has taken its student ambassadors to the region.
Students arrived in Portland, Ore. on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The ambassadors had a full schedule, with visits to Nike as well as Wieden+Kennedy, one of the largest independently owned advertising agencies in the world. The ambassadors were given tours of the businesses’ headquarters and gained an inside look into the company culture. Along the way, the ambassadors met up with several Cal Poly alumni in the area, including former Orfalea Student Ambassador president Greg Krickl. Krickl now works at Boeing as a packaging engineer.
Following their day in Portland, the ambassadors flew to Seattle. Here, they toured Amazon’s corporate offices and also visited Point B’s headquarters, a management consulting, property development and venture capital company. During these visits, the ambassadors had the opportunity to speak with professionals about their experiences and gained invaluable information about their industries.
“Each company was different and had something unique to offer,” said ambassador Sarah Monday. “I learned so much about what employers are looking for and how to conduct yourself in different industries, and it is something that I will take with me forever.”
While in the Pacific Northwest, the ambassadors also visited four high schools, including Westview High and Bellvue High. The ambassadors answered questions from students applying to college, including Cal Poly, about what the college experience is like. The ambassadors were enthusiastic to represent Orfalea and shared their experiences with students.
The ambassadors returned to San Luis Obispo on Saturday, Jan 21. Following their return, many ambassadors stated they felt more prepared for their future professional business endeavors. With this successful first trip to the Pacific Northwest, the Orfalea College of Business hopes to plan more industry tours for the future.
