In March 2010, Marissa Young drove up to Humboldt State University to tour the campus. Humboldt and Long Beach were the two California State University campuses the San Diego native had been accepted to as a transfer student.

Although she had never been to Humboldt County before, the campus tour made Young’s decision easy.

“I immediately fell in love with the college,” said Young, a business major with a passion for dance. “I didn’t want to live in a concrete jungle for the last two years of my college career. I could just tell Humboldt had such a peaceful atmosphere — perfect for academics and for dance.”

As soon as she returned to her hotel room Young accepted.

Because she had already completed an associate’s degree at a community college in San Diego, Young immediately began taking upper-division business classes at Humboldt State University. She also picked up dance as a minor.

“I have always loved to dance and I knew Humboldt State University had a very inviting, positive environment in which to do it,” said Young, who does not plan on becoming a professional dancer. She instead hopes to marry her passions and one day own or be the artistic director at a dance school.

Young said it was through her professors that she was able to find an internship that fit her future goals perfectly.

During her senior year, lecturer Shari Duron helped Young net an internship as the dance department coordinator and the assistant manager and director of Humboldt’s Spring Dance Concert. She also interned as a travel assistant for the American College Dance Festival Association.

“She [Duron] helped me find not just an internship — but one that appealed to my future goals,” Young said. “She was really just an amazing professor, too. You knew that if it was not good enough for Dr. Duron then it was not good enough for the real world.”

Although Young said her courses at Humboldt were challenging, she didn’t mind.

“I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be,” she said.

Since she did not qualify for financial aid, Young powered through her four semesters at Humboldt, teaching a tap class through the Kinesiology Department to help offset the burden of student loans. She said her professors and the school’s nurturing atmosphere helped her balance a heavy course load and still maintain a high GPA.

In May, after two years at Humboldt, Young graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration management and a minor in interdisciplinary dance studies.

The 21-year-old recently applied for a job at a high-end restaurant in San Diego. She is hoping to move into management within the next few years if she lands the job. Thanks to her education from Humboldt, Young is confident that she is more than qualified for the job.