Leanna Colanino

Chapman University, Class of 2024
Communications Studies
Latinx and Latin American Studies
​Paly, Class of 2020

Updated April 15, 2024

I am majoring in Communications Studies and a self-design major in Latinx & Latin American Studies. My goal is to support and drive humanitarian efforts in Latinx communities, help share other people's stories, and help marginalized communities feel heard. 

During my last year of high school, the world had shut down because of Covid. We did not get our due recognition for graduating from high school because of that. This was hard on mental health for all of us. This made my transition to college really awkward. My Paly friends helped me with my transition. College was difficult during the first year because of the shut down. However, I joined a sorority after the first semester which helped me immensely to adjust to college life.

When deciding on college, I did not have the advantage of my immediate family understanding the college application process. But while in high school, I had a strong GPA and found the marketing world interesting. I also did an internship at Stanford University that informed my choices. One of my English teachers, Ms. Williamson was instrumental to the success that I had in high school. I went to her for advice, support, or just to chat. She really did make a difference for me. At that time, I was interested in Social Media for the nonprofit world. Chapman University was a solid choice given my interests.

Kimberly Schwan (RTE Mentorship Chairperson) is the mom of one of my friends. Kimberly was instrumental in my college decision because my family was not in a position to provide me the guidance that I needed. We chatted about every 6 months to figure out my next steps. For example, Kimberly helped me think through dropping the two minors and pursuing and focusing on creating another major instead. Additionally, Nan Kim (RTE Treasurer) helped me with some of the choices I had to make during my transition to college.

I have always been involved with community activities. I spent two months in the country of Panama volunteering in the community. I also spent a semester doing a long project with film school which was life changing. I produced a short documentary on a resident of Orange County who had suffered a  traumatic event. It was an amazing experience and helped me make some career decisions. I also studied abroad in Spain. Given my interest in marketing, while I was in Spain, I took classes on brand management.

One of the best things I have done was to apply for a scholarship at RTE. The application process was very easy and I strongly recommend others to apply for this scholarship. It helped to partially pay for the rent or purchase of school books or even my sorority dues. The mentorship from Kimberly was invaluable.