Madeleine Hernandez Bazan
Paly '20
University of California – Riverside '24
University of California – Riverside '24
Updated March 24, 2024
When Madeleine Hernandez Bazan enrolled at the University of California – Riverside (UCR) in the spring of her senior year of the year 2020, it was the start of the pandemic. Classes were fully online. Students were logging in from their bedrooms in their family homes. Social life was non-existent. Needless to say, it was a challenging time to be transitioning from high school to college.
“I had a hard time at first,” recalls Madeleine. “My classes were fully online and there was no sense of community.” But Madeleine persevered, slowly working toward her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and administrative studies, with a concentration in marketing and a minor in philosophy. The first two years were not easy though.
Fortunately, for Madeleine, the return to a typical, in-person class schedule in her third year of college made all the difference. Her junior and senior years “were much more normal,” she recalls. “I finally found my community on campus.” Making friends was so much easier once she was on campus full-time. Madeleine joined campus clubs focused on community issues and future careers, including a pre-professional group called “Women and the Law.” Her interest in the law continued to grow during her junior and senior years.
Her work at UCR and legal exploration led her to land two legal internships, one with Harvest Properties, a corporate real estate firm, and the other with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a top Silicon Valley law firm. Because of these work experiences, which helped her to learn more about corporate law, Madeleine is looking forward to applying to law school after her graduation from UCR this June, using the summer and fall to prepare for her LSAT (law school entrance examination), while also working in the Bay Area. She hopes to be a corporate attorney one day.
Looking back on her high school years, Madeleine is grateful that Palo Alto High set her up for success at college, since she had taken both advanced placement (AP) and honors classes while at Paly. “I felt prepared for college,” says Madeleine. “And I am extremely grateful to Rise Together Education for my scholarship, since the funds helped me with my living expenses at UCR.”
Congratulations, Madeleine, on your upcoming graduation this June!
When Madeleine Hernandez Bazan enrolled at the University of California – Riverside (UCR) in the spring of her senior year of the year 2020, it was the start of the pandemic. Classes were fully online. Students were logging in from their bedrooms in their family homes. Social life was non-existent. Needless to say, it was a challenging time to be transitioning from high school to college.
“I had a hard time at first,” recalls Madeleine. “My classes were fully online and there was no sense of community.” But Madeleine persevered, slowly working toward her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and administrative studies, with a concentration in marketing and a minor in philosophy. The first two years were not easy though.
Fortunately, for Madeleine, the return to a typical, in-person class schedule in her third year of college made all the difference. Her junior and senior years “were much more normal,” she recalls. “I finally found my community on campus.” Making friends was so much easier once she was on campus full-time. Madeleine joined campus clubs focused on community issues and future careers, including a pre-professional group called “Women and the Law.” Her interest in the law continued to grow during her junior and senior years.
Her work at UCR and legal exploration led her to land two legal internships, one with Harvest Properties, a corporate real estate firm, and the other with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a top Silicon Valley law firm. Because of these work experiences, which helped her to learn more about corporate law, Madeleine is looking forward to applying to law school after her graduation from UCR this June, using the summer and fall to prepare for her LSAT (law school entrance examination), while also working in the Bay Area. She hopes to be a corporate attorney one day.
Looking back on her high school years, Madeleine is grateful that Palo Alto High set her up for success at college, since she had taken both advanced placement (AP) and honors classes while at Paly. “I felt prepared for college,” says Madeleine. “And I am extremely grateful to Rise Together Education for my scholarship, since the funds helped me with my living expenses at UCR.”
Congratulations, Madeleine, on your upcoming graduation this June!