Who is Leslie?

Hello everyone!

My name is Leslie Imelda Serpas, and I work as a program coordinator for a college access program with high school students who come from first-generation, low-income backgrounds and are interested I pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). I love the work that I do and knowing that I make a difference in their young lives. I also worked part-time as a substitute administrative clerk for the Los Angeles Public Library system, essentially, I was the person checking the materials in and out for patrons. That was my initial interest in wanting to pursue this degree. One of the librarians and another coworker mentioned this program to me when I expressed interest in librarianship, and the rest is history. I applied one day, got accepted a week later, and two and a half years later, I am still here. I am taking this program at a slow and steady pace so as not to overwhelm myself as I work full-time and value my work-life balance. As I moved through this program, I rediscovered my passion for computer science, coding, and programming. My focus is web development, with some data science mixed in.

I received my undergraduate degrees from the University of California, Irvine. I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior and a B.A. in Education Sciences. I worked as a preschool teacher for a year before I realized that was not for me. I, then, went on to get my M.Ed. in Educational Counseling to become a high school counselor, but I realized that I could not do that because my program did not offer the PPS credential needed to be a counselor. I got my current job, which still allows me to work with high school students and be a part of their higher education journey.

In my personal time, I have a handful of hobbies. I love to work on my bullet journal and create my own planner. I absolutely LOVE going to shows and concerts. I have three coming up this year and I am constantly keeping an eye out for more. I am going to see T-Pain this month, a Linkin Park cover band in July, and Slipknot in September! I own about 50 jigsaw puzzles that I don’t have much time for but I do hope to one day complete them all. My smallest puzzle is 500 pieces with my largest being 3000 pieces. I have my eyes on a few 18000 pieces ones but I told myself I can’t get them until I make a dent in what I currently have. When time allows, I love to read. I am currently reading through a crime fiction series by Gytha Lodge. My goal this year is to read 20 books and I have only read about 5 so far. I’m trying to catch up.

I live with my fiance and one (soon to be two) cats. We just got approved to adopt another cat and we pick her up on Saturday, June 8. We enjoy going to botanical gardens, trying new foods, binging shows, traveling, and just having a good time together.

I’ll come back and add pictures of my cats in the future as time permits. I look forward to a wonderful semester with you all.