“When I first started at Long Beach City College, I noticed speakers at their events on campus lacked ideological diversity. Even though our college claimed to value critical thinking and diversity, the speakers they invited to campus did not reflect those values. I mean, how can students grow and learn if they only hear from one perspective?”
“I come from a very traditional, Mexican-American family that leans conservative and loves our country. I don’t think it’s important that everyone agrees with me, but I do think it’s important to at least be exposed to different viewpoints so you can make better decisions. That’s why I helped start an organization at my school that brought in speakers that challenged the prevailing ideology.”
“So much of the animosity that exists between liberals and conservatives happens because we don’t take the time to listen to each other and understand where the other person is coming from. I grew up in Southern California, which has its own set of values and beliefs. If you put me in a room with people from rural South Dakota or Vermont, I’m sure there would be things we would disagree about. But if we pushed past those things and actually got to know each other, I think we’d find we have a lot more in common than we originally thought.”
“This is one of the things I love about being in the military. Two years after I started college, I joined the Marines. I first served in the reserves and then switched to active duty. My father was a marine, his father was a marine, and his father was in the Navy in Mexico before they all immigrated to the U.S. You could say service is in my blood. Not only did they teach me to love my country, but to love it in a way that is shown through sacrifice. They loved their country and served their country, which is what drives me to try and make America better.”
“In the Marines, you have a bunch of people who are different in every possible way. They are from different places, have different values, different cultures, religions, political ideologies, and everything else you can imagine. But, because we are working together toward a common goal, those differences don’t divide us.”
“I love America. It’s part of why I joined the Marines. I truly believe that if we saw each other as working toward a common goal, even if we disagreed with each other, we would not be so divided. America works best when it works together for something bigger than the individual. I hope that in my service and advocacy, I can see that unity grow.”
Jovan Sandoval
Albany, Georgia
Jovan is a Marine serving his fourth year of active duty. He is currently stationed in Georgia.
