HoC: Cinthia Rangel-Godinez
Humans of Chaffey
Photo of Cinthia Rangel-Godinez
The last time I saw Cinthia Rangel-Godinez was in a communication studies class in the spring semester of 2020. We had just completed a project together with two other students and Spring Break was just around the corner. News of COVID-19 was spreading and classes were finished online. Interaction with other students was not necessary and I lost touch with Rangel-Godinez.
Seeing an opportunity to reach out to Rangel-Godinez, I did not hesitate to do so. We may have lost touch earlier this year but I was given a chance to learn more about her now.
After I messaged Rangel-Godinez to interview her, I was both ecstatic and nervous. We never kept in touch after classes continued online and I was eager to know about her lifestyle as a student and how she’s been handling all this craziness of the year 2020.
Rangel-Godinez transferred to Chaffey Community College in the spring semester of 2020. She had attended San Bernardino Valley College for three years, in pursuit of international business. However, she soon found the required accounting classes boring and felt that there was no communication between her and her counselors.
Believing that Chaffey would be a better opportunity to further her education, Rangel-Godinez not only transferred but changed her major to journalism and minor in communications. Her new goal is to become a journalist for sports.
She grew up playing soccer and softball and they became her motivation to pursue a career relating to sports. She knows that commentators and journalists for sports are mostly men and wants more women to participate in these male-dominate careers. She feels that women are capable of fulfilling these male-dominant jobs and wants to see change with women receiving equal pay and respect as men.
In the month of August, Rangel-Godinez was able to travel to Mexico to visit family and celebrate the Assumption of Mary in a small town called Joconoxtle. Since her father never requested days off from work, Cinthia made the journey South with other family members. It was unusual to go to Mexico without her father, but that is what made the trip more exciting.
In Mexico, she was required to use public transportation and spent most of her time going to family parties. She described that the event is normally celebrated for days with many people taking to the streets and attending many parties. In past years, donations were given to pay for fireworks and live music, and a small statue of the Virgin Mary would be taken door to door so people can touch it and be blessed. However, this year was different.
There was not much of a celebration due to the ever growing pandemic of COVID-19. The statue of the Virgin Mary was not taken to the streets and there was no festival. Most celebrations were more private, those who were able to afford hosting a party did so and would invite family and friends.
The ten days that Rangel-Godinez was in Mexico, she had fun despite the fact that there were limited activities to do. She attended a party every day and enjoyed time spent with family. One of those parties was hosted by her uncle in celebration of his daughter’s first communion. He even ordered a mechanical bull to which Rangel-Godinez found entertaining with family members getting on it and being thrown off.
This trip meant a lot to Rangel-Godinez. She was able be with family and friends that she is only able to visit every so often. During these crazy and unstable times, Rangel-Godinez was surrounded by people who love her. She does not know when she'll be able to see them again, so she made sure to enjoy every minute that was spent with them.
After returning from Mexico, Cinthia found a job at a warehouse and registered for online classes for fall 2020. She would have preferred in-person classes because she feels as if there is more interaction between students and professors. She felt more engaged being in a class physically.
However, with COVID-19 spreading, classes were forced to be online. For Cinthia, taking online classes feels as if she has to teach herself. She struggled with the transition of going to classes in person to taking them online. She misses the interaction she once had with other students. However, she pushes forth and continues to the best she can in the situation that she is in.
Getting used to a new routine, Cinthia continues to go to work, find the time to be with family, and continue her education online. She stressed the importance of being okay with a new routine, saying “In order to grow, you need to learn new things you don’t want to and deal with it”.
One of the changes that Cinthia had to face was staying at home with family for a majority of the time. Another was having a busy week of school and work, with Saturday being the only guaranteed day to relax.
Like most people in this country, Cinthia wishes that this pandemic ends soon. She understands the importance of wearing masks and staying six feet apart to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but misses being amongst people.
Her trip to Mexico was the fondest memory she created since the pandemic broke out. She understands that everyone is struggling in one way or another and stresses the importance of family and communication during these hard times. Her goal for the remainder of the year is to finish school and be supportive to her family.