Jaylena Jesusita Pino Van Etten is double majoring in criminal justice and sociology with a minor in social work at Eastern New Mexico University to prepare for law school and a career in the judicial system.
"I love the judicial system, and I love kids, so when choosing a career, I knew becoming an attorney in family law would be perfect for me," she shares. "It would give me the opportunity to not only work with kids, but I would be able to still work within the legal system.
"I want to work with children all while contributing to society to make the world a better place for kids and families to live in," she explains.
Jaylena was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has two brothers and one sister. Her father is a retired detective, and her mother works for the government.
She chose to attend ENMU because she wanted to go to a university that was "close to home but not too close. I love how small the town is; all of the locals are genuinely nice people. The clean campus is what really sold me."
The Chi Omega member, who serves as the chapter's new member educator, enjoys many aspects of life as a Greyhound, including "how welcoming this University has been to everyone, the number of clubs and organizations and how there are endless things to do and be involved in."
Jaylena loves to spend time in the Campus Union (CUB). She says, "The energy in the CUB is the absolute best. I love seeing all of my fellow Greek friends work in the CUB; everyone makes sure to stop by during lunchtime to say hello and relax after classes. It's always a good time in the CUB."
Her mentor at Eastern is Dr. Michelle Schmidt, assistant professor of sociology. "I can confidently say this professor has helped students create a successful path within their career, all from her courses and her style of teaching," shares Jaylena.
While the sophomore has enjoyed all of the sociology courses she's taken with Dr. Schmidt, her favorite of the bunch was Sociology of Media.
Jaylena encourages students interested in pursuing a degree in criminal justice or sociology to "be involved in everything you can. Networking, especially within this field, is very important."
The Greyhound hobbies are music-oriented; she likes to make music, play instruments and sing.
Jaylena with her Chi Omega pledge class.
