Honor student

Chico State senior Anna Sorensen considers herself a professional juggler. The 29-year-old single mother of three is a full-time “A” student, has two jobs, volunteers with several organizations and still finds time to make it to PTA meetings and her kids’ football and cheerleading events. Sorensen recently received the prestigious 2006 William R. Hearst/CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. The $6,000 award is just one of the many accolades Sorensen, a sociology major, has received for this school year.

How did it feel to receive one of the top two Trustees’ Awards given in the CSU system?

It’s a huge deal. One person from each state school gets nominated and then they pick a bunch out of there for different tiers. But to get the top, that was definitely like “woo hoo!”

What brought you to Chico State and how do you think it’s different from other colleges?

I ended up in Chico because of my personal life. I’m very fortunate because the department and the college is so supportive. They’ve recognized my potential and push me hard yet at the same they give me what I need in order to succeed. The great professors, I can’t say enough about the faculty at Chico State.

Some organizations you volunteer with locally?

The Unitarian Universalist Church has a social action committee and I’m a co-chair of that. I have been a chapter leader for Equality California, a gay right-to-marry group, in Glenn County, I just moved to Chico so I can’t really do that anymore. I also try to be as involved as I can with the Women’s Center and anything involving my children.

With so many things going on in your life, what keeps you going?

I’ve always had a desire to achieve and a desire to excel. I know that I can help others and I’m not going to be happy just sitting back and letting life go by. I’ve often said that I want to start my own social movement. I’ve just always wanted more. I want my daughters to know that they can absolutely achieve anything that they want and they don’t have to stop and settle. We can all change the world in our own ways.

What’s something you wish you had time to do but just can’t fit into your schedule?

Fish! Just play. I am a young single mom and am involved with so much. I don’t get to go out and play like everybody else. I’d like to go up to Bearhole whenever I feel like it, but that doesn’t happen for me. But there’s plenty of time left to play later. I love what I’m doing right now.