Mia Arostigui ’19 has transitioned seamlessly from student leader to alumni champion. The Stockton native holds a degree in studio art and works for Tuleburg Press, a local non-profit publishing and book arts company. A graduate of Pacific’s Community Involvement Program and current president of the CIP Alumni Club, Arostigui is busy planning the program’s 55th anniversary celebration during Homecoming and Family Weekend Oct. 12. 
 
P: Why did you choose Pacific?

MA: Even in high school, I knew I didn’t want to leave Stockton, I wanted to grow with it. All my friends who wanted to get out, they were going to grow into incredible people somewhere else rather than bringing their leadership here, where Stockton could really benefit from their impact.  
 
P: Why have you stayed engaged as an alum?

MA: It’s easy to receive something and just keep going. It’s way more of a challenge and a test of character to stay involved and continue giving beyond what you’ve received. And your time with Pacific doesn't end because you graduated. 

I’m happy to be part of the Alumni Association—as an alum you get to volunteer for cool things and share your experiences with others. I wouldn’t be in so many leadership positions in my life without having been empowered by Pacific and CIP. The program has helped me become who I am today, and I’ll always give back to help somebody else become empowered too. 
 
P: What do you most look forward to about Homecoming?
 

MA: I've helped plan Homecoming events ever since I graduated, and each one has been really special. I love seeing everybody come back and engage with each other and meet each other if they haven’t before.  It’s a family reunion, a chance to have fun and celebrate, and an opportunity to feed into the next generation of Pacific students. 
 
P: What can people look forward to at the CIP reunion? Why should they attend?

MA: This is an event you don’t want to miss if you’re a CIP alum, or even if you’re friends with a CIP alum. It’s a gala, a dinner with some dancing. (And our DJ is an alum—you’ll have to come find out who it is!).

This will be a time to look at where we came from and where we are now, and to give back. We’ll have an auction, with alumni donating their treasures and talents and services from their small businesses. All proceeds will go to CIP scholarships, as will a portion of the ticket cost. And if you can’t attend you can still support by sponsoring a ticket for a current scholar, donating items for the auction, or encouraging other alumni to register! 
 
P: You talked about supporting scholarships—why is that important?

MA: CIP believes we plant seeds that grow trees whose shade we may never sit under. I really try to live that way. I won’t always get a direct benefit for what I give, and that’s okay, because someone else out there is getting ready to go to school and my dollars will help them. To know that I’m able to give, in any kind of way, makes a big difference. I can give $5.00, and that’s $5.00 less that somebody is scared about. 
 
P: So the key, then, is to give what you’re able and know that it matters.

MA: Yes. CIP opened the door to our Pacific education. We are forever grateful, and we want to help make that possible for others. Whether it’s $5.00 or five minutes chatting with a student, our support makes a difference. 
 
P: And what if I haven’t given or come to a Pacific event in years?

MA: It’s never shameful if you haven’t been around in a while. We’ll be so excited to see you, to see how far you’ve come, to see your family. In a way we all came from the same place, and it’s exciting to see how everyone has grown and where they all shoot off into the world. You’ve been dearly missed, and we’ll never judge you—we just want you to be here.

To register for Homecoming and Family Weekend October 11-13, please visit https://www.pacific.edu/alumni/homecoming.

To learn about sponsoring the CIP 55th Anniversary Gala, please contact Allison Dumas at 209.946.3187.