Nina Ballesteros is studying biology with a focus on pre-medicine at Eastern New Mexico University in order to get one step closer to her goal of becoming a veterinarian.
She shares: “I hope that I can finally have my own practice and help the animals in need.
Nina was born and raised in San Diego, California. She has two sisters, ages 23 and 11, and a brother, 17. Her father has a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and is a Nurse / Manager at San Ysidro Health. Her mother has an associate degree from the University of California at San Diego and is an elementary school secretary in Chula Vista, California.
The member of the ENMU women’s soccer team decided because of their soccer scholarship and the “small campus atmosphere for the Eastern at ENMU was the perfect choice.”
She continues, “I come from a huge city and my high school actually had more students in each class than the ENMU. I love the small campus and the small classrooms because I am able to interact one-on-one with my professors without having to feel like a number in their classroom. “
The favorite sophomore class at Eastern was Principles of Biology; Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution.
She explains, “I really enjoy my professor and how he basically has show-and-tell on Fridays and shows us his collection of beetles. I think it’s interesting to know how many different species there are due to evolution in this world gives.”
The dean’s preferred place on campus is the Golden Student Success Center. She explains, “The environment is really peaceful and has allowed me to study and do multiple tasks or just have time for myself in the study rooms.”
She advises students who are interested in their field of study: “It is definitely not easy to invest time, especially as a student athlete, to get better at your sport, but it can be done. After passing my courses every semester, it makes me very proud as I recognize all the hard work I put into school and football. “
Her favorite part about being a greyhound is “playing on the soccer field with my closest friends”.
Nina’s hobbies include the beach, meeting friends, family and significant other, eating Korean BBQ and drinking Boba, playing with her dog, baking, shopping and saving, watching the sunset and meditating.
One of her dreams is to travel for at least two months at a time, visiting new countries, trying new foods and getting to know other cultures. She would like to visit Portofino in Italy and the Golden Bridge in Vietnam.