Who am I?

My name is Johnny Refugio Quintanilla. I am a first generation Latino student who is the first to obtain a Bachelor's degree. I also will be the first in my family to receive a Master's degree. Being raised in a single parent household has taught me to work hard for what I want, to be humble, to hold a compassionate heart, and to advocate for those in need by being their voice.

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I believe in the good of people and that life is a blank canvas. Each new stroke of paint is a new person I have met, each new experience is another stroke of paint. I hope to create a work of art that is reflective of those who I have met throughout my  journey and the things that I have learned from them.

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My life philosophy is "To Understand Myself, I Must First Understand Others." This philosophy guides the work that I do. It's a phrase that accurately reflects my experience as a learner. My Jesuit and science background encourage me to develop my intellect by learning from others in order to understand myself. I accomplish this by pursuing experiences that will challenge me to grow, thus encouraging me to continue to grow as a lifelong learner. I believe in the holistic development of people. Each one of us has something to learn from one another. Each person is a teacher and a learner. In order to interpret the world, we need to understand it by seeking truth. In order to discover ​this truth, I have set voyage in a sea to discovery. I am the captain of my ship.

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On a personal note, I love community service, art, science, video games, animals, ​​

and spontaneity. I am a free spirit who loves a great adventure. Will you join me?​

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Education​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
I am an alumnus ('11) of Loyola Marymount University where I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology. During my

time there I was very ​active and took part of a wide range in activities and held numerous  leadership  roles such as

being an Resident Advisor for three consecutive​ years, Orientation Leader, Mexican American Alumni

Association scholar, and a member of Sursurm Corda Service Organization. When I graduated I

received the prestigious Arete awar​d for achieving over 450+ hours of community service.​

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Currently, I am studying at Bowling Green S​tate University as a graduate student in the

College Student Personnel Program. As I work towards my Master of Arts degree,

​​I also balance a part-time internship within the Office of​ Residence life. ​There, I

work as a Graduate Hall Director (GHD) for Ce​ntennial Hall. As a GHD, I have had

the privilege to work with and advise student leaders​ who​ serve as Resident

Advisors (RAs). Additionally, I have gained a multitude of experiences working

within the Resident Advisor Training Action Committee, the Resident

Advisor Recruitment and Selection Action Committee, Co-Advised Hall

Council​, and Co-taught a UNIV100 course for new hire RAs.​

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In 2012, I also took part of the College Stude​nt Personnel's "Higher

Education and Student Affairsin New Zealand" S​tudy Tour.