From sunny California to the chilly East Coast, West High 2014 alumni are everywhere.

Two of them are Amy Loo and Chuck Driesler. Loo decided to stay in California and attend UC Berkeley, while Driesler went to New York to attend Pratt Institute. Though Loo is closer and Driesler is farther, both former West High students made their college decisions based on similar criteria.

“I specifically chose Berkeley because of its liberalism,” said Loo. This is not limited to just left-wing and right-wing ideology, but that “people accept different opinions and are open to differences.” The open, political atmosphere works well for Loo’s major, which is political science. Loo plans to be involved in foreign affairs in the future. She also decided to stay in California because of in-state tuition, enabling her to save money for graduate school.

Also planning ahead, Driesler made his college choice based on his career plans. “I wanted to go to the best architecture school I possibly could,” stated Driesler. Aside from the academics at Pratt, Driesler enjoys being close to the new World Trade center complex, which is his “favorite collection of buildings in the world.”

Near or far, East or West, both Loo and Driesler have had to adjust to their new towns and schools. Loo says that transportation is better in Berkeley. The hardest change, however, is her new schedule and having to maintain a balanced and stable lifestyle.

Driesler exclaimed, “Nothing has compared  to the constant mountain of work I have to deal with.” Aside from heavy workloads, he said, “I miss the ocean breeze and the perfect weather.”

Nevertheless, both students are having fun.

Loo said, “My time so far has been filled with things to do everyday other than attending classes!”

Driesler is pleasantly surprised as to how applicable editorial design is to architecture. Also, he said, “Having Manhattan just a 10 minute subway ride away is something special for sure.”

Amy Loo and Chuck Driesler are just two of West’s many alumni. Many have chosen to go to school in California while others are on the other side of the country. Either way, they’re one step closer to their dreams.