I come from very humble beginnings, I am a first-generation college student, and I am a non-traditional transfer student at UCR. When I left Mexico and came to California as an undocumented teenager, education was not a priority; instead, education was a luxury that I could not afford because the main reason I came to this country was to work, not study. Given the precarious financial situation back home, I wanted to work to help my family financially instead of studying. The work limitations around me for being undocumented made everything complicated; I was treated as someone inferior for not knowing English and not being able to defend myself. These situations made me realize that my only outlet to change my life was to learn to speak English and become educated so that I could become the best advocate for myself. My resilience helped me to make a positive change in my life. Being undocumented and learning to navigate how to enroll in a community college and graduate was a significant accomplishment.

Unfortunately, balancing working full time and studying full-time have been some of the biggest obstacles in my academic life. I became a re-entry student; this happened because I always prioritized work over my education. However, by receiving financial assistance, I have been able to focus for the first time on my education instead of work. I am working on my undergrad program in sociology. I have been involved in campus activities at UCR, volunteering at ASUCR as the former Transfer Outreach Coordinator for the Non-Traditional Students Committee.

Also, I have volunteered as a Peer Mentor for incoming transfer students. I recently got accepted to work for the third time as a Peer Educator because of my leadership skills and experience. Over the past year, I assisted new incoming students in having a smooth transition from community college to UCR.

I can proudly say that my academic achievements have been possible despite my life setbacks because of the perseverance and determination to become an educated individual. I recently applied to grad school. I intend to get my Ph.D. in Chicana Chicano Studies. My goal is to give back to my community and work with disadvantaged communities as soon as I become a professor. I am personally passionate about providing resources and counseling to parents and young adults who wish to continue their education but only speak Spanish.

I want to teach and do research on the challenges that undocumented LGBT students face in higher education. My dream is to become a professor who can educate underserved communities that higher education is attainable despite many of the educational challenges most students from marginalized backgrounds face.

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Advice to younger self:

• • Learn to manage your time wisely. Take care of your mental, physical and spiritual health. Develop a good habit for reading and learning. Be curious, challenge yourself to be better!! Learn to write and research well because this will be the foundation of a better work and college experience. Lastly, practice math as much as you can, regardless of how much you love it or hate it, this is one of the subjects that will never go away even if you go into a social science…