What is your hometown? Baldwin Park, CA

What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? Mt. San Antonio College- A.A. Psychology
UC Berkeley- B.A.Sociology

What motivated you to go to college? My immigrant parent's vision for their children to have a future filled with great opportunities motivated me to go to college. If they could drop everything they knew to come to a new country for a brighter future then how could I not take advantage of the opportunity to further my education?

Describe your college experience as first-generation. Not easy but rewarding. College as a first- generation student was very much a journey that allowed me to learn more about my family, community and myself.

What unique challenges did you face? Being the eldest child, my parents would've liked for me to focus more on getting a fulltime job to be able to contribute to our living expenses instead of going to school full time. Eventually they began to understand the importance of allowing me to focus more on my studies.

How did you overcome those challenges? Getting some part time jobs to need less financial support from my parents as a student while staying involved in school.

What did you advise other first-generation students? Do not give up! It will not be easy and you will struggle but you will only come out stronger on the other side. Push through because it will be worth it. Utilize all the resources around you, ask for help and do whatever it takes for you to succeed. Make yourself proud!