What is your hometown? Santa Ana, CA

What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? UC Santa Barbara- B.A. Political Science emphasis in International Relations & Minor in History
CSU Long Beach- M.A. Educational Administration and Leadership

What motivated you to go to college? While many familial and situational factors contributed to my motivation to attend college, in all honesty my biggest motivation was my desire to own a home. At that time, I could only correlate owning a home to education and to having a well-paying job. Growing up poor and having to live with several families in one house and constantly moving from home to home, drove me to hope for stability. I knew that pursuing a higher education would enable me to realize my dream. And it did.

Describe your college experience as first-generation. For most of my childhood I was undocumented. It was not until my freshmen year in high school that I was fortunate enough to become a permanent resident. The experience of being undocumented heavily influenced my college experience. I was used to not seeking any assistance or support services even when I desperately needed them. I relied on self-advocacy to "get-by". However, by sophomore year in college, I realized that self-advocacy also means advocating and seeking help. I joined on-campus organizations and sought out peer counseling.

What unique challenges did you face?

How did you overcome those challenges?

What did you advise other first-generation students? Be proud and be loud. Don't let what you don't know stop by you from what you want to know.