What is your hometown? Riverside CA

What colleges did you attend? Degrees earned? Riverside Community College- Transfer Only
UC Riverside- B.A. History
San Jose State University- M.S. Library & Information Science

What motivated you to go to college? I began working in retail and warehouse jobs as a teenager. The work was tough and not often very rewarding. I knew I didn't want to work in these jobs forever and going to college seemed like a good alternative.

Describe your college experience as first-generation. I didn't really enjoy school until I began my classes at Riverside Community College. I liked to read and I did well in school, but I was never very engaged. RCC opened up so many new ideas and fields of study to me.

What unique challenges did you face? I had a difficult time balancing work and school, and I was often sleepy during class. I didn't really know what to expect or how to be best prepared. I wish I would have known more about financial aid when I first started. I used up all of my savings in my first year of school.

How did you overcome those challenges? By the time I transferred to UCR I knew a little bit more about financial aid and loans. I'd like to say that I got better at balancing work and school, but that didn't really happen until I attended grad school much later. I was a much better student by the time I started school at SJSU.

What did you advise other first-generation students? You should be proud of yourself. Don't feel rushed. Try to balance time between work, school, family, and friends. I always regret not getting involved with campus clubs. Talk to your teachers and counselors. Ask them about career paths and internships. Visit the library early and often. Talk to the librarians, take workshops, sign up for a library class. Taking advantage of the resources in the library will make your classes much less stressful. If I could go back and do it again I'd make sure to talk with more of my professors in the classroom, during office hours, and in the library.