CLCRC / El Centro Peer Mentor
Major(s) and Minor (if any)
History of Public Policy & Law and Sociology Double Major
If you are a first-generation and/or income-eligible student, what has your experience been like at UCSB?
As a first generation and low income student, my experience at UCSB has definitely been difficult. Learning how to navigate higher education, a large institution, while living on my own for the first time was discouraging at times but I am proud of myself for pushing through it.
What would you like to share with students about your experience at UCSB?
Find your community! There is an organization out there for you, whether it is based on an identity, career path, or an interest. Going out of my comfort zone allowed me to find my community in organizations that keep me motivated everyday.
Top tips for fellow students?
Ask for help! There are resources for anything and everything out there, you might just not have heard of them yet. My favorite resources are the A.S. Food Bank, CLAS, and the Community Financial Fund. Although you are a student, you are a person first, allow yourself to prioritize your needs.
Best advice you've received that has helped you at UCSB.
You will always regret not doing something. If you have an assignment coming up that you want to procrastinate on, you'll regret avoiding it and waiting until the last second. Instead, get yourself to work on it sooner even if you don't feel like it. The discomfort you feel in that moment will be easier to deal with than the regret/stress later on from not completing it.
Why did you choose to be an EOP peer mentor/office assistant?
I chose to be an EOP peer mentor because I want to support other students at UCSB. Being a first generation or low income student can make the transition difficult, I want to connect students to resources that can make it easier. EOP has done a lot for me through STEP and its other programming/resources, so it's also rewarding for me to be part of EOP now.