Stories

As a first generation student, I am aware of the challenges that come with having little to no guidance in the world of higher education. Having had to navigate through my education on my own inspired me to help other Latinx and first generation students reach their higher education goals as well. Therefore, I decided to become an Undergraduate Admission Counselor at my alma mater while I pursued my goal of attending law school to become an immigration lawyer. During my time as an admission counselor I was part of the Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach team. My role within the DIO team consisted of advising (mostly) Latinx students on their path to college and creating events and workshops for our Unity multicultural celebration for incoming students. Unity consisted of events such as Career Launch: The Importance of Networking in Underrepresented Communities, Research and Leadership Development Opportunities for BIPOC Students, and BIPOC Networking Panels for every affinity group at SCU. The efforts of these events reflected in the enrollment growth of Latinx and BIPOC students in the Class of 2026. The Latinx student population grew respectively from 17.7% to 19.1% and the First Generation student population grew from 11.4% to 14.7%. The most rewarding aspect of this experience was not the statistical growth, but the long conversations with students and their families of what the next steps for enrollment were and the advice I could offer through my experience as a Super Bronco. The gratification of helping my community is the same reason that motivates me to become an immigration lawyer. I know that becoming an immigration lawyer is the first step to seeking justice for those in the undocumented community who have been victims of discrimination from the law due to their immigration status. Advocating for my community, whether it be as an admission counselor or as an immigration lawyer, is what I love to do.