Going to college is a process. Most of the time it is the process that involves more than ourselves. We have to try to make the effort to get the information and it is our responsibility to share the information with the people involved in the process. We have to give ourselves a chance to achieve the unimaginable because, more than often, new doors will open for us. Being first generation and coming from a low-income immigrant family, college is often a remote idea. Most of us have no knowledge of the steps to get there or ever imagined that we would one day attend a university. In my case, luckily, by my third year in high school, the school initiated a program with Cal State LA to assist students in applying for college. It was from this program that I learned about requirements--courses, GPA and exams—for the different types of colleges and that I could apply to a certain number of schools within the UC system for free. The program also provided fee waivers for the SAT and ACT. My parents had no way of helping me with this process because they do not know English; however they played a role in determining the school that I applied to. My parents did not want me to leave home for college primarily because I am a daughter and they needed me to work. All these factors lead me to apply to UCSB, but I also applied to a community college. I could have applied to UCLA, but I did not think that I had a chance to be accepted. UCSB was far enough away from home to give me the distance I wanted from my family, but it was also close enough that I could go home to be with my family. Despite its distance, when the school sent the acceptance letter, the question of me leaving home became a major issue. However, after visiting the campus during the EOP orientation, my parents decided it was a safe campus. I am sure they had to grapple with other issues before deciding it was best for me to achieve something they had never had an opportunity to. In addition, perhaps, they felt at ease because the EOP staff members were very kind and helpful.

Being an EOP student had a great impact on my student experience at UCSB. STEP, the two week summer program, provided the opportunity for me to meet other new students, especially students of color who were from a different background. I think my first day at UCSB would have been a disorienting experience if I had no known these students and the counselors. I became a “little sister” to one of the counselors in Asian EOP. She was my key support and still is today. It was through her that I met many great people on campus who played (and continue to play) an essential role in shaping my knowledge, politics, sense of community and confidence. It makes a difference to have mentors who guide us but also provide us with room to grow. Aside from this Asian EOP was, in general, very supportive of the student activities that I became involved in.

With the education I acquired from UCSB, I am sure that I can have a decent career that enables me to care for my parents as well as other people in my life, but being educated is not simply earning money. There has to be more to it. My education at UCSB has helped me to develop a critical understanding of the world I am a part of. It has provided me the opportunity to pursue more knowledge. I am currently in graduate school, something I never considered before.

There have been many highlights in my UCSB experience, but the most important ones have already been alluded to: the community that accepted me and the student activities that I was involved in. Both have enriched my experience and life in so many ways.