Wilbert De Leon '20  B.A. Communication, B.A. Economics - Behavior and Strategy Emphasis

This stole is a symbol of my perseverance, grit, and determination to meet my goals — an artifact to display on my wall for years to look at and tell myself, "I did that." 

My first-gen story does not start with me. It starts with my parents.

Stefany grew up in Sacramento, California where she is the oldest of three and the daughter of Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants. Stefany decided she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field when her brother was diagnosed with Leukemia shortly after she started community college. When she found out about the affiliation UC Davis has with the hospital and the student-run clinics, she realized she couldn’t wait to be an Aggie!

Diana is a first-year transfer, first generation student studying Communication at UC Davis. She is the first in her family to attend a four-year university. She wants to make her family proud and is grateful to her parents for all of their sacrifices. She celebrates her education as not just hers but rather the efforts made by her parents, and she dedicates her hard work to them.

Divine Otico '19 Cognitive Science

I was born in the Philippines and migrated to the U.S. when I was 11 years old to meet my parents for the first time. At 16 years old, my parents divorced. After the divorce, my dad lost his job and we lost our home too. By 18 I was homeless, so my best friend’s family took me in. I lived with friends or other relatives until my dad got back on his feet again.

Add an Image or Video

As a first-generation college student and American, Niloufar was ready to face the obstacles ahead of her. Transferring into UC Davis was a challenge, but she felt welcomed and was able to get the support she needed to succeed.

Coming from a hard-working and strong-willed family, Alexandria was motivated to do her best and reach a four-year university. Now, in her last year, she has enjoyed being able to have a chance at work in research and pave the way for others like her.

Shiang-Wan Chin '17 Managerial Economics & Communication

My parents immigrated to the United States from Taiwan, and they did it without speaking English. My siblings and I grew up in San Francisco. When applying for college, I knew I had to stay close to home so I could visit my family easily, so I applied only to UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

UC Davis was always my top school. I first became interested because of its world-renowned agriculture economics program.

Jennifer La '19 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Tell us about your first generation background. Where did you grow up and what is your family history? What is unique about your story? 

My family is part of an ethnic minority group from Vietnam known as the Hoa people, ethnically Chinese people who fled to Vietnam to escape economic hardship and violence during the founding of the Republic of China.

Miguel Paulo Flores is in his last year before achieving his Bachelor's degree, but his education is not stopping here. After college, he will then work towards becoming a consumer or product analyst to support his mother and brother. And of course, he wants to make them proud!

Dave Ivan Cruz '19 International Relations

Tell us about your first generation background. Where did you grow up and what is your family history? What is unique about your story?