Calexico High School 

My name is Edna Noelia Llanes. I was born in Mexicali, Mexico, and brought to the United States at the early age of 7 months old. As a senior in high school, I was enrolled in a program called IVROP (Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program) Nursing. I received my CNA license after I graduated from high school, but I decided that nursing was not something I would pursue. After high school, I enrolled at my local community college and majored in life sciences. I transferred to UCSD and graduated with a B.S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. I started working as a technical operator at Grifols and have gradually moved my way up to a product support scientist where I ensure that our products produce results for pathogens such as HIV- 1, HCV, Dengue, and others. 

A piece of advice that I would like to share with you is that there are many organizations on campus that will help you if you need to talk about college life or if you need help with tutoring. Take advantage of these; you are paying for them.

Lincoln High School

Yvonne Roca is a rising second-year medical school student in the UCLA Medical Education-Leadership and Advocacy Program. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2016 with a B.S in Human Biology and took 3 gap years before going to medical school. She was born in Long Beach, CA, and raised in Tijuana, B.C. She graduated from Lincoln High School and attended San Diego City College before transferring to UCSD. As a medical student, Yvonne is the co-coordinator for the First Gen @ DGSOM group and the Surgery Interest Group. Yvonne is passionate about mentoring students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and she aspires to address inequalities faced by underserved communities.

Imperial Valley High School

My name is Tiffany Wuence. I was born and raised in the Imperial Valley in Southern California. I was raised by a single mother of 4, which shaped my outlook on my life significantly. In high school, I participated in various extracurricular activities such as Cheerleading, Associate Student Body, California Scholarship Federation and many more. I participated in the Imperial Valley Regional Occupation Program where I became a certified Pharmacy Technician my junior year. My senior year of high school I decided to move to San Diego and attend San Diego State University and major in Mechanical engineering and emphasize in Bioengineering with the intention of one day working in the pharmaceutical or bio-technology industry. I currently work at Ajinomoto Bio Pharma Services as a Facilities Engineer. A piece of advice I would offer is that networking is everything. Many times it’s about who you know and how well you can connect with others. Always remember to be kind because people will never forget how you made them feel!

Patrick Henry High School

I was really focused on academics and getting into college because I knew that would open up a plethora of opportunities not only for me but for my family as well. My mom made all the sacrifices she could to ensure I had an education but coming from a low-income first-generation background I found myself navigating unchartered territories. So, like my mom, I learned to advocate for myself which was crucial to my success. When I went to high school 10+ years ago we had none of the language or frameworks to discuss systemic racism, so I felt like I often just put my head down and went to work despite seeing the inequity around me.

I worked my entire time during college both on and off-campus, so transitioning to college was nice in that I had more flexibility over my schedule, but it also meant increased responsibilities and tasks because I had to pay for school-related expenses, and I was really afraid of debt. Being a commuter student can make it hard to meet other students but participating in a pre-MBA program for first-gen students a month before my first quarter helped me meet future classmates, and I met my best friend in the program. You can do well in academics, but at the end of the day when you graduate that needs to translate into a career or continued education. I wish I had more support from the school and mentors on navigating the career front. Now I know so much, and I just wish I knew what I know now while I was in school.