Juan Sebastian Herrera Zapata

• What does being a First-Generation College Graduate mean to you?

Means that there are no unbreakable milestones. Means that whatever we want to achieve, we can do it if we are truly committed to it.

• What is your proudest moment from your time at UCSD?

Every time I was a referent to talk about all things Colombia. But probably, when I was able to invite and coordinate to have the former Vice-President of Colombia at School.

• Who are the family members, friends or loved ones who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

My parents, who even though they do not necessarily understand perfectly what I am doing here nor what I am studying, they always prompted me to study hard and fulfill my dreams. I am who I am because of them.

• Who are the staff, faculty or mentors who have been most influential throughout your college journey? Are there any words of gratitude you would like to share with them?

My professors that opened the doors to world-class education and invited me to discover that I can learn and manage things I have never imagined before. My professors because they taught me a more systematic way to think and solve problems.

• What do you plan or hope to do after graduating?

Even though my job prospects got destroyed because of the crisis, I want to stay here and hopefully land a good job on urban development consultancy by the end of the summer. In the meantime, I want to think whether I want to continue a Ph.D. in Planning or whether I want to go back to Colombia to work in the government, as I was doing before coming to San Diego.