Class of 2023

Technology and Information Management

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

I'd like to thank my family and friends for their unconditional love and support. They've been a huge source of motivation in my journey at UC Santa Cruz as a first-generation college student.

I'd also like to thank Jen (Jennifer Wood) for their invaluable advice and kindness throughout my college journey. I've always felt comfortable opening up and asking for help whenever there was something I wasn't 100% sure about. Thanks to Jen, I feel as though I've grown into a strong, confident, and well-rounded leader.

Lastly, I'd like to thank the UCSC National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Community. I've been involved ever since my first year and this organization has completely transformed me. Despite experiencing several rough patches in my college career, the NSBE community has always looked up to me and believed in me. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve as Programs Chair, President, and Senior Advisor over the years, and I feel so grateful to have met so many brilliant, talented aspiring engineers at UC Santa Cruz.

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

For students starting in Fall 2023, I absolutely would encourage you to join an organization-- become involved, be the change you want to see at this university, grow into a strong leader, make lasting friendships/connections. Becoming a leader on-campus can lead to a plethora of opportunities outside of UCSC. For example, I've held 5 internships over the course of my college career-- I owe it all to the work I've put in at the MESA Engineering Program (MEP) and the UCSC National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Don't overthink it, just jump in. Keep an open mind. The future is looking very bright and you CAN do anything you put your mind to!

Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics

Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you? Please name them and briefly tell us why. 

Jen - She was always there for me, even if I rambled a whole lot of nothing. 

My mentors, Jingchun Zhu and Mary Goldman - When no one gave me a chance at an internship, they did, and the past year has been wonderful. I've learned so much from them, and my time with them has made me want to pursue higher education. 

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

My family, friends, and mentors! I wouldn't have been able to get this far without their constant support and guidance. 

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

One of my favorite moments was sitting in the quiet room at MEP with other members and not being "quiet." 

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

You set your own limits; you can achieve anything you want to. 

Computer Science

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

My family and friends, who have helped me through the times I've felt down

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

Hanging out with the friends I made here.

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Don't stress too much on the work, remember to take time for yourself.

Computer Engineering

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

Thank You MEP for the resources it provided

Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far? 

MEP, LSS, EOP, SHPE

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

My favorite moment was when I was able to declare my major

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Make sure that the major you choose is going to make you money. Do your research on what career you want to pursue then major in the required degree for that major. Do not continue on college without a plan because you will need to do a lot more then to just get the degree, you have to get involved with clubs, do internships, apply to go to conventions.

Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics

We would like to celebrate seniors who made an impact. Please tell us about a graduating senior who you feel is worthy of special note, and why.

Cally Lin is an amazing person, who is very supportive and willing to help you outside of her office hours. 

Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you? Please name them and briefly tell us why. You can name multiple people. 

Dr. Christopher Vollmers made a difference for me. Chris was incredibly supportive in my success as a student as when my laptop's internal drive died, he wiped his old laptop for me to use so I could pass my classes. He also supported me in all my scholarship, and graduate school applications. Xingci Situ and Yuli Ortega were incredibly supportive in my success as a student as they supported me in all my scholarship, and graduate school essays.Their mentorship led me to be successful in my career and journey into research. Jen Woods was also instrumental in helping me reach my goals, as she helped me navigate higher education, scheduling, and getting accepted into STEM Diversity Programs. 

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

Dr. Christopher Vollmers, Xingci Situ, Yuli Ortega, Alexander Zee, Mathew Adams, Jen Woods, Kayla Schimke, and David Bernick. 

Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far? How so?

MEP: navigating higher education, scheduling, and essay/application help. EOP: financial support in applying to graduate school. STEM Diversity Programs: navigating research, essay/application help, community and life mentorship. 

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

A favorite moment that comes to mind is when I presented my research at a national biomedical conference and won the best presentation award for molecular engineering. That was a pivotal moment in my college experience because I am a first-generation Latina, and no one in my family has ever done research, much less had presentations in front of hundreds of people.

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

College isn't about how smart you are, it's about finding the right resources to help you, and exploring who you are and what you are best at. Try everything and leave no door to opportunity closed. 

Computer Engineering

We would like to celebrate seniors who made an impact. Please tell us about a graduating senior who you feel is worthy of special note, and why.

Miguel Tamayo, his positivity and ambition has heavily influenced and led me to where/who I am. Miguel made studying/working long hours, as early as 6am to as late as 3am, filled with laughter. I would repeat my 5 year university journey if it's with that guy.

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

My family, including the ones I made at MEP ❤️

Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far? How so?

EOP Lending Library for textbook/course books that you cannot find on libgen. 
MEP lockers for when you need to store items like circuit or wires.
Clubs for making friends, community and network! 

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

Completing physics homework in McHenry at 9PM when PG&E had a power outage, so our study group used our phone flashlights to shine onto the board to continue because deadlines don't change even during difficult times.

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Build a group with similar goals that you could study and have fun at the same time.
Take it quarter by quarter if four year plan is stressing you out. 
Don't self rejecting when applying to jobs, apply anyways.
Bug Jen.
libgen.rs

Robotics Engineering

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Start your assignments early, don't procrastinate.

Computer Science

We would like to celebrate seniors who made an impact. Please tell us about a graduating senior who you feel is worthy of special note, and why.

Andrew Sanchez, because he's been working at physically-intensive jobs while pursuing his degree in Computer Science.

Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you? Please name them and briefly tell us why. You can name multiple people. 

Professor Harrison was always extremely helpful during office hours, and made sure to spend good time with each student lending his expertise and advice. I learned a lot more about developing full stack websites even though I felt fairly confident in it before.

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

I'd like to thank my family for being patient with me in these trying times, my friends for helping me feel connected to my community, and my partner for helping me grow in ways I never expected, from the moment I stepped on campus to the very end.

Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far? How so?

MEP has been amazing- all those chats with Jen eased my constantly troubled mind.

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

Halloween '19 was one of the best moments I've had on campus. That day, I chopped off my hair, dyed it bright pink, and put on a thrifted outfit for my first real cosplay as Ramona Flowers. I got to my Crown core class late, feeling like a different person, with my hair still wet from washing off the dye in the dorm showers. When I took notes, strands of pink hair fell towards my face, shocking me each time. My best friend and I went trick or treating on the Hill after working on CSE 20 homework, and we drove out to San Francisco to celebrate the rest of Halloweekend with our new friends.

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Have as much fun as you can, going to every event that sparks your interest! College is so short, so do your best to balance fun with your education. Definitely go to sections as much as you can, as it helps with accountability (especially for procrastinators!) And never be afraid to switch up your study methods/habits. If you can get an iPad to take notes, please do, it's been such a game changer.

Computer Engineering

Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you? Please name them and briefly tell us why. You can name multiple people. 

Jennifer Wood has been one of the people who have made the biggest difference for me. From helping me do an appeal for declaring my major to helping me with my 5th year extension, she has always been there for me. I also am grateful for Professors Harrison and Sorensen for making my upper division classes seem easy with their great teaching and willingness to help me even when it was a repeat question. 

We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.

My Family has always been there for me and I wouldn't have made it this far without their support.

Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far? How so?

MEP and EOP have been great resources for me academically but I also appreciate all of the Basic Need support we have such as the food pantries for helping me with CalFresh/ keeping me fed. 

College has its ups and downs. Would you share with us a favorite moment?

My favorite memory has been finishing my capstone prototype and seeing all of these years of school pay off into a working device. 

Any advice for students starting in Fall 2023?

Use every single resource on campus, no matter how small you think a problem might be theres always help for it. Make sure you make all types of friends, you can always meet cool people in project classes as well as in GEs. Don't be afraid to ask professors or TA's for help, they may seem scary because they know so much and have so much clout but most of them are more than happy to help you with even the smallest of issues. And most importantly, it's not the end of the world if something goes wrong as long as you learn from your mistakes; fail a class? take it again, even if its adds a bit more time to you college degree you can be successful.