Scholar Voices: A Journey Through Internships Navigating My Engineering Path
When I first arrived at Berkeley, I was eager to explore the opportunities that came with being in such a new environment. As a first-generation Mexican-American, the world of engineering was completely new to me.
Internships became my way of discovering these different industries, each with its own culture, work-life balance and challenges.
Scholar Voices: How I aligned my career path with my passion for human rights and social injustice
I started my journey at Lafayette College intending to study economics and faced many challenges trying to decide what I wanted to pursue after college. My classes were packed with STEM courses, and I felt ill-prepared for the journey I was about to embark upon. TGR Foundation was extremely helpful in my struggles throughout the years. As an Earl Woods Scholar, I was paired with an amazing mentor, Tim Walsh, who opened up his networks and family to me and was very active throughout each year.
Scholar Voices: How higher education will break the cycle of poverty for me and my community
Growing up in a low-income neighborhood, the worries of leading a life full of poverty and crime consumed my existence. Instead of viewing this feeling as an excuse, I turned it into motivation to rise above my life circumstances and excel as an active member of my community. With determination, I have contributed to […]
Scholar Voices: The Importance of Mentorship
I was the first person from my high school to ever get accepted into and attend an Ivy League school. I was celebrated and praised after the news broke out, but deep down I felt sadness more than anything.
Scholar Voices: My path to becoming an NBA Project Engineer
As a basketball fan, I was always curious about working for the National Basketball Association. The paths to NBA careers beyond the court aren’t as visible as those like Facebook or Google, but I believed it was possible if I built my experience and connections.
My job search process was untraditional for careers in the technology industry. The positions I thought I’d receive a response from, I didn’t, but I received unexpected interest from several companies including the NBA. I found my position through LinkedIn, and a recruiter contacted me for an interview. I went through a swift interview process that ended with an offer I accepted. After finishing my master’s program and taking a well-needed break, I began my role as a Project Software Engineer on the Stats Technology Product Development team.
Scholar Voices: Celebrating the class of 2022
As I approached graduation and reflected on the Earl Woods Scholar class of 2022, it became clear to me that the story of our college experience is one of resilience.
Each of us has endured countless struggles and tragedies and emerged much stronger and wiser. We have overcome every single obstacle that has come our way, from national distress to a global pandemic. Each of us is so much more than the worst thing we’ve ever experienced and nothing, not even the most formidable forces, can keep us down.
Scholar Voices: How my research will resolve issues, support African American Community
Growing up as a low-income minority student attending an impoverished high school, it was easy to see the separations between a good education and an amazing education. I wanted an amazing education; I wanted what I couldn’t have at the time, but I knew it could be mine if I worked hard enough.
I was selected to attend the University of Rochester on a full-ride scholarship through the Posse Scholar Program and support from the Earl Woods Scholar Program. Attending UR was the best decision I made, financially and personally, because of the opportunities I have gained within my research interests and things I want to accomplish on the path to earning a Ph.D.
Scholar Voices: How mentorship helped make my NFL dream a reality
Being from a first-generation, low-income, foster youth background and a proud Chicana, the significance of college itself goes beyond my personal goals. I decided to attend Dartmouth College majoring in astronomy and physics with a minor in education because of the limitless opportunities that come with education here. I knew that Dartmouth College was going […]
Scholar Voices: Tenacity of an Immigrant
I was born in a village in China and my only perception of the world used to be my village. It wasn’t until my parents decided to take a leap of faith and fly more than 1,500 miles to the United States so I could pursue the “American Dream” that my perception of the world expanded. Because my parents did not speak English, I had to navigate this foreign place on my own. I have been trying to pave my own path from the moment I landed in the United States, with both successes and failures.
I heard “you need to go to college to get a good job” my entire life. I was always told I needed to attend a school like UCLA or UC Berkeley because it was all my parents heard from other people. Though these school names became very familiar, I had absolutely no idea how to get there. Until my junior year of high school, I had no idea what the SAT, FAFSA, UC applications and even the Common Application was. As the first person in my family to apply for the FAFSA and fill out college applications, I was met with obstacles at every step. However, through a college-access program called College Match, I not only gained the tools and support to pursue higher education, I discovered the Earl Woods Scholar Program in the process.
Scholar Voices: How faith the size of a Mustard Seed helped me fulfill my dreams
From a very young age I knew that I wanted to go to law school and become a lawyer. My father planted the seed in my mind of me becoming a lawyer at the prime age of nine years old. Throughout my childhood I was always eager to tell any and everybody that would listen that I was going to grow up and be a lawyer. I remember watching lawyers on television and envisioning my future life through the lens of those television characters. I became engrossed with law-related entertainment whether it was a television show, movie, documentary or book. What nine-year-old do you know who is obsessed with Law & Order? I was that nine-year-old.
