Living in a society committed to social justice, a third world country with a lot of problems. It took a while to understand all that Cubans are up against and fully appreciate all they are trying to do. Assata Shakur
My name is Sebastian Flores and I majored in Chicana/o Studies and double minored in Education Studies and Anthropology at UCLA. I was born and raised in Riverside California to loving parents from Mexico. I began my undergraduate career in Riverside City College and transferred to UCLA in the summer of 2012.
At UCLA I participated in the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) Transfer Summer Program (TSP), where I learned to adapt to the academic demands of UCLA and find a sense of community at a competitive and sometimes hostile environment. I got involved in community service work with high school youth through MEChA de UCLA’s social justice project the Raza Youth Empowerment Project (RYEP) my first and second year. I helped co-chair and organize the 10th annual Transfer Raza Day yield admit event in which over 150 recently admitted transfer Latino/a and Chicana/o students were welcomed to UCLA on May 10th 2013. In the summer of 2013 I returned to TSP as a Residential Peer Counselor in which I helped facilitate the transition of first year transfer students into university life. I worked my second and third year at UCLA as an Academic Peer Counselor helping and supporting first generation college student like myself become successful students. While working as an academic peer counselor I have learned that it is my interest to one day return to my community and help support first generation and historically underrepresented college students pursue a four year degree and to consider studying abroad. |