“Coming to America as a 7th grader was one big crash course. Learning English and acclimating to a new culture felt like I was constantly playing catch-up with my peers. Luckily, my inspiring parents raised me to believe I was capable of anything I set my mind to. My parents devoted their whole lives to me and left their home country to give me a better future, and in return, I just hope to make them proud. UC San Diego had been my dream school since a very young age. I longed to spend my afternoons on the beach, but moving away from home and family felt like a daunting decision. My family gave me the courage to take the leap and coming to UCSD has been my greatest accomplishment. I have found an abundance of community and opportunity during my time as an undergrad. I prioritized cultivating new friendships and trying out clubs I would discover on flyers around campus. I got involved with the Armenian Student Association, UCSD Pre-Dental Society, became an academic tutor at Preuss Sc...