# @ucsandiego on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DQIK3XIEgbT
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/36097489-ucsandiego-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/243162e6bf.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-22T22:05:52.000+00:00

## Caption

“My journey to UC San Diego has truly shaped who I am. 

My childhood was marked by significant instability and was often turbulent and violent. As a result, I spent much of my formative high school years as a foster youth and eventually dropped out. 

After a decade developing my career as a chef, the restaurant where I worked closed. I saw this as an opportunity to change directions and return to school. I earned my GED and then enrolled in the commercial music program at San Diego City College. That experience solidified my passion for the field and led me to focus specifically on transferring to UC San Diego for the ICAM-Music program, which I was drawn to for its unique approach to music and technology.

My decision to choose UC San Diego was primarily driven by the reputation of the computer music and music technology programs and their histories. I was attracted by the prestige of the faculty associated with this department and the amazing things that have come from it. 

Currently, I work as a facilities and operations assistant in the Director’s Office at Scripps_Ocean, which has been an absolutely fantastic and unique experience. I am an active member of the International Computer Music Association, a slightly less active member of the Audio Engineering Society, and, in my first year, was involved with the Non-Traditional Student Association. I was also a McNair Scholar, which allowed me to conduct two quarters and a summer of intensive undergraduate research. 

Being a millennial undergraduate definitely comes with its own unique challenges; at first, I viewed it as a barrier. However, as time goes on, I find being an “unc” undergraduate is actually an advantage.

Coming in as a transfer can sometimes make you feel like an outsider. Taking advantage of the resources and programs available helped assimilate me into the college culture as much as they helped me succeed. Don’t sleep on this.”

-D.J. Frick (he/him), fourth-year Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts (ICAM) Music major #TritonStories #TritonTransfers #NationalTransferStudentWeek

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 1,029
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- **Comments:** 24

## Tags

tritonstories, nationaltransferstudentweek, tritontransfers

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