# @ucsandiego on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CtuEwBLrrMa
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75465085-ucsandiego-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/a61407a3e3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-06-20T17:04:47.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UC San Diego / UCSD (@ucsandiego) — https://gondola.cc/ucsandiego

## Caption

“As a first-generation student and a parent of three young children, graduating means giving my children access to a path to higher education that was not available to me. My path here was also somewhat unexpected. I was a stay at home mom when I returned to community college in 2020 as the pandemic allowed for more free time. During an advising appointment I was told that, to my surprise, I had nearly completed the requirements to transfer to a UC. After learning that I could potentially continue my education, I worked tirelessly on my application to UC San Diego and was completely shocked when I was accepted. Despite being a student of a “non-traditional” age, I always felt uplifted with unconditional support from my peers and professors at UC San Diego. The confidence I gained through the university community and the supportive resources it provided really motivated me to succeed.

There were constant challenges as a full-time student and parent of three young children, but living on campus in UC San Diego's Grad and Family housing made life as a student-parent much easier. I had convenient access to in-person classes through a UCSD shuttle stop in our community, and when I needed to complete assignments my children were able to play with other children at a playground just outside of our apartment patio. I felt very grateful that my children were also able to experience being part of the UC San Diego community with the many family-friendly events put on by GFH.

After all of my hard work and persistence, I was accepted into the East Asian Studies Master's Program at Stanford University. After Stanford, I hope to find a career as a liaison between the United States and Japan that will either require regular travel to Japan or give my family the chance to live in Japan full-time. I am looking forward to carrying the experience and education I gained at UC San Diego through my life and career to strengthen intercultural relationships and make an impact globally.”

-Montana Gray, B.A. in International Studies/Anthropology, Class of 2023

#UCSDGrad #UCSD2023 #UCSDAlumni #UCSanDiego #UCSD

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 3,522
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 38

## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

ucsdgrad, ucsandiego, ucsd2023, ucsd, ucsdalumni

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