# @ucsandiego on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CZUlnVCJcOz
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75466000-ucsandiego-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/1ef997147a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-01-29T17:03:49.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UC San Diego / UCSD (@ucsandiego) — https://gondola.cc/ucsandiego

## Caption

"My parents were very young when they immigrated to the United States from Mexico, seeking a better life. They started completely from scratch, struggling to learn the language and take care of their basic needs. Their sacrifice meant that I was able to attend school, something that was considered a true luxury in the small village where they grew up. However, their lack of understanding of the US school system coupled with our cultural tendency to not ask for help meant that I was left to figure out school on my own. The college application process was a particularly challenging time. I wasn't very involved with school, and my parents weren't keeping track of any deadlines, so I didn't even realize I had to take the SAT to apply to 4-years until it was too late. I ended up going to community college, and thankfully it was a truly amazing experience. I now make it my mission to mentor first-gen students and students from underrepresented backgrounds that need help navigating the educational system. 
 
However, acclimating to UC San Diego as a transfer student was hard. I didn't get too involved because I was worried I wouldn't have time for my academics, but in the end, I ended up alienating myself. Thankfully, I took the Transfer Year Experience course and that really helped connect me with resources on campus. After getting to know more of the campus and visiting places like the Raza Resource Centro (rrcucsd), I began to feel like I belonged here. I encourage anyone new to UC San Diego to get out of their comfort zone and try out different clubs and spaces on campus to see what communities feel special to them!" 
 
- Dalila González Mejía ‘22 (she/her) #TritonStories #TritonTransfers #UCSDFirstGen ucsd_firstgen tritontransfers

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 1,218
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 10

## Credits

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

## Tags

tritonstories, tritontransfers, ucsdfirstgen

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