When I was being considered for my current job as a Campus Ambassador, I was asked to identify something that made my experience here at UC Berkeley unique. It took me a moment to think of something interesting enough to share, but I eventually settled on the fact that I am a transfer student. It started off as a quick answer, but upon further reflection, I realized that being a transfer student was not only a “talking point” but also a defining part of my educational career. It has become something I consider a part of my identity and something I get excited to share with others.
The decision to be a transfer student was never one I expected to make. As a high school student, I envisioned myself moving to the East Coast for college and attending an Ivy League or Ivy-adjacent school. A lot of rejection letters and financial constraints later, I found myself attending a community college in my hometown of Fresno, California against my will. Where I grew up, there was a stigma surrounding community college. People assumed that was where you go if you aren’t smart enough to get accepted anywhere else. And I saw many of my friends go off to fancy universities, so it was hard not to feel like I was behind or like I was missing out on the college experience I had always dreamed of.
But I am nothing if not persistent, and I knew it wasn’t over for me. I was determined to do whatever it took to make my dreams come true. I had a lot of AP credit from high school, and I jam-packed my semesters, allowing me to finish up my classes relatively quickly and transfer to UC Berkeley with third-year status after one year in community college. During that year, the assist.org website, my community college counselors, and my own research skills were my best friends. I wanted to get out of my hometown as soon as possible, and I became an expert on how to transfer to a UC.
When I was looking at schools to transfer to, Berkeley was at the top of my list for a number of reasons. After the setbacks I faced at the end of high school, I realized that in-state schools were the only financially realistic option for me. I also wanted to go to a school that would accept all of my AP and community college credit and not make me retake any courses, since paying to retake classes would have been an extra financial burden. Unlike many private schools I researched, the UCs were very accommodating about awarding course credit. And finally, I wanted to check off all these other requirements without compromising the quality of education I’d be receiving. I still had my heart set on going somewhere prestigious, and Berkeley was a highly reputable school where I knew I’d be able to meet peers and professors who could help me reach my career goals. The cherry on top was that Berkeley was also my grandfather’s dream school for me, and I knew it would mean the world to him if I went there. With my mind made up, I did everything in my power to ensure that my transfer to UC Berkeley would go smoothly.
And when I finally got accepted into Berkeley and moved here, all the pieces began to fall into place. Before classes started, we had a mandatory orientation for all new students called Golden Bear Orientation, and I made friends with the fellow transfer students in my orientation group and got close with my group leaders, as well. I also quickly made friends on my floor in my dorm, made friends in my classes, made friends in the clubs and organizations I joined on and off campus, and made friends amongst my coworkers in my new job as a Campus Ambassador. I assimilated well, and I felt like my transition to UC Berkeley was very effortless. The same sentiment is held by my other transfer student friends, who have become presidents of clubs, senators in the student government, honors students, and more.
It felt like fate that I was thrust into the transfer student pathway. The year I spent in community college not only allowed me to save money but also enabled me to spend time with my family, partake in an invaluable internship, study abroad, be the president of a pre-law student association, and more. So many life-changing experiences and opportunities were only made available to me because I was forced to stay in my hometown, and I am so grateful for that twist of luck. I would never have even gone to Berkeley had I been able to afford to go to a four-year college right out of high school. It was the transfer process that even made Berkeley an option for me. And when my grandfather got sick and eventually passed away in the spring of my first year at Berkeley, going to a school relatively close to home made it so much easier to visit him and my family. Berkeley is undoubtedly where I was always meant to end up, and the transfer route made it possible for me.
One of my roles as a Campus Ambassador is to be a tour guide, and I make sure to share my transfer journey with the visitors on my tours. I tell them of all the success I have had as a transfer student in hopes of inspiring other prospective transfer students to chase after their dreams. I am often met with questions and concerns, but I use my own experiences as a transfer student to reassure them that everything turns out okay. And I also point out the plethora of resources that the Berkeley campus extends to transfer students, including the Transfer Student Center, the Transfer Student Representative in our student government, and the huge and highly active transfer student community. Berkeley has never failed to make me feel welcome as a transfer student, and I often find it hard to identify ways that my experience differs from that of traditional students, which goes to show that Berkeley does a wonderful job of integrating transfer students into its vibrant culture.
I view it as a sign of success when transfer students have the same experiences, opportunities, and outcomes that traditional students are afforded. But I also believe that being a transfer student awards you with a unique perspective that traditional students do not possess. I certainly feel that being a transfer student shaped me profoundly and taught me to be more resilient and pragmatic. Now, I bring my distinct perspective as a transfer student to my job as a Campus Ambassador and everywhere else I go. I hope to inspire and empower prospective transfer students like me who may have faced seemingly insurmountable setbacks and may need the extra encouragement to keep on chasing their dreams.