how I got here

I never had a clear path to becoming an architecture major at Berkeley. I didn’t even know if architecture was the major I was going to stick to when I initially came here, but with my time in this program, the organizations I joined, and the world-class experience of being in the #1 public architecture program, I was convinced that I was in the right place.

Growing up, I thought that going to university was a near-impossible dream. I grew up in the Philippines, where necessities weren’t always guaranteed. I always remembered my mom telling me...

Every campus ambassador ends their tour with their Berkeley Story, a tale of how they got to where they are today. During mine, I mention that it was difficult for me to adjust in my first year. It took a long time for me to feel like I belonged at Berkeley. I usually don’t have time to expand beyond that, but I’d like to do so now.

During freshman orientation week, I remember a lot of the presentations included the phrase “you belong here.” Honestly, I think it’s kind of hard to feel that way in a school of 40,000 students. It’s difficult to feel connected...

Last semester, I participated in Berkeley Dreams Big, an event hosted by the Berkeley Residence Hall Association for students living in university-owned housing. Students can apply for an item or tool within $200 that will help them achieve their dreams. All participants are invited to a year-end banquet whether or not they’re selected. While I was at the banquet, they told us to write down a few dreams or goals.

Back then, I wrote that I wanted certain leadership positions in my clubs or programs. However, when applications opened up this semester, I felt...

It’s mid-October right now. The temperatures might drop to the 60s during the day if you’re lucky, but there’s surely still a few scorching days left for those in NorCal. In the high Sierras, mountain tops are receiving their first snowfall, and in the valleys below, trees are turning brilliant shades of orange and yellow before they drop their leaves. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and apple orchards are being swarmed before all the attention moves on to Christmas tree farms.

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