What first got you interested in your field of choice?

Growing up I have always been interested in science and it led me to pursue education in the biological sciences field for my bachelor’s degree. As I navigated through college, I realized the major pathways I could take are academia or health professions; fields that I didn’t want to pursue. Luckily, KGI offered a summer program (Careers Beyond the Bench) that allowed me to explore a different avenue that I never knew before, the biopharma industry. Through that exposure, I knew that I wanted to shift my focus away from the direct sciences towards more of a business background in order to make myself marketable for my career.

What type of obstacles have you had to overcome on the road to getting your education?

Being a first-generation student with a low-income background has been a major obstacle to my education. Starting out of high school, I was unable to afford undergraduate out-of-state tuition at UC Davis, so I moved in with my aunt in California and attended Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. After two years I transferred to UCLA and had to adapt to a large student population with classes up to 300+ students. It was difficult for me to adjust to the university environment because I felt a sense of imposter syndrome on top of a lack of community where I can be myself.

How did you know that KGI was the right school for you?

Honestly, I didn’t immediately think KGI was the right school for me and I had a lot of self-doubts joining during a pandemic. Everything started to click after a few months of getting to know my cohort and friends, speaking with professors and alumni and really building my professional experience; something that I never knew how to do through my upbringing.

Why did you want to become an Admissions Ambassador?

I wanted to give back to the KGI community and give students like me a chance to not only expand their experiences but build a foundation for themselves to be successful in the future regardless of their past and obstacles they have faced.

What is one fun and interesting fact about you?

A fun and interesting fact is that I had chickens growing up.