After high school, I enrolled at East Los Angeles College with the goal of transferring, though I did not yet understand the process. I worked part time while attending school full time and made mistakes navigating coursework, requirements, and a system that often felt confusing. Several counselors encouraged me to focus on Cal State LA because of my transcript, but being told UCLA might not be possible only strengthened my determination. My path was not perfect or linear. It was shaped by uncertainty, persistence, community, and a desire to create a different future for myself and my family.

I learned about CCCP through a friend who had participated in the program. The ELAC SITE Plus deadline was the next day, but an EOPS counselor offered to recommend me. After classes and work, I completed the application and was later accepted. Through CCCP, I visited UCLA for the first time as a student. During the People of Color Tour, I learned that the bricks of Royce Hall came from East Los Angeles. That connection made UCLA feel less distant and reminded me that my community was already part of its history. CCCP challenged and empowered me, helping me see myself as someone who could transfer and truly belong.

Some of my most meaningful experiences began before I officially became a UCLA student. CCCP introduced me to campus, community, and histories that are often overlooked. A conversation with Chely Gonzales helped me discover World Arts and Cultures, the major that would shape my academic path. After transferring, I participated in AAP’s Transfer Summer Program, worked at CCCP, helped launch its social media presence in 2018, joined the McNair Scholars Program, researched arts activism and migration, and studied abroad in Berlin. In 2021, I graduated from UCLA with my degree in World Arts and Cultures, with my mom and cousin there to celebrate with me.

Graduating from UCLA meant accomplishing something I once believed was impossible. It honored my parents’ sacrifices and allowed me to create a new path for my family and future generations. It also allowed me to become the kind of story I once needed to see: proof that transfer students’ dreams are valid and that, with support, community, and ganas, those dreams are possible.

Today, I serve as a Communications Specialist at UCLA CCCP, where I support storytelling, digital media, website management, event planning, and outreach for transfer students. I also help plan large-scale programs such as the Puente Transfer Motivational Conference and contribute to the UCLA Latinx Success Center’s digital efforts. Working for the program that once helped me imagine myself at UCLA is one of the most meaningful full-circle experiences of my life.

Through CCCP, I didn’t just reach goals I once thought were impossible. I discovered goals I didn’t even know existed. Now, I help build the pathways that make them visible for others.

Everyone should know that CCCP changes lives. It offers more than transfer information. It provides mentorship, encouragement, community, and access to opportunities students may not know exist. CCCP helps students recognize that their backgrounds and lived experiences are strengths. For any transfer student who feels lost or uncertain, I encourage you to apply, connect with others, and allow yourself to be supported. Your transfer dream is possible.

I am grateful to celebrate CCCP’s 25th anniversary as both an alumna and a staff member. CCCP helped me believe UCLA was possible. Today, I have the privilege of helping other students believe it is possible for them, too.