Name:

Victoria Aguilar

Position Title or Student Involvements:

Access Counselor GA at Center for Educational Access

What degrees have you obtained or are working on?

AA in General Studies with an emphasis on Culture and Communication from El Camino College BA in ASL Linguistics and Deaf Cultures with minors in Anthropology and Human Development from CSU Long Beach working on MEd in Higher Education at the University of Arkansas

What does it mean to you to be a first-generation student/graduate?

To me, being a first-generation student/graduate means that I am breaking barriers and paving the way for every generation that comes after me. It means that I will give back to my family and my community, providing the same support and mentorship that others have given me.

Why is being a first-generation student/graduate important to you?

Being a first-generation student/graduate is important to me because I want my younger siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and children to know that they can achieve anything they want, and earning a degree from a higher education institution will always be one of those things.

What piece of advice would you give to first-generation students?

The advice I would give to first-generation students is to be proud of themselves! Realize that you are doing amazing, and you are deserving everything you’re working towards.