Miguel Ochoa | I am a first-generation STEM student of Mexican-American heritage, and an active member of SACNAS. I entered UCI as a Biological Sciences major, but introductory history and ethnic studies classes also shaped my interests, and I quickly realized I could not be just a biologist. It was not until I studied abroad in Costa Rica that I was able to connect both of my academic interests into one. While living and studying in the Tilarán Mountains in Puntarenas, I did a research project on medicinal plants. With the help of the local curandero, we chemically isolated herbal oils that could be used to deter disease-carrying mosquitoes from biting humans. I realized just how important indigenous knowledge was, and how it had to be protected along with the other aspects of the rainforest. Being a scientist and ecologist is more than saving the bees and the trees, it's also about acknowledging colonial history, promoting diversity among decision-makers, and listening to community activists to build a more sustainable future.

Today, I am pursuing a doctoral degree at UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

Joceline Porron | I am a first-generation student. Growing up in a predominately Latino community in Santa Ana, I felt close to my Mexican roots, yet felt that I wasn't appreciating my culture in depth. Part of the reason was that the public education system only taught American history, but once I started my undergrad career, I began to learn more about my cultural roots.

I decided to pursue Chicano/Latino Studies as a second major after taking an introductory Chicano/Latino Studies course. I wanted to learn more about the unique history and the distinct cultures within the Latinx diaspora besides the Mexican experience. I knew that I could integrate Chicano/Latino Studies with my major in Public Health because I wanted to work with low-income, Spanish speaking communities. Both of my majors interconnected beautifully because during my fifth year I took on a research internship working with AltaMed on a dyadic intervention program working with Latina mothers and daughters in controlling and preventing diabetes. This UCI sponsored study allowed me to practice my cultural competency skills and gain field research experience in Public Health. Ever since I joined the study, my internship turned into a full-time job after graduation and am I currently helping patients schedule COVID-19 testing appointments at the AltaMed call center. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Public Health in Sociocultural Diversity and Health at UCI. After earning my Master's in Public Health, my career goal is to work continue to work with AltaMed with low-income communities to help integrate free community-based health and resource programs.

Esmeralda Hic | I was born and raised in the Coachella Valley of Southern California, a majority Latinx, immigrant, and working-class community. My experiences with environmental racism inspired me to major in Earth System Science so that I could have a fundamental understanding of the science behind climate change and better understand the environmental issues my community was facing. As I progressed in my undergraduate career, I realized that although I was learning the science behind the climate crisis very well, I was lacking knowledge surrounding the social inequities and challenges that climate change presented, specifically as it relates to communities of color.

Double majoring in Chicano/Latino Studies allowed me to have a more complete understanding of the climate crisis. As I learned about rising sea levels, worsening air quality, and resource scarcity I was also able to connect it back to equity issues and societal dynamics thanks to my experience in my Chicano/Latinx Studies classes. Double majoring allowed me to be a more informed scientist and advocate who understands how all of these issues are connected. As an alumna, I started a new position with the RAY Diversity Fellowship, a program intended to increase environmental leadership among young professionals of color. Through the program, I worked at the Institute for Market Transformation, a nonprofit in Washington D.C., as their Policy Fellow. I worked with communities across the country to meet their energy efficiency needs and help with their responses to the climate crisis. Currently, I am the Collaborative Partnerships Program Coordinator at the People's Climate Innovation Center.

Jel Manzo | Ever since taking my first Chicano/Latino Studies class, I knew that being a Chicano/Latino Studies major would provide me with an environment that assured me I was being seen, heard, and understood. During this time, I was also considering what was then Psychology & Social Behavior, since my struggles as a first-generation college student motivated me to learn more about the mind and mental health. Ultimately, I decided to take on the challenge of majoring in both areas of study, and it is one of the best decisions I made! As the quarters passed, I became fascinated by the interplay between both subjects, especially with Chicano/Latino studies giving me a different perspective when learning about psychology. For example, how would seeking professional help work out in a community that values familismo? In 2021, I graduated from UCI’s Psychological Science Post-Baccalaureate Program, where I enriched my psychology education as well as developed my research skills by working in the Health, Relationships, and Intervention (THRIVE) Lab. In 2022, I accepted an offer from Pepperdine University to pursue an M.A. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy with Latinas/os.

Thalia Fabian | I was born in Perú and moved to the Central California when I was five-years-old. I grew up in rural towns outside of the city of Merced. I am the proud daughter of a truck driver and a warehouse worker and I am a first-generation college student. Pursuing a minor in Chicano/Latino studies allowed me to learn about the social disparities of health happening to Latinx communities that are not always discussed in biology classes. This influenced my decision to pursue medicine in communities with similar demographics as my own. I made the most of the minor! I was able to work closely with faculty who led health-research teams in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies. This equipped me to become a strong leader, advocate, and to network with professionals in my field of study.

Since graduating from UCI, I did a “post-bacc” program and also obtained my Master's in Medical Sciences from Western University of Health Sciences. I’ve worked in medical clinics in Panamá, Perú, Nicaragüa, the Dominican Republic, and also participated in Healing Hearts Across Borders in Tijuana, México, where I put my Spanish-English bilingual skills to use and interpreted and translated for physicians, collected data from patients, and shadowed physicians as they assessed, examined and diagnosed the patient.

I am a National Health Service Corps scholar and am a psychiatry resident at UC Davis Health Systems.

Natalie Berrios | I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, and I am Central American, specifically of Salvadoran heritage. I declared the major in Chicano/ Latino Studies because I knew I wanted to learn more about Latino Studies, and my high school did not offer courses like the department did. I already knew my major was going to be Chicano/Latino Studies coming into UCI! As I started taking more courses in the department, I came across a race and ethnicity course that cross-listed with the Criminology, Law and Society major. I knew that I wanted to major in that as well because I wanted to understand minority groups’ experiences with the criminal justice system. Chicano/Latino Studies helped me learn about various policies that have affected different Latino folks. It is really vital for people to understand cultures other than their own to be able to help. The courses also allowed for creativity and expression through literature from Latino people. Currently, I am a legal assistant at an immigration law firm, and I plan to apply to law school.