A Role Model for Younger Siblings: “I am the first of my family to go to college. My two younger siblings are still in high school and I want to set an example for them. This program has already taught me how to organize and reach out to people about different issues – whether it is fee increases or healthcare reform. I hope to learn more skills that will help me with my future endeavor of becoming a college professor. Rallying for everyone to be able to have an affordable education is very important. Everyone has goals so why do some people get to accomplish their dreams and others don’t; I’m doing this for my fellow students.”

Political Science and International Law and Relations Major

“I’ve always valued quality education. When I was growing up, there was a lot of gang violence in my area; a lot of my friends went to prison or died. In 2008, I decided to return to college and change my life.  I was fueled by my motivation to learn and become somebody. That’s why fighting for quality education means so much to me now.

My dream is to transfer to Colombia, LMU, or UC Davis. I want to be a politician = a state legislature, or a diplomat. I set high goals and expectations for myself; I like a challenge and I know I will get there one day. All the experiences I’ve had with this internship are giving me the strength and knowledge to fulfill my dream. It might not happen during my time, but I want to plant a seed in students heads about what is going on and mobilize them.”

Budget Cuts Affecting All Colleges: “I think one of the biggest issues right now is the budget. I like to talk to students and educate them about what is going on; it’s amazing how many students are uniformed. This program has taught me that the only way to get noticed is by organizing and approaching issues based on your audience’s concerns. I came home from UC San Diego for financial reasons and hope to transfer to UCLA. Many students are concerned about the cuts and their effect on community colleges, but what they may not realize is that the schools they want to transfer to are also being hit hard by cuts so it is important to fight for affordable education everywhere.”

Political Ambitions: “I have political ambitions so this program is teaching me a lot about how to develop my networking skills, organize events, and lead people. I am the first in my family to go to college, so that makes my success here even more important. Fee increases have definitely had an effect on me; I couldn’t get some classes I needed because they were so overcrowded. You can’t learn sitting on the floor. ”

“I’m tired of working low wage jobs. I’ve had to work two or three jobs to make ends meet. It’s already very difficult to balance school, part-time work, a family and homework. These cuts in services and fee hikes will really hurt. When you talk about $10 per unit increase, that’s a lot of money to someone like me; that’s a pair of shoes for my son.”