Describe your personal, educational, and professional experiences and how they informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree.
Like many of my peers, I didn’t expect to land in the education field as a young college student. In retrospect, it was a constant theme of mentorship and wanting to have a concrete, personal impact on the lives of the others who share my similar background that influenced my educational and now, professional trajectory. As a first-generation student, I looked to my older sister for mentorship and guidance as she was the 1st in my immediate and extended family to attend and graduate from a 4-year university. Eventually I wanted to have the role of mentor myself and became an academic peer counselor at UCLA. This experience coupled with my exposure to inner-city high schools (which contrasted my small-town schooling experience) prompted me to minor in education and learn more about the systemic inequalities that exist in the education system. I soon realized that education is where my passion lies and decided that I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree in Education (1-2) years after college graduation.
What challenges did you encounter along your educational trajectory? How did you overcome those challenges?
As I came close to applying to graduate school, I was really nervous about finding and asking a professor to write me a letter of recommendation. I knew I wouldn’t have any issues asking past mentors and advisors for one, but professors on the other hand, that was going to be the real challenge. I never really learned how to go to office hours and make a genuine connection with my professors throughout college. I didn’t even know office hours was a thing until college. I would make aimless attempts at visiting various professors but I always ended up being too intimidated because a) there was already too many students there or b) I didn’t know how to have a one-on-one meeting with highly intelligent, respected and published professors. However, connecting with current graduate students really helped me deconstruct the process of asking for a letter of rec and understand valuable tips on how to approach any professor who I felt even a slim sense of comfort and that could potentially write a letter for me.
What advice do you have for individuals who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree?
Make the most of any and all resources you have at your disposal-whether that be on your undergraduate campus, your peer network, or even graduate-related websites you find online. It can definitely be overwhelming to have a lot of information/advice at your disposal, but better too much than not enough because you ultimately want to make an informed decision that will be the best for you.
