Name: Isis Curiel
Pronouns: She/ Her/ Hers
Major: English/ African American Studies double major and a Chicanx Studies minor
Where I transferred from: Mount San Antonio College
What my experience as a transfer has been like:
I was very fortunate to have a community of resources and networks that I tapped into to help me in my time at community college. At the same time as being a full-time student maintaining a 3.8+ GPA, I managed my own business along with my (at the time) 13-year-old sister called Kettle Corn Angels. The slogan for our company is “where we pop our bags one cause at a time” because a portion of every bag is given back to a different cause every month. Being a business owner and a student was an invaluable experience for me to take and it made my transfer experience very organized. I determined when I first started attending community college that I would get all of my classes done in two years and I accomplished that by taking advantage of all the support programs and communities I found. Programs such as ARISE, ASPIRE, Mecha, LAMBDA, and EOPS were all extremely helpful in my transfer experience. When the time came to apply to the next level of my journey to higher education, I applied to four Cal States and four UCs based on the fact that the applications were free and I knew I would be saving up for law school. I was accepted into every university and ultimately found my community here at UCLA immediately. In the summer I did the Freshman/ Transfer Summer Program where I met some of my dearest friends and laid the foundation for my success here. Later I would go on to be a Peer Counselor for the same program and work with AAP to pay forward from the amazing experience I was able to receive from my own Peer Counselors. This role shaped me well for my later task of being a Resident Assistant for the 2019-2020 Academic School Year. My family has supported me immensely and I would not be here if it were not for their acts of selflessness and encouragement. They keep me grounded in my faith and spirituality which I consider a large portion of my success. Being first-gen has been a large part of my intersectionality that I take pride in. I have learned that it is an important opportunity to set the example and push the next generation further as well as provide insight into this higher educational journey. To live in a space of intersectionality between my Chicanx, Native American, and Haitian blood, I stand firmly in a place that was not designed for me to win and I hope to help others do the same.
Tips that I would have liked:
Although I did receive this tip, I wish I would have thought about the benefits and downfalls that taking a third-year may have created. Taking the third year is not common for transfer students but as long someone figures out that taking a third year is the path they want to do, early on, it is possible. Find your community: find people that are going to hold you accountable and not just tell you to want to hear. There are SO many clubs and leadership opportunities available so branch out of your comfort zone. Plan early: there is no such thing as planning too early so don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today.
