Regina @ UCLA

Hello! My name is Regina Cerecer and I am a freshman at UCLA. I am currently majoring in psychology (going to minor in Chicano/a Studies) with a pre-med track.  My family: I grew up in South Los Angeles with my younger brother, sister, mom, and dad. My parents are immigrants from Mexico. My mom is a housewife and my dad is a security guard. He works two full-time jobs that leave him with less than 30 hours of sleep a week and he is currently paying for my college tuition. School: My love for learning sparked at a young age. In elementary and middle school, I enjoyed participating in school events and community service, but what I loved to do the most was excel in the classroom. I was very competitive with test scores and class activities and did not take second place as an option. I participated in math competitions, spelling bees, and other academic competitions.  This academic strive continued in high school. I attended University Prep Value High School, a charter school in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. The school curriculum was not only focused on excelling academically in class, but also on developing core values. Our values are: academic excellence, developing potential, respect, creating a safe and nurturing community, and giving back to the community. The school population adds up 400 students with my graduating class (the first class) being about 100 students. In this school, I was determined to take the most challenging courses, including all Advanced Placement Classes and honors classes. I participated in multiple community service events, clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities. There was no end to how much I wanted to learn.  UCLA: When I was accepted into UCLA, it felt like all my hard work paid off. It gave value to my effort, to my obstacles, to my dad's sleepless days, and to my experiences.  Now that I'm here, I could not be happier. I make the most out of everything I have here because I know my dad is working endlessly to pay off my tuition.  My goal: One day I hope to complete my college education so that I can be a child psychiatrist. This way I can repay my parents for everything they've done for me. I am also pursuing this career with hopes of helping out my community. I created this campaign to fund my education. College is expensive and I didn't receive enough financial aid to help me pay for my tuition this year. Any donation is helpful and greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I hope you decide to be a part of my journey.