Hi! My name is Alexis and I am an undergraduate student studying psychology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). I have won thousands in scholarships and I am a recipient of The Gates Scholarship, a last-dollar full-ride scholarship, winning enough money to attend and graduate university debt-free. As a first-generation, low-income student, I know how scary it can be thinking about pursuing college when realizing its cost. As I continued to converse with my peers in high school and at UCI, I realized that their parents or family members discouraged them from going to a university due to the cost, just as my family did, and instead encouraged them to work a laborious job to avoid falling into debt. This financial barrier hinders students from underprivileged backgrounds from forming educational and career aspirations. I aim to take away this barrier from as many ambitious underprivileged youth and college students as possible through my Soñando Sin Miedo project (Dreaming Without Fear project). Through my project, I work personally with students, sharing scholarship strategies, editing writing, connecting students to mentors, and more! I hope to help others who come from a similar background do the same as I did, win enough scholarships to go to a 4-year university for free, pushing them to form meaningful educational aspirations and pursue these dreams without financial fear.

My name is Cynthia Roxanne Ortiz and I am an aspiring physician with the resolution to aid underserved communities around the world. I am a proud child of Mexican immigrants studying Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as a member of the Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC). I am honored to serve as co-director of Soñando Sin Miedo and give back to my community in Los Angeles County. As an alum of UCI College Corps, I am dedicated to a life of service starting with my UCI community. I am currently also serving as President of the Cognitive Science Association, Vice-President of Bowling Club, a CHC Ambassador, and a CHC Peer Mentor.