Angelica Amezcua

It is difficult to choose one memory because my experiences as an EOP student are the foundation of my academic and personal journey. EOP gave me a second opportunity to higher education and gave me the tools to excel academically and professionally. If I have to choose one memory, it is the first day of EOP summer bridge in 2006. My three best friends and I had been given the privilege to participate in this transitional program. The four of us are daughters of agricultural workers and first generation, who never imagined that one day would be driving together to spend six weeks to learn and prepare for our new academic journey at CSUN. We were terrified, but we would have never imagined that after six weeks we became part of a family that believed in our academic potential, a potential that we did not know we had. Five years after, the four best friends who one day were terrified to move from a small town in Ventura country to live in a city for six weeks graduated with their BA thanks to the unconditional support from the EOP mentors and faculty.

I am proud that I am currently in a Ph.D. Program and planning to become a Spanish Linguistic Professor at a university. When I first began the Educational Opportunity Program, I did not know what I wanted to study, and I did not know what I was capable of. Thanks to the guidance of my mentors like Professor Omatsu, I am now pursuing my Ph.D. In Yosso and Solórzano’s study on the leaks in the Chicana and Chicano Educational Pipeline, they found that only .2% of this population obtains a Ph.D. and my motivation is to be part of this percent to increase this number.

EOP has had endless impacts in my life. EOP opened a door of opportunities that I thought were unattainable as a first-generation Chicana and second language learner. Thanks to EOP I became resilient to face my adversity. I not only graduated with my BA and MA, but also because of the resiliency I built in EOP I decided to pursue a Ph.D.

If I could share words of wisdom with other EOP students I would have to say believe in your potential and never give up. I had a lot of support from EOP mentors, and I have many people that believe that I was capable of accomplishing my goals. It is also vital to believe in your potential because when you do you become fearless and the drive from believing will take you to achieve things you never imagined you could.