Zsanna Lorenzo

The first memory that comes to mind is my first experience at Grad Forum at UC Merced. I will never forget how inspiring and welcoming the event was. It truly helped my get over a great fear of moving on with that step to graduate school. Thanks to this experience I am now entering graduate school right after my undergraduate degree. I never thought it would be possible, but it was made possible with a huge help of that event!

I am very much proud to say that I became an EOP Peer Mentor. It is an accomplishment that allowed me to see what EOP is truly about. Not only did I learn about the various backgrounds of students, but I learned so much more about the program. It helped me to really understand why early outreach programs is important as well. Likewise, I was able to feel that this accom-plishment allowed me to embody IMPACT, which is a value I strongly live by. I am now a So-cial Worker going for my MSW and must say that working with students in EOP has helped a lot in understanding the real world and what obstacles it encompasses. Lastly, it has helped me to understand that people have the capacity to be resilient and overcome harsh circumstances.

EOP helped me a lot with support in all areas. For example, Berj helped me overcome my fear of speaking to professors outside of the classroom and really get into office hours when needing to attain help. Secondly, I loved being able to attend the workshops. The workshops career devel-opment held were very helpful in attaining my success.

I would tell students to continue to seek resources no matter what fear you have. Your story is important to ALL!