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What has your educational journey been like so far? ACC was a blessing. I majored in Biology, but since I had been at ACC for 3.5 years, I spoke to the graduation office and I had enough credits to receive a 2nd Associate’s degree; Associates of Art in General Studies. I attended from Spring 2019 to Spring 2022, mostly over the course of the pandemic. During this time, ACC had opened a grant to help students who had lost income in some way from the pandemic, and I applied every semester I could, and received the grant every time. I had also received a couple scholarships during my time there. ACC is much more likely to provide funding to students than universities in my experience, which allowed me to graduate with two Associates with no debt at all. I also went to summer school at ACC when needed, and that was a positive experience, because the professors knew how hard it was and went out of their way to make sure we were understanding the curriculum. I love ACC. Go Riverbats!
What were your transfer goals? My goals were always to transfer to a university to continue my education. I transferred to Texas State University in 2023 to receive my Bachelors of Science, which I received in December 2025 in Aquatic Biology and a minor in Anthropology.
What was the most confusing part of the transfer process, and how did you overcome it? The most confusing part was choosing a school to transfer to. I originally was going to transfer to The University of Texas, but after looking at their Biology program, they were only going to accept half of my ACC credits. I looked elsewhere, and landed on Texas State University, which would accept almost all my credits, and allowed me to do research in the San Marcos River as a part of the Aquatic Biology program. Do your research and speak to your advisor and professors at ACC, but don’t be afraid to reach out to the schools you want to go to to properly compare your options.
Is there a specific professor or staff member at ACC who mentored you or pushed you to take the next step? If so, how have they helped? Samantha Soebbing was my advisor for most of my time at ACC, and she not only helped me graduate with the classes I needed, but listened to my concerns, and she informed me of career opportunities that I had no idea about, including the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship. That program allows any and all STEM undergrads to complete research for a Summer semester, and get paid to do so.
What are your next steps for your future career? I will be pursuing a career in Evolutionary Biology, and that means I will have to receive a PhD. There are no Masters programs for EB, and I don’t want to spend my time getting a general biology Master’s when I can put that time and effort into my PhD. I will also be looking abroad at PhD programs, specifically in Europe and Australia.
What do you recommend ACC students planning to transfer should do to set themselves up for success? Talk to your professors so that you can succeed in your classes, and to speak about letters of recommendation and career opportunities. Look for help outside of class, such as grants, scholarships, food pantry, printing, and advising. Make sure to find the right advisor for you as well for your goals.
My other advice is that if you never ask, the answer will always be no. Rejection is a part of life and learning to accept it is not only good for personal growth, but when you don’t fear rejection, you will put yourself out there more and be more likely to find career opportunities you weren’t aware of.
Tell us about your higher education experience. I recently graduated from UT Austin’s Counselor Education program. During my time at UT, I worked with Student Outreach and Support, where I often met students when they were going through difficult or overwhelming situations and helped them connect with the right campus and emergency resources. I also worked with Longhorn TIES, where I supported neurodivergent students one-on-one with academic, social, career, and independent living goals.
Outside of UT, I have also worked part-time with BearTech, helping California community college students, especially international students, prepare to transfer to the UC system. That experience helped me understand transfer from a different perspective. I was no longer only thinking about it as a former transfer student myself, but also learning what it means to support someone through course planning, getting involved on campus, preparing applications, and figuring out what comes next.
What do you like to do outside of work? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? I really love traveling. Whenever I have the chance, I like going somewhere new: walking around, trying local food, and seeing how people live in a place that is different from what I am used to. When I am home, life is much quieter. I spend a lot of time with my two cats, Mimi and Bobi. I like cooking, and recently I have been experimenting with making different coffee and mocha drinks at home.
What inspired you to work at ACC? I have wanted to work with community college students for a long time because community college has had such a big impact on my own life. I was a community college student at Ohlone College as a first-generation international student. I remember how much it meant to have someone help me make sense of the transfer process, and I always hoped that I could eventually do the same for other students.
What is one thing that you wish every student knew about the transfer process, and how they can best prepare themselves for success? I never want students to feel like it is “too early” to talk about transfer, but I also do not want someone who has already completed several semesters to think it is “too late.” Wherever you are in the process, we can start from there. The earlier we talk, the more options we may have, but there is almost always something useful we can work on now.
Do you have any advice for ACC students intending to transfer? Build a transfer plan, not just a transfer dream. My biggest advice is: do not say no to yourself before the opportunity even arrives. Explore your options first, and then decide which path makes the most sense for you.
Got news, tips, or a student you’d like to spotlight? We’d love to feature your contributions in our next newsletter!
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