Karla Vega Cervantes: Seeing herself at Berkeley

September 9, 2024

By Elisa Smith, Student Affairs 

Things haven’t always come easy for fifth-year senior Karla Vega Cervantes. Like when a professor told her she wasn’t a good fit for chemical engineering and may want to consider a different career path. But Karla persevered and is now thriving at UC Berkeley.

Karla, who self-identifies as a Latina and low-income student, was born in Mexico and raised in Santa Rosa, California. Having graduated from high school at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Karla began her Berkeley journey in Fall 2020 and, like many of her fellow first-year students, struggled with adapting to college life. Her semester started online, and while she successfully navigated her virtual academic experience, the transition to fully in-person classes presented new obstacles. 

“I felt really lonely and isolated - like I was one of the few Latinas on campus,” Karla said. “I didn’t see a lot of students that looked like me in my classes.”

That’s when Karla began seeking resources to find her community. She began attending events, and through them, she found the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3), the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP), and the Undocumented Student Program (USP). Karla credits these support systems with helping her through some of her tougher times at Berkeley.

Transitioning to UC Berkeley as an EOP student

“I was struggling in my classes, and through EOP, I discovered the Student Learning Center, which provided free tutoring to students,” Karla said. “That’s when I felt like I could do this. Through EOP and the Undocumented Student Program, I built a community and became an internal outreach intern to help others find theirs.”  

Karla was accepted to the Transcending Beyond Berkeley Fellowship, which opened up new opportunities for her. She helped pilot EOP Osos, which supports Latinx/Chicanx-identifying students. During the first summer of the program, the events attracted 20-30 students, and this year's welcome event already has around 130 RSVPs. During this time, she also met her Latinx success counselor, Sandra Arias. Sandra has played a pivotal role in Karla's life, providing not just academic guidance but also emotional support.

A highlight for Karla has been attending yield events — the part of the college admissions process where students have received their acceptance and are deciding whether or not to enroll — as a representative of Berkeley and interacting with prospective students.

“Going to yield in the spring of my junior year is when I really felt that sense of belonging,” she said.  “I traveled to Los Angeles and talked to other prospective students. We had Latinx breakout groups and a student panel, and I remember talking to a dad and his son, who asked me about scootering on campus. The next thing I knew, I saw him on the Berkeley campus as a new student, which made me proud.”

And despite the challenging experience at the beginning of her college journey, Karla is set to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. As she looks to the future, she is considering pursuing a master’s degree and applying her chemical engineering background to aerospace or the cosmetic industry, where she can explore creating products that are gentle on dyed hair, which she confesses is one of her favorite hobbies.

"My advice to new students is to think not only about your academics but also your support systems on campus, like the Osos informational tabling and events at the Latinx Student Resource Center or EOP/USP in general. Don’t be scared to reach out, go to events, and build a community. Find those spaces where you feel like you belong. That’s how I found my sense of belonging at Berkeley."

Headshot of Karla Alejandra Vega Cervantes
My advice to new students is to think not only about your academics but also your support systems on campus, like the Osos informational tabling and events at the Latinx Student Resource Center or EOP/USP in general. Don’t be scared to reach out, go to events, and build a community. Find those spaces where you feel like you belong. That’s how I found my sense of belonging at Berkeley.
Karla Vega Cervantes
Karla Vega Cervantes and a friend tabling in Wheeler Hall