Ella Hernandez is a second year Chicano/Chicana Studies major and aspires to give back to her community in the near future. Her passion and drive for social justice is her motivation to make positive change in her community and help students in low-income communities achieve higher education.
1. What do you think could change in the community you are from?
I think the city should implement more resources such as free tutoring and SAT prep to get students from low-income background to go to college. I lacked such opportunities but fortunately, my high school counselor pointed me in the right direction to find resources outside my school. Now having a lot more opportunities in college, I want to spread that information so students don’t get lost like I was.
2. What are your academic interests?
I have a variety of interests such as the history of the term Chicano and how politics plays a role in the Latina/o everyday life. I’m not sure if I want to go to grad school or law school but hopefully before I graduate, I will figure it out so I can take advantage of UCLA’s resources.
3. How did you feel about your first year of college?
My first year of college was very difficult but rewarding nonetheless. I did struggle to be social my first quarter but with the guidance of my former Residential Assistant, I was able to branch out and meet more people. Academically, I was not prepared and also struggled my first quarter. I reached out to a friend who is a year older than me that also comes to UCLA and asked her for study tips. From there, she helped me out a lot and I consider her my role model.
4. What do you do in your free time?
I like to do probably as any other college student: sleep and socialize. I spend a lot of time with my floor mates and participate in as much activities as I can on The Hill.
5. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
I would go to Japan because of its technological advances and well-reviewed tourism. I would love to visit the Nintendo Company and explore their games!