Name: Laura Mijangos

Department: Sociology

What Scholarship or Award did you receive? Fanny Carruthers Award

What year are you?  3rd Year Transfer 

College: Stevenson

Where do you call home? Bay Area/Santa Clara County

What is your field of focus? Migrant Workers and Worker-ls Rights

With all the choices for colleges, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? UC Santa Cruz has a diverse student population and I knew this would be conducive to my personal growth as it would offer new perspectives. The campus is irresistibly beautiful and having a deep connection with nature made me feel right at home. When deciding to transfer, I wanted to transfer to a university that I knew would challenge me and support my academic endeavors and UC Universities are well known for exactly that. The decision wasn't hard. I love it here.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? Farm work/migrant work advocacy in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Bernardino, and Monterey Counties.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? The way students actively engage with their education, the campus, and other students is refreshing and motivating. I have found a lot of support from my peers and there is a genuine 'vibe' of positive encouragement and support that students give each other. Rather than one memorable moment, I am reminded of the progressive and supportive climate we have at UC Santa Cruz each time I make a connection with a fellow student.

What does this scholarship/award mean to you? I didn't always have the self-confidence I now possess...at one point. higher education seemed like a distant dream. My academic dreams came true when I was accepted to UC Santa Cruz last fall. Since then, I have found UC to be so much more than I could have imagined and I feel honored to be a Banana Slug. Being awarded The Fanny Carruthers Award has proven to me that despite my insecurities, I am worthy, I am intelligent and I do deserve what I've worked for. But more importantly, receiving the award means that other people think so too and that is a feeling I have seldom experienced. I feel more motivated and empowered than ever before.