In Their Words: Ruby Diaz De Leon Sanchez

Name:  Ruby Diaz De Leon Sanchez

Department: Sociology

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive?  I received the Weiss Family Scholarship for the Spring quarter of 2018.

What year do you expect to graduate? I expect to graduate in Spring of 2018.

College: Nine

Where do you call home? Gilroy, California is where I call home. I have been living there for the past 19 years.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? UC Santa Cruz has a great Sociology Department and has a unique program, which is the Everett Program that has open up more opportunities for me.

What is your field of focus? My field of focus is Sociology with a concentration in Global Information and Social Enterprise Studies.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I hope to take my knowledge and expertise to a job and continue my passion. My intent is to make a society more equitable and acceptance towards the beauty in diversity and vulnerability that's in all human kind.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? I will never forget the day everything crumbled around me. I had managed to stay afloat with a schedule that consisted of 20 units plus other extracular activities i was involved with. I was also working when in my personal life i was suddenly faced with unfortunate events. I couldn’t bear it, I had no strength to do anything. During this period of time, two things happened that made my efforts all worth it. First,I was made aware that I had made the Dean Honors list and second, I became a recipient of my first scholarship on my first year as a transfer student. It gave me the strength to continue with a positive outlook on things; knowing that life wont be easy but hard work pays off.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? I think the strongest piece of advice i can give to incoming students is to practice self care. There is no doubt about it that stress and potential issues will arise so knowing when to speak up and ask for help is fundamental for your success.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? This scholarship has already impacted me in more ways than one. It represents my passions and gives me validation which is the greatest joy. I received this scholarship because of my work and my association with a college I hand picked that shared the same interest as I do; the passion I have for human rights. This scholarship has honored that and has also given me the financial opportunity to fully embark on it as well.