In Their Words: Laniah Lewis

Name: Laniah Lewis

Department: Economics

College: Rachel Carson (College 8)

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? I received the Undergraduate Award in Global Economics in Fall 2019 while I was abroad at Carlos III, Madrid (UC3M).

What year do you expect to graduate? I expect to graduate at the end of Spring 2020.

Where do you call home? Home resides where I grew up and where my mother still stays, which is the East Bay Area.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I fell in love with UC Santa Cruz the moment I toured the campus. Originally, I wasn't sure about going to college but after touring UCSC I knew that this was somewhere I wanted to be. After getting accepted and going to orientation, I knew it was something I could do. UCSC gave me the motivation and encouragement I needed to really go after my goals and reach for the stars and other colleges just didn't do that for me. Plus, it was close to home and Santa Cruz is stunning.

What is your field of focus? My field of focus is Global Economics with a specialization in Spanish and I've started to take more of a quantitative focus within that recently.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I hope to go further in school to get my masters so that I can be a competitive, well-developed worker since the job market can be tough. Plus getting more education will allow me to network more with people in my field.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? Every time I walk past the arc center and look out onto the grassy hills and the ocean in the distance, I feel so serene no matter what condition I was in before. I think I'll always remember that little walk from McHenry to my affiliated college.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Take it day by day and don't forget that grades aren't worth deteriorating your mental health. Also, there is always a way to get what you want, you just have to be willing to work hard enough to find it.

How will this scholarship/award impact your academic life/research? This scholarship helped cover so many of my expenses while I was abroad in Madrid, Spain. It allowed me to fully experience the culture instead of having to pick up a part time job that would've not only distracted from my schoolwork but a large portion of the amazing opportunities around me as well. I couldn't be more grateful to have received the Undergraduate Award in Global Economics.