Marco Díaz-Lundquist

Name: Marco Díaz-Lundquist

Department: Education

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive?  Kathryn Cheney Merriam Scholarship

What year do you expect to graduate? I expect to graduate July 17, 2020.

Where do you call home?  Santa Cruz, California is my home.

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?  I always wanted to go to UCSC, but was hesitant to stay in Santa Cruz after highschool. I always felt like if I hadn’t grown up here, I would have definitely gone to UCSC for my undergraduate studies. In highschool, I had tons of friends through skateboarding who went to UCSC, one of whom is actually a local as well and to this day is like an older brother to me. After living outside of Santa Cruz for a while, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to go to UCSC and enjoy the beautiful campus, which offered me a new perspective (figuratively and also quite literally) on my beloved hometown.

What is your field of focus?  My field of focus is education. More specifically, I am obtaining a Master’s Degree and Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential with Bilingual Authorization.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  I hope to teach in the field of bilingual education. Right now I am aiming for primary grades, but am also interested in potentially teaching highschool or community college-level Spanish in the future.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here?  I remember on the very first day of my first EDUC class, my professor said “Hey, I know you” as he was calling my name on the role sheet. As it turns out, I had gone to elementary school (the same elementary school where I am now student teaching) with his daughter and I hadn’t even realized it. It’s been fun to see how, in a small town like Santa Cruz, the world seems to become even smaller once you enter the field of education.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  I would say just take advantage of the many services UCSC has to offer. Use your student ID to take the bus or bike shuttle up to campus, and then enjoy the stunning views on the bike ride down. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to people. In my experience, UCSC staff has been very helpful whenever I’ve had a problem.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research?  These are trying times and with all the uncertainty in our current world, it’s nice to know that there are still people passionate about education and willing to support students in their pursuit of teaching. While there are many unknowns facing me in the future years, the desire I’ve had to teach has not wavered.