Gypsy Alvarado Covarrubias

Name:  Gypsy Alvarado Covarrubias 

College: Merrill College

Department: Politics, Education Democracy and Justice, and Sociology 

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? I received the 2022 Gabriel Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship.

What year do you expect to graduate? I will be graduating Spring of 2022. 

Where do you call home? My home has been Santa Cruz for the past 4 years but before that, it was Riverside California. 

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? To me, UCSC stood out for its unique location and supportive services. I have been able to access food pantries, school supplies, and services for my mental well-being easily at UCSC.

What is your field of focus? My field is focused on social justice in terms of human rights, social services, and education. As a triple major in Education, Politics, and Sociology with a concentration in global information and social enterprise, I plan to combine my knowledge in all areas to work toward creating an equitable society.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? I recently got accepted to Columbia University and USC for a masters in social work. Due to financial reasons, I will be attending USC as it is the most affordable. I am very excited to attend graduate school to become a change agent in our community. 

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? As a student at UCSC, the most memorable moment would be moving into the dorms as a freshman. It was so scary and exciting to move away from my family but it really helped me become more independent and make great memories. 

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? One piece of advice from me would be to get involved with the Santa Cruz community outside of campus. It was very easy to look for internships where students are able to help communities in need and since Santa Cruz is an easy city to get around in its very easy to consistently make this community a better place.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? For starters, I am beyond thankful for this scholarship as it has allowed attending graduate school as a low-income first-generation Latina to become more of a reality for me. I plan to use this scholarship to pay for my education at the University Of Southern California. This will allow me to become a clinical social worker and work towards equitable healthcare services for youth and families.