Roxanna Villalobos

College affiliation: Rachel Carson College

Department: Sociology

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? The Sociology of Race, Class and Gender Graduate Award

When do you expect to graduate? Spring 2024

Where do you call home? San Jose, CA and Fresno, CA

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? For my Ph.D. program, I chose the Sociology Department at UC Santa Cruz because the program illustrates core values that characterize the campus, such as utilizing community-based research to enhance the social and political conditions, as well provide resources for, underserved communities.

What is your field of focus? My field of focus is Latinx Sociology, Critical Girlhood and Youth Studies, Space/Place, and Rural Studies.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? Upon graduating, I hope to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a research and/or teaching institution in the fields of Sociology and/or Ethnic Studies.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? One memorable moment that stands out in my experience as a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz would have to be from my first year in the doctoral program. When starting my first year, I immediately knew that I wanted to utilize my position as a first-generation Latinx doctoral student as a resource and pathway for underserved students on campus. As such, I joined multiple mentoring programs on campus that centered undergraduate original research and graduate school preparation. One of my fondest memories is seeing my first-generation, low-income mentees present their research for the Pathways to Research program with EOP at the end of the year. It was so gratifying to see them not only conduct research, but to present it with passion and dedication, in addition to growing a love for research.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? I would advice incoming students at UC Santa Cruz to explore hiking trails in the redwood forests and breath-taking coast lines, which are truly beautiful and one-of-a-kind. Exploring nature in Santa Cruz would be a great way to de-stress from school, build a healthy relationship with movement, appreciate nature and wildlife, and to get to know other students!

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? This scholarship will be an invaluable support for my research. I’m currently conducting interviews and doing field work in California’s Central Valley. This scholarship will help towards travel (especially as gas prices have skyrocketed) in addition to financing lodging and participation compensation. These are vital components of my research, and as such, the scholarship immensely helpful as it has relieved some stress from financing summer research.