Thank you for tuning into
the UC San Diego Becoming a Student Series.
Today, Natalia Henriquez is with us.
She's a transfer student who recently
graduated with a degree in physics. Welcome, Natalia.
Hi Frank. Thank you for having me.
Hey, we want to just talk a little bit about
you and find out what your experience was like.
To start off, how about you share with our audience
where you grew up and what inspired you to go to college.
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley,
which is located in the LA County.
It's a predominantly Hispanic, low-income community.
I always knew that college was,
it's the great equalizer
no matter where you come from, and your background,
and your income and whatnot,
getting a great education,
it just levels you
with other people that have had more advantages.
So I knew College was the right path for me.
You're a transfer student,
so what community colleges did you transfer from?
Yeah. I transferred from
the Los Angeles Community College District and I went to
a few colleges in that district but I ultimately
graduated from Los Angeles Valley College in 2019.
What was it about UC San Diego that
drew you to us and ultimately you chose us.
So tell us a little bit about that.
Well, I knew that it was
a great research institution
and that really attracted me.
I knew that some time in
my academic career I wanted to take part in research.
So that was a big draw for me and
then it wasn't too far from family.
So I could go home whenever I wanted to,
and that was really nice too.
So research, tell us
a little bit about the research you've done and
why is it important for
undergraduate students to conduct research?
Sure. By the end of my first year,
I applied to a summer research program called CAMP,
which stands for California Alliance
for Minority Participation.
It was a stem focused program.
I did research with Dr. Tony online from
the physics department on cosmology and
understanding properties of
the cosmic microwave background
to gain a better understanding of dark matter,
and seeing how much of the universe is comprised of it.
That was my first research experience.
Then I did FMP, the Faculty Mentorship Program
from January of this year up until now,
where I'm working with Dr. Adam Burgasser,
studying brown dwarfs and low mass stars,
and where I'm analyzing
some archival data from a NASA infrared telescope.
I think it's important for
undergrads to take part in research
because it really puts you in the field,
and it sets you apart from all the theoretical work,
all the classwork,
and homework and what not,
and you get your hands on projects
and on real science or whatever field you're in.
It's really great hands-on experience.
So when I tell you, why physics?
What was it about physics that drew you?
Well, ever since I was very young,
I was very interested in astronomy and astrophysics.
I knew that physics was the pathway to get there.
Now I'm not so sure exactly
if I'm going to stick with it,
but I like physics
regardless because it's how we understand
the physical world and we can describe
all the phenomena that we see and experience.
I think understanding the world
at a technical level is very
valuable for society and our technological advances,
and bringing the future forward.
I think it's very valuable.
At UC San Diego,
we often advise our students to
find community when they arrive.
What were some of the things you did to
find community at UC San Diego?
Well, it was fairly easy for me because
I was put into housing with other transfer students,
six other women and we
understood each other coming from a transfer background.
So it was very easy to build community with them,
and then my classmates were also transfer students,
the ones that I be-friended
and felt a connection with also.
So we all shared the same experience,
and that's how I found community,
is through my peers that were also transfer students.
Great. Maybe I know transfer students,
they tend to be a little bit older.
Maybe you can share a little bit about how you balance
competing needs of your family
and your university education.
My family and my partner,
so my then boyfriend,
my now husband, they're
all very big part of my support system.
It was very difficult to detach
myself from what I've known for 24 years.
I would say I did feel a little
different coming in. I was older.
I was on the brink of
getting married and starting that chapter of life.
But I found,
other students want similar paths as well.
So I would just go home whenever I needed to,
whenever I needed to see them,
and regather myself,
and I'd come back, I guess,
re-energized and ready for a stretch of long weeks ahead.
Awesome. Let's talk a
little bit about your transfer experience.
Now recently UC San Diego opened
up a transfer student hub,
I'm not sure if you were able to take
advantage of any of the services they offered, were you?
Unfortunately,
I didn't really interact with the transfer help.
I would receive occasional emails,
like quarterly emails from them and it
was nice to know that they were there.
But to be honest with you,
I was very busy with my research,
and with my classes,
and trying to stay on top of that.
The club also, that I was a part of,
I didn't really have time
to take advantage of that resource,
but I'm happy that it was available to me.
You mentioned this club,
maybe you could share a little bit more
about the club you were involved in.
Now it's called Marginalized Identities in Physics,
we just transform to
that name and a different mission statement.
It was previously known as UA
undergraduate women in physics,
and basically you would just support women
and other under-represented groups in
physics by providing workshops,
and coffee and teas with professors,
providing a more intimate environment to get to know
professors and get your foot
in with research and whatnot.
We were just a support group,
and we also take part in
a conference every year to get to see
all the other amazing women and
under-represented identities
in physics and their research.
It sounds like you're,
I believe you said now husband
but when you started maybe,
I think you used the term partner.
Sounds like he's been a big part of your journey
and I know you recently graduated.
What was that like for you and for him?
Well, I feel like we can finally
spend a little more time together and enjoy our marriage.
We've only been married for,
I think, like 10 months.
It's really nice that I have more time to
spend with him and without the academic stress,
and I'm going to enjoy my gap year as much as I can.
Awesome. I'm glad to hear you're taking a gap year.
Sounds like you were super busy with your research and
your academics while you were here at UC San Diego.
Looking back on your time at
UC San Diego and in community college,
I'm wondering what you might share in terms of
advice for future tritons who are transferring in.
Well, I would say, I mean,
I'm sure there's a lot that you want to do.
There's a lot that you want for yourself.
I would just say, advocate for yourself,
and as much as you have doubts and fears of rejection,
I would say, still go for it and still do it.
The worst people can say is no,
and then you move on onto the next opportunity.
I would just say, just
go for it and put yourself out there.
I know you mentioned Annenberg Yasser as one of
your faculty mentors or leaders.
Yes.
I'm wondering, and maybe if you could share
a little bit about the value of mentorship.
It gives you an insight onto what that professor or that
professional does in their career
and their everyday life.
So it gives you a better understanding if that's
the path in life that you want for yourself.
Mentorship gives you resources.
They connect you with other peers
that are doing the same thing.
They encourage you.
I feel like it really makes or breaks
your experience in a way because you have
this person that you look up to and if they value,
they put value in you,
and they believe in you,
then you're going to believe in yourself.
So I think mentorship is very important.
Wonderful. Then I'm thinking you have a gap year.
Are you contemplating an advanced degree in astrophysics?
Yes. I'm contemplating, yes,
going to grad school and getting
a higher degree in physics or engineering.
I'm still undecided between the two and I'm
looking around at the different programs in my area.
I don't plan on leaving Los Angeles again,
so my options are a little limited by that.
But, yeah, so it'll be either of the
two that I plan on getting a master's degree in.
Well, I hope you will apply
to our graduate programs at UC San Diego,
so you can continue your research here.
I'm sure Adam would love to have you in his lab.
Just a few more things,
maybe you can just share with us.
Did you go to the graduation ceremony?
Yeah.
You can take two guess, I'm imagining
your husband was one,
who was the other person?
No. Actually, he sacrificed
his ticket for my little sister.
She's 10 years younger than me, so she's 15.
It was my mom and my sister,
and I was very
touched that he did that because I think it's
important that my younger sister saw me
setting an example to get a college degree,
and she saw me struggling,
she saw me late at night and
everything that I had to go through.
It made her really happy, and my mom as well.
A first gen, to graduate from college.
So that was really special.
Yeah, that sounds like it was really
a heartwarming experience for you and your family.
Just to wrap up our time together,
I'm wondering if there's maybe one or two fine moments.
Going to a tier 1 research institution
is about academics,
but there's sometimes very
heartfelt and fun moments that happen as well.
Is there any that stand
out that you might want to share with the audience?
Yeah, I guess.
One night me and a few classmates
were trying to finish some homework,
it was a very difficult homework assignment,
to say the least.
We were, guys,
I think like on the first floor.
It was probably 10 o'clock power or past.
We can adjust, tried our best,
then gave up and went to soda and swine,
and got some drinks.
So that was really fun.
Then another one during the pandemic,
I stayed on campus spring
2020 and it was just me and one roommate in
our entire apartment and it was just
the two of us the whole time
and we would go out and cross
the street to watch the sunset,
on the cliffs by the beach. So that was really nice.
Yeah, that's one of
the advantages of coming to UC San Diego.
If you're lucky, you might get a ocean view.
I did have a slight ocean view from my bedroom.
I thought nobody else has this.
This is nice.
That's wonderful.
Well, congratulations on graduating.
Big accomplishment.
Good luck in your future,
and I hope to see you on
our campus again as a graduate student.
Thank you very much, Frank.
Good thing, have a good day.
You too. Thank you.