Kimberly

My name is Kimberly, I am a Salvadoran-American and first-generation college student from Anaheim, California. This is my third year at UCI and I am double majoring in Political Science and Spanish. As an incoming first-year student, I participated in the Summer Institute for Sustainable Leadership (SISL) at the University of California, Irvine.

This program helped me realize the importance of coming together as a community to address important topics such as sustainability and food insecurity. SISL also encouraged me to seek out leadership opportunities on campus. I am now the president of Helping Hearts for the Homeless and the philanthropy chair for the Social Sciences Dean’s Ambassadors Council. Finding a community is important to me and I am excited to now be part of the CRP community. I look forward to engaging with the communities in Costa Rica and I am open to learning more about their culture and sustainable practices. I specifically would like to learn more about Costa Rican attitudes toward immigration and its impact on national identity.

While in Costa Rica, I would like to focus my research on immigration policy, looking at its overlap with sustainability, race, and ethics. I also look forward to bringing back what I’ve learned to share with my community at UCI. My goal after undergrad is to continue my education by pursuing a joint degree in Law and Public Policy. I hope to advocate for my community as a public interest lawyer with a focus on immigration and homelessness policies.