FISA Graduates

Alyssa Arrambide

BS, Biomedical Sciences
FISA Peer Mentor

FISA has helped me in many ways by being able to branch out of my shell and become more independent. It also opened my eyes to the amount of support I have around me that I didn’t know I had before. I’m glad I’ve had the pleasure of being both a mentor and a mentee and seeing how I’ve changed on both sides.

Astrid Cruz

BS, University Studies

After the struggles I’ve been through, and the doubts that flooded my mind throughout the years, I’m finally graduating to start the next chapter in my life.

Tiffany De Leon

BA, Communication Studies

Graduation doesn’t just mean you’ve obtained a degree, it symbolizes the courage you found earning it. It means all the nights you stayed up studying or crying or wishing you weren’t even doing it weren’t for nothing and instead mean everything. As a first-gen student, we find it hard to pursue things we were never taught but through the support we have through programs like FISA, and our parents, we know that we can accomplish anything. Si se puede, because without fear there is no courage and without courage there is no strength to pursue the beyond.

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Natalie Guerra

BS, Health Care Administration

What does graduation mean to me? It is not only a tremendous accomplishment for me that graduation marks but also for my family. As a result, I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of reaching my goals and becoming someone my family is proud of. It means that after four long years of ups and downs, I have finally achieved my goal. It is the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

Emma Menka

BS, Biomedical Sciences

FISA Peer Mentor

When I first joined FISA, I knew I was in the right organization and I wished I had joined in the first semester of my freshman year. The guidance, community, and hospitality of the program made navigating TAMU-CC significantly easier in the course of my college career. I joined FISA in the spring of my sophomore year and it made going to college during the peak of COVID feel less isolating. In addition, I’ve made lifelong friends in FISA and even people I consider to be family. I’ve been blessed to be a FISA mentor from 2021-2023 and hve grown with my students that I have mentored. The position has humbled me and taught me that college isn’t a space to navigate solo but instead a space to grow, learn, and connect with people. I got the opportunity to meet people I never would have met within my hometown because I had the perseverance to go to a school three hours away from home. I am grateful to be called a FISA scholar and to be part of a unique academic community!

George Salcido

BA, Theater

Graduation is a final sigh of relief. I did it. I know there will be more obstacles but this one, I got through. And I’m looking forward to the future obstacles to be able to get that sigh of relief over and over again.

Thank you for your hard work and patience.

Ariana Santos

BA, Psychology

FISA Peer Mentor

My FISA mentors have always helped me with any questions that I had. When I didn’t know who to go to, my mentors were always there for me. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a mentor myself. FISA helped me through my college journey, and I am proud to be graduating!

Alexandra Soliz

BS, Biomedical Sciences

I joined FISA later in my college career and I truly didn’t know the impact the program would have on me. I was surrounded by a large group of amazing supportive people who worked as a guide in my college experience. FISA was something I didn’t know I needed as a first-generation student until I was part of it. I do not know what I would have done without FISA.

Jasmin Sotelo

BS, Kinesiology

FISA Lead Mentor

FISA has not only offered me a way to learn more about important college resources, but it has also been my home away from home. FISA has always been such a wonderful place to maintain relationships and let new connection flourish. I have loved and appreciated every one of my mentees and co-workers and am so proud of how much we have all grown together through this amazing program. Don’t be afraid to find your people and ask for help. It might seem scary at first, but it will always be something that you’ll be grateful for in the future, and FISA is always there to help with that!

Isabelle Vargas

BS, Biomedical Sciences

The FISA program provided me with a sense of belonging and direction. The program introduced me to the many resources available on campus. I was also provided with a mentor that helped guide and construct goals and plans for my future. I believe that if I had not been a part of the program I wouldn’t have been as successful in my undergrad years, nor would I have known or utilized all the resources to my benefit that campus has to offer! I truly learned what it meant to be a first-generation student and I was happy to be in a program with likeminded individuals!

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Zaira Garcia

GSSC 111

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