TIMOTHY
VALDEZ
"I'm a PAYS scholar. PAYS stands for the Pomona College Academy for Youth Success, a college access program for underrepresented students from the surrounding area with a residential component. PAYS was a major part of my politicization process, so I associate the third floor of Lincoln with
self-discovery of racial identity since I went there for years and years even before coming to the 5Cs."
CESAR
ORELLANA
ALEJANDRA
CASTILLO
"The Chicano/Latino Studies Department is the first place I've been able to learn about my culture in a classroom setting with people that share similar identities. I'm currently in a Psychology of the Chicano class, and this is the first time I've really felt comfortable just being in the classroom. I am often intimidated by my other classes because I'm the only Latino in the room."
"As a PAYS student, the Chicano/Latino Studies Department was where I had my first elective class. I remember the sign that says 'I support the DREAM Act' was one of the first things that I saw. I remember thinking that I didn't even know other people knew what that was.
It was comforting to see that people at this college were making support for issues like the DREAM Act visible, and I instantly felt comfortable in that space. Since then, I often gather there with a lot of my friends because it's a very safe zone for all of us."