Cynthia is a 3rd-year student as an aerospace engineering major and the graphics chair for听WoAA.听听
What was an exciting aspect of your summer?听I was a mentor for rising high school seniors through CU鈥檚 Pre-Collegiate Program and my favorite part was being able to share my story with students that looked like me who aspire to be something bigger than the world has put them out to be. By sharing my experiences, I鈥檝e also learned from students on how I can finish my college education especially with my identity being a first-generation student. One of the students wanted to be an engineer, but wasn鈥檛 sure what the field entailed. She became excited about my passion for engineering. This has inspired me to continue my education career, not only for myself and my family but to inspire other Latinos to pursue their dreams because representation matters.听
Favorite experience at CU so far?听Experiencing school spirit by watching CU football and volleyball. The overall school culture makes me a proud Buff. School spirit is so important and being part of a school like CU Boulder makes me feel like I鈥檓 part of a small community within a big school.听
What is one piece of advice you wish you knew as a first-year student?听Just knowing that I belong here and that I can do it. Looking at my first-year self, I had a lot of doubts about my sense of belonging and often felt imposter syndrome. Being a part of GoldShirt, upperclassmen students reassured me that I belonged here and told me that it鈥檚 okay to struggle at times. The fact that I care about struggling shows that I am meant to be an engineer.听
What does being a Latina student in engineering mean to you?听My identity matters because we鈥檙e underrepresented, especially in aerospace. Women of color are even more a minority. I鈥檓 hoping to prove stereotypes wrong. I鈥檓 going above and beyond what society has set their expectations for me. Being here at CU Boulder are my ancestors' wildest dreams because some of my family members didn鈥檛 graduate high school and being here at one of the best institutions proves that I鈥檓 breaking generational barriers. I鈥檓 setting a pathway for my young brothers and sisters and future generations to come.听