Alondra Rodriguez Gregorio

About Alondra Rodriguez Gregorio

I am currently a senior pursuing a double major in Sociology and Spanish studies. I am a first-generation Mexican & Colombian immigrant student of a low-income background. Through my experiences of a minority I have a deep passion for serving students with underprivileged backgrounds by providing them with knowledge of the resources and opportunities that are available to them. As a person with many intersectional identities, I have faced educational inequity. Still, the mentorship I have received during my academic journey has impacted my life and developed my commitment to pursue a higher education. Even as I navigate higher education currently, I continue to struggle. Still, I have learned how to seek help from various resources and find support within my communities to not only survive, but thrive. It is a privilege to receive an education through UC Berkeley as a first-generation immigrant student. Thus, I will stay committed to serving as a mentor who guides with patience, grace, and vision within the spaces I can impact. I have pursued Sociology to understand the social world and the interconnected struggles of people of color within the U.S. and internationally. I pursued Spanish as a means to being able to speak, write, and read in Spanish academically. I plan to utilize my Spanish speaking skills to serve my Spanish-speaking communities, which are not privileged to be bilingual. As a privileged intellectual, I aim to use my voice and advocate for my community\'s needs as a future educator and lawyer. I have worked collaboratively with first-generation, immigrant, and undocumented students of color through different opportunities in which I assisted throughout the college application, spoke with parents, and stayed connected even after my mentees enrolled in their institution of choice. I am committed to working as a student researcher with the UC Berkeley Graduate Division for an academic year alongside my faculty staff mentor Michael Rodriguez. The study explores the emotional and spiritual experiences of first-generation students of color navigating higher education at the UC Berkeley institution. My Berkeley education has gifted me knowledge and skills that will be utilized to serve and advocate for my beloved immigrant communities as an aspiring immigrational lawyer.

Experience

1. Marco Antonio Firebaugh Scholar

   Uc Berkeley Graduate Division

   Jun 2024 — Present · Berkeley, CA, US

   UC Berkeley undergraduate students who receive funding and academic support to design and complete a faculty-sponsored research project. Over the course of one academic year; Firebaugh Scholars are prepared to apply to graduate school & post-baccalaureate opportunities in hopes of continuing to diversify the faculty & researchers at colleges & universities across the U.S. I plan to collect qualitative data by conducting interviews involving first-generation students navigating higher education in order to find coping methods and supportive systems.

Education

• University of California, Berkeley

  Bachelor's degree

  2021 — 2025