Upward Bound

Ana Lopez

"My family is counting on me."

Mexican-born UCLA senior Ana Lopez gets to her second class of the day on time.

Copyright © Photo by Matt Black

Ana Lopez is a UCLA senior who's broken barriers and shattered stereotypes both here and in her native Mexico. She now finds herself months away from graduating with a major in applied math and a minor in statistics.

"I don't know why, but I just always knew I wanted to get a degree," she says. "It wasn't like I had any role model for that. My mom didn't even get past first grade, and I remember as a kid my dad teaching her how to read. But in spite of that, and the fact that Mexican women are ‘supposed' to get married and have kids and then stay home and do chores all day, I always wanted something more."

Lopez completed high school in Mexico before coming to L.A. seven years ago. "At first, my only goal was to learn English. I knew that was the first step. Then, I decided I would try and get my A.A. degree. I enrolled at East L.A. College and started working and studying in the math department. After a while, people started asking me if I was going to transfer to a university," she recalls. "To tell you the truth, I didn't really know what they were talking about."

Ana ends the day visiting with a local mariachi back home in East L.A.

Copyright © Photo by Matt Black

Lopez' inquisitive mind, however, had been sparked and she began to research some of the nuances of the higher education system in California. Armed with this information, she was prepared when her math tutor at ELAC suggested she apply to UCLA. Prepared, yes. But confident? No.

"My first reaction was, ‘It's too expensive.' My second reaction was, ‘My English is not good enough.' Those are the first two things all immigrants think when they get here — it's out of your reach. But it wasn't, and here I am."

Lopez was assisted early on by UCLA's esteemed Academic Advancement Program (AAP), which is in its 35th year pursuing "access, equity, opportunity and excellence" for underrepresented populations on campus. Lopez availed herself of AAP's vast network of counseling and tutors, and now gives back by working with the program's Center for Community College Partnerships, visiting local schools to spread the word about UCLA. AAP also aims to grow the ranks of first-generation college attendees who go on to pursue graduate degrees, something that Lopez will do.

"My family is counting on me. That's something all first-generation college students understand, no matter what their background is," she says. "I already make more [money] than my dad, and while I have always relied on them, the time is coming when they will rely on me, and I am preparing for that."

Published Apr 1, 2007 8:00 AM