UC San Diego Welcomes the Newest Tritons

Angel Do

(she/her)
Clinical psychology with a minor in cognitive science and premed
First-year student

Why she chose UC San Diego: I visited UC San Diego last year and fell in love with the atmosphere. I am originally from Orange County but relocated many times internationally and domestically. With my interest in neurobiology and psychology, I completed independent research with the assistance of a UC San Diego professor, despite the distance. Since then, I was determined to start a new life at UC San Diego!

How she developed an interest in her major: Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by the concepts of mental health, neurosis and mental deterioration. I was exposed to different environments and populations in which people struggled to voice their internal struggles because of cultural or societal norms. These barriers led me to pursue a degree in psychology and, eventually, medical school. I plan to open a psychiatry clinic for underserved communities.

Why she’s excited to attend UC San Diego: I look forward to creating new experiences and growing as a person throughout college. I am most excited that I can pursue my interests further through everything UC San Diego has to offer.

Her advice for prospective students: Putting yourself out there and establishing new connections despite having social anxiety can open many more opportunities than expected.

Dayus Gohel

(he/him)
Nanoengineering
First-year

How he developed an interest in his major: I have always had a passion for science, specifically physics and chemistry. Nanoengineering blends physical sciences and engineering and will allow me to pursue career paths in research, industry or higher education. I have become more interested in law school, and an engineering background will build my critical thinking skills, one of the most important parts of law. Additionally, a technical background will allow me to pursue areas like patent law. Overall, a nanoengineering major will provide me with many options in the future, and the department at UC San Diego is world class.

Why he chose UC San Diego: During my college search, I was looking for a school with excellent academics, a strong fencing program, a diverse student body and a location that feels different from home. I have been a competitive epee fencer since I was seven. In high school, I ranked in the top 20 nationally (fifth at the under-17 level and 22nd at the under-20 level) and competed internationally. I knew that I wanted to join an NCAA team and this narrowed down my college search quite a bit, as fencing is a relatively small sport. UC San Diego has a very strong fencing program that’s growing. I am so proud to be a part of this team and can't wait to watch the program and myself grow over the next few years.

Another factor in my decision was the location. Coming from Boston, I'm used to chilly winters, hot summers and a lot of snow and rain; San Diego’s weather is a lot more appealing. When I first visited last April at Triton Day, I fell in love with San Diego, from its beaches filled with seals and dolphins to its amazing food. Even though San Diego is thousands of miles away from home, I want to explore more of the world and part of that is living in a new place during college.

Why he’s excited to attend UC San Diego: I am excited to meet new people. I moved in about two weeks early for preseason training, and this was some of the most fun I have had. The fencing team is full of great people and I have already made some amazing friends. I want to put myself out there and try new clubs, talk to everyone in my building and learn new things, like surfing. I am in Eighth College and I’m so excited to be a part of creating new traditions and building a community here.

Katrina Khinda

(she/her)
Literatures in English
Third-year transfer student

Why she chose UC San Diego: I chose UC San Diego for its esteemed and reputable faculty who can provide me with the educational strength to succeed in my career. I hope to teach in UC San Diego’s Department of Literature and connect with professors and students in the same field.

I am grateful for my mentor Meaghan Baril, who I met through the Preparing Accomplished Transfer to the Humanities (PATH) program. PATH is a collaboration between San Diego Community College District and the School of Arts and Humanities that supports students throughout their transfer process. Meaghan was a PhD candidate in UC San Diego’s Department of Literature and now teaches at a San Diego community college. Her knowledge of the department and career goals led me to decide that UC San Diego was the place for me. I am forever grateful for her guidance in my application process and throughout my educational journey.

How she developed an interest in her major: Since I was young, I have been interested in literary studies. Growing up, I told everyone I wanted to be an author and had my neighbors edit my stories about an underwater ant colony that was in pursuit of taking over the world. Later, I became interested in teaching in addition to reading and writing. I received my Teaching as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate with the intent to teach abroad, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a change of plans. After obtaining a BA degree, I plan to pursue a PhD in Literature to teach in higher education. Additionally, my husband and I own Greenhaus Eatery in Bay Park, which offers California favorites like burgers, wraps, sushi and pizza.

Why she’s excited to attend UC San Diego: I am most excited about meeting new people and making lifelong friendships.

Her advice for prospective or newly-admitted students: Even if you think higher education is not within your reach or you feel there are many barriers to achieving your dreams, keep trying and don’t give up. Not everything happens when we want it to happen, but the likelihood of it happening increases when you’re dedicated to your dreams and goals. Trust the timing of your life.

Olivia K Pierce

(she/her)
Environmental Systems: Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
Third-year transfer student

Why she chose UC San Diego: I chose UC San Diego because of its leading research opportunities and renowned faculty. I wanted to attend a school that is innovative, forward-thinking, unique and close to home. Growing up in San Diego, I visited UC San Diego often and always loved the campus and learning environment. My mother is my number-one supporter and strongly encouraged me to attend UC San Diego, along with my wonderful grandparents and our good family friend Denny Harper, who coached water polo at UC San Diego. I wouldn’t have been able to attend UC San Diego without this amazing support system. Additionally, without the help of a UC San Diego grant, it would have been difficult to afford both attending and living at UC San Diego. Studying at one of the top public universities in the U.S. is an amazing privilege and I know it will be a fulfilling experience. I was beyond thrilled when I received my acceptance letter to Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Seventh College.

How she developed an interest in her major: I have always loved being outdoors. During my first year of community college, I took “Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology” and fell in love with the subject. I especially enjoyed the ecology section, learning about the environment and how it relates to humans. I chose my major (Environmental Systems: Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution) because it is taught at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and I wanted to take the unique classes offered there. This major also allows me to take classes in the School of Biological Sciences. After completing my undergraduate degree, I hope to work as a wildlife ecologist.

Why she’s excited to attend UC San Diego: I am most excited to take the variety of classes offered at SIO and the School of Biological Sciences. I look forward to connecting with my professors and peers to learn more about how my studies will open various career pathways. I am also really excited to move into the beautiful new Pepper Canyon West apartments.

Her advice for prospective students: Community college is an amazing pathway to transferring into a four-year university! Don’t hesitate to complete two or three years at a community college and then transfer to your dream university. For me, that meant attending a community college for two years after high school and then transferring to my number-one choice, UC San Diego!

Alyssa Theurer

(she/her)
Education Sciences
First-year student

Why she chose UC San Diego: There are many reasons why I chose UC San Diego. I have only heard great things about UC San Diego’s Education Sciences major and UC San Diego is one of the few UCs to offer the major. The program provides the unique experience of gaining experience in the classroom during undergrad (typically, you don’t get classroom experience until graduate school). In addition, everything about UC San Diego’s campus is beautiful, from the Geisel Library to the Sun God Statue and, of course, the ocean views; I saw myself living in this environment. I am also really interested in the different student organizations. I ran cross country and track in high school; I am excited that UC San Diego has two different run clubs (Girls Run UCSD and Strides) and I look forward to joining both!

How she developed an interest in her major: I became interested in becoming a teacher at a very young age. In kindergarten, I had a "teacher whiteboard" and pretended to teach my younger sister. That instilled in me a passion for working with kids and since then, I have been fascinated with elementary education. I am so excited for UC San Diego's Education Sciences major, and look forward to gaining fieldwork experience at nearby schools and learning more about elementary education!

Why she’s excited to attend UC San Diego: I am most excited about meeting new people, joining student organizations and exploring all that UC San Diego and San Diego offers!

By the Numbers

This spring, UC San Diego offered admission to almost 36,000 first-year and more than 12,000 transfer students from California and around the world. More than 10,500 of these students are expected to enroll this fall.

• More than 75% of new first-year students are California residents.
• Enrolling first-year students attended 1,739 different high schools in California and around the country.
• Enrolling transfer students attended 113 different California community colleges.
• More than 35% of incoming first-year students and nearly 40% of incoming transfer students will be the first generation in their family to graduate from college. In addition, almost 40% of new first-year and transfer students come from a low-income family.
• More than 75% of entering students were awarded some form of financial aid. This includes 2,700 first-year students and over 1,300 transfer students who received a Pell grant.
• Over 1,200 scholarships were awarded to entering students. This includes more than 200 first-year students and 100 transfer students who were awarded a Chancellor’s Associates Scholarship, which covers all tuition and fees when combined with other financial aid.