Erica Velazquez is a first-generation, first-year College student from Santa Barbara, Calif. With a love for biology, and a passion for examining how socioeconomic status impacts access to health care, she is on a pre-med track majoring in biology. Erica is part of the inaugural Phoenix STEM cohort, which works to support diversity in STEM fields.
Why UChicago?
Growing up in California, I wanted to explore other parts of the country, explore other networks. For me, UChicago and the Midwest are very much hotspots for networking, opportunities and growth.
Obviously, it’s a prestigious school that most people have heard about. As I researched more and more, I realized this could be a really good fit for me. Don't get me wrong, it's such a hard school—and I was aware of that coming in. But there were also unlimited opportunities for growth here.
What drew me most to UChicago is even though we have a very strong liberal arts core curriculum, we're also such a heavy research school. I've met very few professors who don't involve themselves in research. Most undergrads that I've met, or at least the STEM majors who I talk to the most, are all involved in some kind of research. This is very appealing to me, because that's what I'm interested in as well.
The main difference is absolutely the climate, I'm definitely not used to it yet. Because in Santa Barbara, regardless of what season it is, it rarely goes below 50 or 60. So that's definitely been a big transition.
What is an experience that stands out during your time here?
UChicago has so many student resources on campus. Aside from our academic advisers, we have our career advisers, there are places like the Center for Identity and Inclusion. So if I don't feel comfortable, I can always talk to people there. There are resources for absolutely everything, and it makes me feel so much more comfortable and at home.
But to be honest, the final factor that persuaded me to choose this school was the housing system. We obviously have houses, which is very Hogwarts-like, but it also means that as soon as you get here you have a community already. I love all of my housemates. I spend so much time with them. All of us just bond really well, it’s a really good support system. Anytime anyone needs help with absolutely anything, we can always just rely on each other and just talk it out.