Gabriel Alpuerto

November 3, 2020

How has CEED helped you adjust and excel in college?

The two biggest things that have help me have been the CEED Center and the people part of the CEED community. The CEED Center provided as great place to do work before, in between, and after class and essentially served as my base of operations during heavy work periods. It was comforting having a relatively quiet space to work in and it became my most frequented place after my own dorm. As for the community, all the advice and guidance provided both officially and unofficially has helped tremendously. Sherry and the rest of the CEED staff provided excellent advice for classes and school along with all the upperclassmen who have passed down advice and resources to help with classes.

I also want to add, I speak a lot about how others have helped me. While I had to go out and find these people myself or be the one to ask questions, CEED makes it easier to go out and find help for yourself since it builds a community through its Summer Programs and other events. Alumni and older participating CEED students are always willing to lend a hand (in my experience) so you just need to initiate. 

Was CEED a major factor in your decision to attend UCLA?

Yes! I was debating between UCLA and a few other schools, but after attending the CEED info session and going to the freshmen weekend hosted before SIR, I learned more about how CEED supports its students as well as the community I could be part of.

What are some of your favorite CEED traditions?

Summer Bridge/BREES: Building the community and meeting new people was fun especially before the quarter started.

Sherry’s Friday Donuts: It was always fun seeing everyone in the office and stopping bye to say hi to all the officer staff.

The CEED Center in general.

In what ways have you involved yourself with CEED beyond the classroom?

Volunteering and mentorship. I believe in the importance of giving back to others and CEED does that often through tutoring and workshops run by Cathy Douglas as well as the events put on by the Tri–Org which CEED supports. Mentorship wise, I have been both a mentor and mentee in order to pass on the wisdom of the students before me while adding some of my own advice to the new students. 

How has CEED helped you explore future career paths?

Beside the official CEED [professional-development] events hosted every year (which I recommend to all CEED students), one thing that has helped me is the people I have meet through CEED. Whether it was the CEED staff or peers and mentors I met, the CEED community has provided me a lot of advice and information on the options I can pursue with my experience and degree. I have learned so much more about the different industries out there, how research [is conducted], avenues to graduate school, and more through the people I have met. 

Are there any other fun facts about yourself that you would like to share?

I started my first Dungeons and Dragons group through people I met in CEED.