Student Profile

Carmen Sepulveda

Even though Carmen Sepulveda grew up in a Hispanic household and visited her parents’ home country several times, it wasn’t until she lived and studied in Chile that she began to understand what her cultural heritage meant.

"I discovered I have a certain identity, and it wasn’t until I went there that I realized this is my heritage, my culture. This has shaped who I am. It was an unforgettable experience." Sepulveda lived with a host family for six months, took classes at Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, and volunteered to teach English and work at a local hospital.

Sepulveda transferred from Boulder to UCD after her freshman year to be close to her family. She discovered she liked the Downtown Campus, where classes are smaller and more diverse and "people are more committed, more focused in getting an education."

During the academic year, she works about 14 hours a week for Trio Student Support Services, a program for low income, first generation minority and disabled students. She first experienced the Trio program by receiving the services herself.

Now the tables are turned, and she enjoys helping others. "I have developed relationships with students like myself that enable them to feel that they have a support network that is helping them succeed in school."

Sepulveda is majoring in biology and Spanish and intends to apply to med school. In the meantime, she spends weekends volunteering at local hospitals. This summer, she was accepted into the Minority Underrepresented Summer Research Program at the Health Sciences Center.

She believes her fluency in Spanish will be an advantage. "I want to be that doctor who speaks in Spanish, communicating and helping to make things clear. I want to make a person’s life better," she says.