As the Class of 2025 prepares for life after graduation, students reflected on the accomplishments that shaped their college experience and shared the professors, classes and campus communities that left a lasting impact.
Fourth-year public health policy student Camille De Los Reyes recalled being nervous about making friends when she left her hometown of Beaumont for Irvine before her freshman year.
“I was kind of scared of how accepting it would be,” De Los Reyes told New University. “I’m also a first-generation student, so I kind of came into college really not knowing how it would work out.”
De Los Reyes found community by joining campus organizations that aligned with her identities and interests, which provided a sense of connection during her transition to college.
“I kind of felt that shock and worry about fitting in, but I definitely think UCI emphasizes [its] resources,” De Los Reyes said. “By joining cultural clubs and [finding] personal community, like the queer community as well, I was able to find a community there.”
UCI offers more than 600 organizations, including volunteer, cultural and career-focused groups, to help students connect on campus. De Los Reyes credits her involvement in Global Health Research, Education and Translation; Kababayan; and Pre-Health Undergraduate Student Organization, which gave her a community and helped establish her ambition within the public health field.
“That really helped me solidify my public health interests and really solidified what I kind of wanted to do in my career and also just made me more passionate about health issues, especially being here at UCI,” she said. “And Kababayan, which is also a Pilipinx-based organization, and also their sister org, which is Puso, which is a pre-health club.”
Dr. Theodore Gideonse, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Health, Society and Behavior and associate dean of undergraduate education, played a pivotal role in De Los Reyes’s college career. After working closely with him as a learning assistant on the Public Health’s Undergraduate Student Council, De Los Reyes said she gained a deeper appreciation for the broader impact of the public health industry.
“Not only is he a good director and really tries to understand and network with his students, but he’s also just really vocal on present public health issues,” she said. “ He’s kind of really eye-opening to some global health and public health issues out there, especially in today’s world.”
De Los Reyes said the one piece of advice she would give her freshman self is to not be afraid of getting involved sooner.
“Be willing to be involved more. I think as a freshman I was kind of scared,” she said. “If I knew how willing and communicative and welcoming everyone was, I definitely would be more willing to join more during my first year because joining those clubs and joining those orgs and just utilizing my resources has literally helped me so much.”
After graduation, De Los Reyes plans to take a gap year to gain work experience before applying to master’s programs in the fall of 2026.
Fourth-year business administration student Midalia Hernandez found her community on campus through the Latino Business Student Association, which assists members in their pursuit of professional careers while uplifting the Latino community. The organization hosts events focused on professional development, social interaction and community service.
“There, I met one of my friends and then, through my friend, I met other friends,” Hernandez told New University. “The club would host socials and it’s how I got to know more of the people.”
If she could go back to her first year, Hernandez said she would encourage herself to take that step sooner.
“Get more involved. Go out and make new friends, you know, because I was pretty sad at first [when] I couldn’t make friends at first,” she said. “For sure, get involved in clubs early.”
Hernandez also acknowledged the ways her involvement in extracurriculars has benefitted her personal growth and academic success.
“I am more social now compared to how I was freshman year,” she said. “Now I am more involved with my classes, now I interact more with people and I spend more time doing self-care.”
Hernandez is currently waiting to hear back from several internship opportunities. After graduation, she hopes to dedicate more time to content creation for her social media platforms.
Fourth-year psychological science student Arianna Camberos met Hernandez through the UCI College Corps program. Camberos first learned about the program from her freshman-year roommates.
“I found my community at school first by actually getting to really connect with my roommates when I was first dorming,” Camberos told New University. “Then, through one of them, I learned about a College Corps program, which ended up expanding my community, and I’m here today, still with the program, and meeting new people and building on those connections I’ve made.”
Since then, Camberos has taken pride in stepping out of her comfort zone to get involved with causes she cares about, like the Sustainability Resource Center, which promotes environmental initiatives and sustainability on campus.
“I think I’m most proud of getting involved with the Sustainability Center because that was something that really was out of my comfort zone,” she said. “We’re learning more about different students and [about] how to get them involved and to care more about the environment.”
As a psychological science student, Camberos initially felt uncertain about which path within the field of psychology was right for her. It wasn’t until she took courses with Professor Joanne Zinger that she began to find her place within the profession.
“Through her classes, I learned a lot more about the different fields of psychology,” Camberos said. “She invites all these speakers to come to her classes. So you get a more in-depth, actual hands-on experience about what you’re doing in these fields compared to just reading it in a textbook.”
After graduation, Camberos plans to take a gap year before applying to graduate school, where she hopes to study clinical psychology.
Regardless of where they’ve been or where they’re headed, graduates New University spoke to agreed that getting involved with campus organizations made their college experience meaningful. Whether driven by career goals or desire for community, being involved opened the doors to growth, connection and community.
“I feel like UCI has been really good,” De Los Reyes said. “It was technically my dream school [when] applying, so I felt like it really lived up to it.”
Melissa Mixon is a Features Staff Writer. She can be reached at mixonm@uci.edu.
Edited by Annia Pallares zur Nieden and Jaheem Conley.