Mia, CTSF scholar and UC Davis Grad is discovering her pathway to success
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 4, 2026) Mia, a College Track alumna and once a San Francisco scholar, is pursuing a Master of Education in Student Affairs after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from UC Davis, one of College Track’s newest college and university partners. Through her journey, she reflects the power of long-term investment in scholars, an approach College Track has championed since 1997.
“College Track is one of the reasons why I am where I am today,” she shared. “I remember starting that summer before freshman year of high school and just thinking about college and knowing that college was a possibility for me.”
At UC Davis, Mia began discovering what that possibility could look like. She initially planned to pursue business, but after taking communication classes, she found herself drawn to the field’s versatility. During her sophomore year, she became involved in Student Affairs through the Guardian Scholars Program and the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program, experiences that introduced her to a new professional path.
Through those roles, Mia realized that the work she enjoyed most, supporting students and helping them understand their college experiences, was more than just involvement on campus. It could be a career.
Her passion for helping others, however, began even earlier. While in high school, Mia held a role supporting incoming freshmen transition into high school, an experience that mirrored the support she received through College Track.
“Being a part of College Track, having that support, and then being able to hold that role for incoming freshmen made me realize I love helping people,” she said. “I love helping people in the ways that I was helped, because transitions can be hard to navigate.”
That passion continued to grow during college. At UC Davis, Mia worked as a program assistant with the Guardian Scholars Program for three years, eventually serving as the lead program assistant. She also worked with orientation and participated in the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program, where she was introduced to a national network of student affairs professionals.
Through conferences and professional development opportunities, Mia began to see new possibilities for her future.
“Attending conferences and seeing other Black professionals who were in graduate school or had their master’s degrees,” she said. “Seeing that made me realize, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”
After graduating from UC Davis, Mia continued working with students through a two-year fellowship with a college access program connected to UC Berkeley’s DCAC EOP initiative. The experience further strengthened her interest in education and student engagement while providing professional development that helped guide her next step toward graduate school.
Her educational journey has taken her across California. Born and raised in San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, Mia first moved away from home to attend UC Davis before returning to the Bay Area for her fellowship. Today, she is in Los Angeles pursuing her graduate degree at UCLA.
“This is my first time really being away from home,” she shared. “Balancing graduate school and my internship has definitely been hard, but everything falls into place eventually.”
Today, Mia is beginning to see the results of that journey. As part of UCLA’s Master of Student Affairs program, Mia works as a Graduate Resident Director in residential life. In this role, she supports resident assistants, helps students navigate conflicts, and contributes to building an interactive living environment for students on campus.
As she looks toward the future, her focus remains on supporting students as they navigate their own educational journeys.
For current College Track scholars considering their next steps, Mia encourages intentionality and self-reflection.
“Know what you want to do,” she advised. “Take the time to connect with people in the programs you’re interested in and learn what the experience will really be like. Doing that self-work helps you find the path that will make you happy.”
Mia’s journey reminds us that the future starts here: with an investment in scholars that began in 1997 and continues to multiply opportunity, impact, and joy across communities.
Join the Movement
To learn more about how College Track is partnering with universities across the country to support our scholars from high school through college graduation and beyond, visit our University Partnerships page.