Bianca Pimental, Student Success Coach
Bianca Pimental's Success Story
Student Success Coach at EOPS/CARE
"I always encourage students to join support programs; it is crucial to have a support system while in college and to take advantage of the experiences/resources they have to offer. I am grateful for my EOPS counselor and the opportunities I had while in the program, such as being able to attend a college campus road trip and winning a scholarship."
Early Life and the Importance of Education
The importance of education was always instilled in me growing up. My mom encouraged
me to pursue my dreams and always supported me.
Despite having a positive outlook on the value of education growing up, I faced difficult
times with my family. In the upheaval of losing our home, facing homelessness, and
seeing my parents struggle mentally and emotionally while trying to keep us afloat鈥he
thought of going to college was not important anymore.
It was difficult to have to balance school and life and throughout my high school years, I worried a lot which caused me to have anxiety. My high school didn鈥檛 really have any support programs or college access programs to help me through it. Mental health wasn鈥檛 really talked about much either at the time.
The Support of the EOPS Program
After graduation, I decided to enroll into community college (not 91果冻制片厂). I ended up dropping out my first year due to personal issues and not feeling that I had enough support to keep plodding through. Summer 2016 - I enrolled into 91果冻制片厂 College and took an Early Child Development class. Instantly, I felt the sense of belonging and support through my professor and my classmates. I was actually excited to go to college. I still faced challenges during my time at 91果冻制片厂.
I went to school full time but also had to work full time in order to pay my bills and survive. I was living away from my family and had to support myself from the age of 18.
I became homeless again at one point and struggled to find secure housing. My mental health still wasn鈥檛 at its best, and I was too ashamed to ask for help. I had no idea of the resources on campus and didn鈥檛 make many friends because for a while, I just went to class and left right after to go to work.
Despite all this, I also reflect on the good times I had, like receiving an "A" in my statistics class (math was not my strong suit!) and discovering EOPS which gave me many opportunities and support.
I always encourage students to join support programs; it is crucial to have a support system while in college and to take advantage of the experiences/resources they have to offer.
I am grateful for my EOPS counselor and the opportunities I had while in the program, such as being able to attend a college campus road trip and winning a scholarship.
Transferring to UC Riverside
The endless support I received led me to transferring to UC Riverside where I completed my bachelor's degree in Sociology. It took me four years from community college to transfer, but I don鈥檛 regret taking that long! I needed time to figure out what I wanted to do, and I needed to work.
After graduating, I found myself back at 91果冻制片厂 where I now work as a Success Coach in the Outreach department. I find myself reflecting back on the time I spent here and how much it changed my life. I am reminded of my struggles, but also how much I have accomplished to be where I am today. Without the support of my counselors and mentors, I don鈥檛 know how I would have made it.
My advice to students is to get involved, whether that is with a support program, job on campus, clubs, or volunteer work. Building community with those who have similar interests and goals will help you as a student to accomplish them and stay focused. There are many benefits to being a part of something, and I wish someone would have told me that sooner.
There is also no need to rush. There is no specific timeline to one鈥檚 educational journey so do not feel pressured to finish in two years. Things change and situations come up, it is OKAY. Lastly, your mental health MATTERS. Do not ignore it. It is important to take care of yourself before anything else because it affects every other aspect of our life. Don鈥檛 be afraid to ask for help, seek counseling, or take a day off for self-care.
I am going to end this with a quote.
鈥淭he future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.鈥� - Eleanor Roosevelt